Online run-off election between Atkins and Chavez concludes

Real Student Advocate

Tue Apr 21 2009 12:23

They saw our vote and ignored it, now let them see our faces and hear our voices "NO MEANS NO"

No Means No Rally this Thursday, April 23rd from 11:30 - 12:30pm at the Speakers Platform (grassy area in front of the Bookstore).

Llaura

Sun Apr 19 2009 18:49

To: Your Name (First Response) and CSULB Realist (Second Response)To: Your NameThere still needs to be a lot of work done to improve shared governance on campus, but I stand by my statement that ASI can, have, and will continually advocate for students at all levels. We have student reps at many different councils, committees, and boards on campus that advocate for the students position on a wide-range of issues that affect the students. We have students who are part of the Lobby Corps that lobby to legislatures regarding issues that affect students. And ASI is continually doing what we can to improve shared governance on and off campus.As for your statement about the Beach Legacy Referendum, ASI is composed of individual students with their own opinions and perspectives. Some students are in favor of the BLR while others may not. We can't force students in ASI to do one thing over the other. As for your question about how ASI will honor your will --it is being honored. Some students in ASI are in favor of the BLR while others are not and are speaking up for students. And cowards? Please don't insult us. First of all Erin and Chris were speaking for students at the SFAC meeting earlier this month. They put themselves out there against faculty and administrators during the SFAC meeting. Not to mention the recent Academic Senate meeting when Erin clearly spoke up for students in regards to GWAR. If you have any more questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me at lgarci11@csulb.edu.To CSULB Realist:To easily address your points, I've written my response in bullet form. - "Brian Troutner chimed in that SFAC members 'had chosen' not to speak; not that they were barred from commenting. (I was told otherwise, so I'll definitely check that out.)- "The seven students on the SFAC should have insisted on a transparent vote." (I agree, but like I've mentioned before, students have their own opinions and convictions and should be able to carry them out. If I was on the SFAC, I would have definitely wanted a transparent vote. I mean even with a blind vote, you could have determined who voted for or against the issue at hand.)- "They maintained the current status quo and kept their mouths shut -- AGAIN!" (I'm sure that you've noticed that Erin clearly voiced her opinion in favor of the students.)- "You did absolutely NOTHING to make sure 'everything was kosher' Nobody did, and now you've each helped create a disillusioned and disenfranchised student body, with movements of irate students feeling violated and threatened by ASI and administration. (What I did was ask questions to find out if everything that was going on with the process of the BLR was in line with policy. What I mean by that is that I should have done more by actually going to the SFAC meeting and spoken up during public comment about my issues with the whole BLR process (even when I wasn't an actual member of the SFAC) and when I heard about the actions of the supporters of the BLR, I should have created a small coalition to do what we can to ensure that everything was kosher with the BLR process.)- "When ASI members, all senators included, were asked their positions on BLR, their choice to not voice a stance was the clearest signal of all that they were acting as mere puppets afraid of administration." (I was never asked my position on the BLR and if I was asked, I would have clearly indicated that even though I know that the BLR could do great things for the university, I know that many students would struggle financially to the possible fee increase. It was a good idea, but it's just not the best time to increase the student fee. I was against the BLR given the fact that the student and wellness center fee will be initiated at the same year that the BLR would have been initiated plus the possible fee increase that could be imposed on students by the CSU Board of Trustees.)- If "some supported it while some were opposed to it" they each are guilty of malfeasance of office by not announcing their positions. They instead contributed to the secrecy and manipulation of this farce and that's NOT why we elected them. (I wasn't actually elected, but you're right, I should have announced my position openly. I could have sent an e-mail to everyone I know at CSULB with my position, I could have posted my position on Facebook, I could have gone to organizations to voice my opinion, and I could have probably even gone to the Daily 49er and the Union to state my opinion. And trust me, given another chance, I would have definitely done things differently.)- The only one I truly see as immune to those adjectives is Erin Swetland. (Thank you for recognizing this and I completely agree.)I thank you for your opinions. If you need clarification with any of my responses, please feel free to e-mail me at lgarci11@csulb.edu. I'm attached to my e-mail during the weekend so if you send me something later this afternoon, you'll probably get a response by later this...

Avis Atkins

Sun Apr 19 2009 16:32

P.S. I encourage you all to call, come by office hours, or email me to set up an appointment....I would love to help you with your concerns :-) have a great and productive Sunday.

Avis Atkins

Sun Apr 19 2009 16:29

Sorry you felt that way at my store. I do the most I can for students. I give my all for students. And you will see that through my actions.

ur name

Sun Apr 19 2009 16:27

wow. whoever said that avis needed to run with chris is crazy. do you forget avis is up? also what is chris proposing to do for students? a direct lending program that the university is already working on? what else in his platform is of any substance....oh yea he did talk about the mardi gras party...right. at least avis is trying to get new ideas on the table. what ideas does chris have...none!

