Meeting #7 — Oct. 6, 2004

Special Presentations

The Diversity Affairs Office announced a series of events that will take place during the school year. Its programs will include Border Angels, which seeks to reduce the number of deaths related to border crossing, the World AIDS Day, which will take place on Dec. 1, and the Cultural Unity Month of Awareness in April 2005.

Items of Immediate Consideration

Item I

The A.S. Council passed a resolution in support of the University of California Student Association’s action agenda. UCSA plans to register 25,000 students and increase voter turnout by 5 percent among students. It will also strive to make education a higher priority than the prison system in state appropriations and to change the current eligibilty requirements for the UC system.

Item J

The council allocated $500 to finance UCSD Rock the Vote events. These events include forums, rallies and campaigns that aim to increase voter turnout in the Nov. 2 election.

Reports

John Muir College Junior Senator Neil Spears

Spears reported that the Muir College Council lowered its funding cap for UCSD organizations. Due to decreased funding, the MCC will impose a $60 maximum allocation for most events that do not occur in Muir College.

Earl Warren College Junior Senator Josh Martino

Martino reported that the A.S. Council is currently discussing the possibility of extending the time of operations for city shuttles so that they would run later into the night to accommodate social events on campus. The council is also discussing the possible extension of the city bus system to Pacific Beach.

Council Caucus

The council discussed the ongoing negotiation of co-op leases. The deadline for a renewed Master Space Agreement has been extended by thirty days. The new deadline for the negotiations is Nov. 14. According to President Jenn Pae, Vice Chancellor for Student Services Joseph W. Watson has removed the council and the Graduate Student Association from the negotiations, opting instead to deal directly with the student-run co-ops. Discussions continued regarding the developing role for Associated Students in the negotiations and legal options that will assure that the council and the student co-ops are adequately represented. Pae said that she has not been treated with respect throughout the entire process but will continue to try to represent the students to the best of her abilities.

Old Business

Item E

Despite Pae’s objection, the council indefinitely tabled legislation that would have allocated more than $15,000 for the development of an instant runoff voting system. The legislation was tabled by a vote of 17-0-1.

Announcements

President Jenn Pae

There will be a discussion forum on Proposition 71, which calls for a $3 billion grant to fund embryonic stem cell research, in Price Center Theater on Oct. 11, from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. Among those attending will be the author of the bill.

— Compiled by Patrick Allen,

Senior Staff Writer