Maybe because Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, or maybe because councilmembers needed a reprieve after last week’s eight-and-a-half-hour marathon meeting, but a new feeling of giddiness filled the air this week.
Campuswide Senator Tobias Haglund informed councilmembers that the Interfraternity Council will be holding a fundraiser next week to benefit the City of Hope Cancer Center. Joining the fraternity members imprisoned in a makeshift jail cell on Library Walk will be Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Penny Rue and A.S. President Utsav Gupta.
John Cressey, a fifth-year and former A.S. councilmember, addressed the issue of council accountability during public input.
“Think of someone on A.S. that you can’t stand, and if the passion of your dislike for that person outweighs the passion you have for UCSD, then change your attitude or resign,” Cressey said. “You’re focusing on each other — that’s a Disassociated Students.”
Campuswide Senator Desiree Prevo and AVP Diversity Affairs Jasmine Phillips explained the concept behind “Do UC US?”, a campaign that hopes to increase the number of black students at UCSD.
They said they intend to pressure Chancellor Marye Anne Fox to create programs that will increase campus diversity.
Campuswide Senator Adam Kenworthy updated the council regarding his senator projects. Besides his proposed Committee on Student Activities and Relations and the A.S. Events Line, Kenworthy offered some new ideas: a changed location for the whiteboard experiments — this time, a bathroom stall — and a Geisel Library mascot.
AVP College Affairs and Speaker James Lintern offered up his speaker position for a week due to previous engagements. Councilmembers eagerly sprang for the opportunity to chair the Week Eight meeting.
Campuswide Senator Katie Hall urged councilmembers to participate in the search for a new senior vice chancellor of academic affairs who will advocate the preservation of social-sciences and humanities majors and programs on this campus. Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Paul Drake, who currently holds the position, will retire at the end of the 2009-10 academic year.
After various retroactive excusals of absences from previous meetings, councilmembers debated the language of the transportation referendum yet again, and concluded their relatively short discussion with a failed vote.
VP Finance and Resources Peter Benesch submitted a proposed $5,000 underwrite for the production of the Muir Musical, which the council passed.
Muir College Senator Ryan O’Rear asked councilmembers how they would feel about former Muir College dining hall Sierra Summit — currently being revamped, and set to open in May 2010 — being renamed Timbers.
Councilmembers voiced their dissent, and O’Rear concluded that he would try to change the proposed name.