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 16:21

Whoever said avis needs to run with chris is an crazy. are you forgetting that she is ahead of him? there must be some good that she is doing to get students to stand behind her. let's think, what is substantial about chris's platform. what is he promising students

Llaura

Sun Apr 19 2009 15:58

Wow, 2 long comments addressed to me. I'm going to address them in full in a little while, but in the meantime, I just want to clarify something, when I said "higher ups" I mean the "higher ups" in the CSULB Administration.

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 15:56

Anybody who gets involved with ASI is quickly starstruck by having their importance puffed up by administrators, and consequentially become nothing more than administrative bureaucrats themselves. Except for Erin Swetland during the SFAC vote, not one ASI member since I've been here has broken the mold of folding to management's desires. NOT ONE!!!!! These are the same people that will be facing you across the counter at the DMV or Best Buy (yes, horrible experiences with their clerk-like customer service too, Avis) after they graduate. P.S. I'm not the one who tossed a TV at you, but I've felt that way numerous times at your store.

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 15:49

Then perhaps the SOAR program should not use freshmen as advisors. I understand the importance of public relations in promoting the image of a college to potential students, but students attending SOAR are already committed; they don't need to be enticed to attend. The recruiters that visited my community college in 2005 gave us flowery promotion of the Student Wellness Center being built. What they forgot to tell us was that the referendum hadn't been conducted yet. When I got to CSULB, the referendum was in full promotional swing, even though the recruiters told us it was a done deal. That misinformation showed me that student voices didn't really matter. Administration had already all but guaranteed the fee passage long before the student referendum was on an actual ballot. In essence, they had already planned to spend our money BEFORE asking students their opinion, except for those on ASI; the same as the BLR fiasco. You CANNOT convince current students that their voices matter when the ASI is in bed with administration--that our voices are not really heard. ASI, as a group that IS part of the state corporate mindset, has no sense of priorities when it comes to student needs and concerns. Claiming non-compliance with administrative desires about the science building proves such willingness to be manipulated and 'approved' by administration over the will of your constituents. Administration had other alternatives to advancing this project, including tapping into the Foundation for loan funding, but you allowed US to foot the bill (in excess I might add; they needed $1.5 million--you advocated $2 million) This shows me you are irresponsible with student money when administration applies sophisticated pressures.

Avis Atkins

Sun Apr 19 2009 15:30

I was a freshman when my advisor gave me incorrect information. I was not familiar with the G.E. plan until my second semester in college....

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 14:48

Dear Avis, your comment that your advisor "gave me incorrect information" and you didn't question it signals how I feel you will react when CSULB administrators give you incorrect information. You're making me feel less confident with each posting.

blah blah

Sun Apr 19 2009 14:44

Avis, it wasn't the "other cola senator" that dismissed me that day!!!! The one who dismissed me and made it seem like her class time was waaay more important than mine is the one commenting/campaigning for ASI president. You cut bait and ran when I had issues that were important to me and others to address. That bullet has already left the pistol, dear. I've seen the cut of your cloth as far as standing up for my needs, and I wasn't even considered worthy of being in your picture. The rest of your comments are no more than simple campaign rhetoric to me. That might be something you'd like to consider in the future and I'm sure I wasn't your only dismissal.

Avis Atkins

Sun Apr 19 2009 14:27

To: Blah blah and others

Your comments are what I want to get out of students. Your discontent with ASI is what needs to be heard by those participating in it. I appreciate all of your comments. Let me address your concerns. The reason why I used I statements is because someone said I have done nothing for students so I had to explain what I have done. Self-serving....I have never been self serving in my life.

I am not sure if you heard me speak about SOAR but as an advisor I understand that some students think it is a complete waste of time. My advisor even gave me incorrect information, but they are working to improve it. I didn't ask if University 100 was a bad class, I said that ASI can use it to educate students about the organization. Whether you use the ASI services or not, most students have to pay the fee so why not make ASI more useful and better for students?

I would love to use a discussion board like this to get student opinions...oh wait we have one on beachboard and very few students use it. Perhaps town meetings will be more functional in getting student opinions. If you still want to meet with you other cola senator, call me and we can set up a time to meet. I also have office hours Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 - 11am in the government office.

As far as advocating goes, we need to unite with all of the CSUs. We have had a Fax Rally, Protested at the chancellor's office, and have done a number of other things but there can be more done. I think uniting with the other CSUs will give us a louder and stronger voice, especially if we do a rally on the same day. All students are feeling the effects of the current economic situation that we are in, but that doesn't mean we can't press the deans to open more sections. The only problem is getting teachers to teach them.

I know that most of you posting already have given up on ASI or think it's a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I am asking you to change that attitude, keep on sharing your thoughts and concerns, and become apart of ASI so you can help to change the way it functions and serves students.

Continue asking the challenging questions...I will continue to provide the challenging answers

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 14:20

What will assuredly piss me off is to hear either candidate make promises based entirely on these comments. As much as I would love to know that they are suddenly dedicated to these issues as their platforms. It would show either to be a liar to promote causes they haven't voiced before. Do NOT pacify me to get my vote on Tuesday by saying what you think I want to hear. Be REAL. Do NOT insult my intelligence or the intelligence of my fellow students. I voted "No" on the athletics referendum and it was substantially rejected by the majority vote. Address how you are going to respect our voice on that important issue or SHUT UP!!!!!!! I won't vote for the wimp that avoids the most important issue of the year.

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 14:10

"CSULB realist" and other dissenters have nailed the perception of ASI, the SFAC, and administration precisely. The only thing swaying my vote is that Chris Chavez FINALLY made a stand on BLR. Avis Atkins' stance on the BLR was clearly 'iffy' at best, even after the results were announced. It didn't outwardly appeal to me as a take-charge kind of position, but rather one that would follow the prevailing wind. That isn't 'change'. It only indicates more of the same-old, same-old. It's not difficult to perceive a backward step with either candidate falling in step with the hegemony of administrators. This has turned into a race for the 'lesser of two evils' with Chris emerging as the better option because of past activities. He should have been more vocal a lot sooner about the processes of the SFAC, but better late than sorry offered some salvation. At least he has shown the propensity not to fear diving into controversy, like his Campus Coalition Against Hate speech rejecting Jim Gilchrist.

No matter how many objections she insists on delivering, I believe in my soul that Avis leaned more toward passing the referendum for a new athletics fee than against it (notably because she's an academic mentor for athletics, with obvious surface conflicts of interest in opposing BLR)

ASI as a body should have followed President Erin Swetland's courageous lead to earn my respect and support, as well as that from many other students. It's sad for The Beach that we are losing such a dedicated and important student leader. She was refreshing compared to her predecessor because she showed that somebody on ASI was more than mere lip service and was unafraid to speak for students. I foresee our campus returning to the same sleepy hollow type atmosphere it was prior to her tenure. We were so close to overcoming our in-and-out commuter campus image for a minute. Based almost solely on his history of student activist participation, I will vote for Chavez. We might have been closer to maintaining the hallmark that Erin set if Avis would have run as Chris's running mate. That could have been a good complementary ticket because Matt Barnett will unconscionably become another administrative tool. No matter who wins president, I foretell Barnett's resistance as a bureaucrat will undermine and subvert the student voice. Unfortunately, that cat's already out of the bag.

read union weekly

Sun Apr 19 2009 13:06

Hey Daily Forty-Noner, how is a self-promotional link to a biography of "Joanne Tucker" relevant to this story? You guys are sinking to new lows. I've seen the same link in other stories. I don't get it.

blah blah

Sun Apr 19 2009 13:00

In a community with so many challenges and hardships, Avis, we keep getting PR spin about how ASI makes the grass greener and flowers prettier. The ASI newsletter is nothing more than spin. ASI never truly does what candidates promise. SOAR gave me a lot of misinformation and PR spin. University 100 was, and I suspect still is, a complete waste of time; a totally worthless class that obviously only has the intent to be a hindrance to many students. Everything Univ 100 paints is that the university should be pressuring K-14 instead of those who've already met CSULB admissions criteria. There are a lot of reasons the average student doesn't want to be involved with student government, and your above campaign spiel is emblematic of those reasons. Practically every sentence is laced with "I". I did this, and I learned that, and I, I, I.... Like the rest in this year's group of ASI candidates, you're extremely self-promotional and self-serving. Once you say "I will" for your oath of office, "You won't" because it's not about "US" is it? Even in this platform, you're merely campaigning. Once the election is over, your comments will certainly never again appear in these comment sections. Unless you've noticed, this is a great platform for ASI to communicate and learn of students' concerns. This is the type of communication arena ASI should strive to create, rather than relying on students taking their disappearing free time to attend ASI and Senate meetings. I tried to use the comment period at a Senate meeting. It was a 10 minute time limit and one student spoke the entire 10 minutes. I was a half hour late for class and still didn't get to voice my concerns. If "I AM ASI" why am "I" treated like afterbirth at ASI and Senate meetings and told "You Are NOT ASI"? When I approached my senator after the meeting I was brushed off because she, ahem COLA senator, was late for class. Many other students have complained similarly about their senators. Once the circus parade of the election is done, students will be forced to trudge through the elephant dung. "We" are only important when "You" want something from us. Once you get it, bye bye fools. That's only one reason students are apathetic and complacent about student government.

Your name

Sun Apr 19 2009 12:30

I can't get all of the classes I need. I don't look forward to sitting in overcrowded classes, but I will. My textbooks aren't any cheaper. My graduation date has been pushed farther away because of fewer class offerings. My tuition WILL go up in fall according to Chancellor Reed at Cabrillo High School the other day, I will have to pay for a new Wellness Center I won't be able to use because I don't live in the area and will now have to work too many hours to spend more time on campus. My little sister will have to spend an extra year or two in a community college because of all the new fees and tuition increases. Those are just a few obstacles I'm facing. Where is ASI? When will they start being my advocate?

Avis Atkins

Sun Apr 19 2009 12:24

Sorry again I want to educate, inspire, and change...

Avis Atkins

Sun Apr 19 2009 12:19

YES! Thank you so much for your two questions:

I want to first do more ASI Outreach at SOAR. I know that the execs go to the first large lecture meeting with the SOAR students around 9am and give their little overview about ASI but I want to do more. Instead of just going there in the morning, I want to have an ASI info table out during the SOAR lunch. I would be there at least twice a week for that hour recruiting and informing people about ASI. All of the execs are in office from June 1st to June 1st, so having an info table would be really easy to do. ALL students are mandated to go to SOAR just like ALL students are mandated to pay the ASI fee (unless it's waived) so why are we not out there at SOAR to recruit and inform?

I also want to make sure that ASI has a presence in University 100 classes. I know that the university did a huge revision of University 100 this year, my close friend sat on the committee. I want ASI to be a component of University 100 so that freshmen understand that we are another resource that they can go to if they have an issue or any concerns.

I want to revamp the ASI website so that it is more user friendly. In my platform I stated that I wanted to put applications for AS positions online so that students can view all of the open positions, their descriptions and benefits, and apply from the convince of their homes. I believe just achieving that will a number of new applicants and volunteers. I sat in the Board of Trustees this year as well and I was a little frustrated that we received only 5 applications for a position on the board....5 out of 38,000. I made sure to announce the opening AS position at club meetings but I guess that wasn't enough.

I would also love to make announcements of programs, positions, and services that ASI offers at club meetings. I spoke with a number of people in different student organizations and they said they would like to have the ASI executives come to their club meetings not only to campaign, but to give information about what's going on in ASI.

I also want to improve the newsletter. Erin definitely is laying a great foundation but there can be more done with it. There should always be a calendar on the newsletter, there should always be in-depth articles about the commissions and what they are doing, and there should always be in-depth articles about what the senate is doing. I also want to feature a student organization in every issue of the Beachfront because I want to showcase orgs that are doing an amazing job. I feel that the newsletter can bring a lot of participation to ASI or give a lot of information to students about ASI. This is a huge opportunity for us.

As far as the power of ASI, I don't want to give you the textbook definition. I want to explain the power of ASI from my own experience with this corporation. I became a commissioner in my sophomore year. As a commissioner I received my own business cards, I was in charge of my own budget, and I got to hold bi-weekly meetings where I was in charge of delegating jobs to my volunteers. I learned how to network, I learned how to time manage, and I learned how to supervise and run a program. I tell you, it was hard to organize the Week of Welcome fairs for the fall and Spring semesters. It was hard to book the In-n-Out truck months in advance. BUT it was from that year long experience that I learned so much. Before the age of 16 I was never given such an amazing opportunity. I think that all students can share that same experience.

Hundreds of business majors talk about how they want to find an internship.....INTERN with ASI. You are working for a 9 million dollar non-profit organization come and share your experience and ideas. Besides all the committees, shared governance and other reasons alike, I think that the power of ASI comes from the people who are involved in it. ASI has a huge opportunity in the way we market. WE HAVE A PR COMMISSIONER. Let's get people in positions who actually have a passion and a drive for what they do. More of our programs would be known, there would be more attendance, and students would start to see the true power of ASI like I did.

Again I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer those two questions. I assure you I am not administration's puppet. I am coming to ASI with fresh new ideas and I really have a heart to serve students. I can take criticism as well, that's why I keep on responding. But I will continue to take the questions and answer then in hopes that I can education, inspire, and change.

Thank you for your questions? Do you have more? Can we meet for water to chat (I'm a little broke from campaigning or else I would buy you coffee)