Tonight’s two-hour A.S. Council meeting kicked off with a short discussion about the pros and cons of the various trolley lines proposed by the city of San Diego, planned for completion in 2016. A.S. Enterprises Advisory Intern and former Campuswide
Senator Tobias Haglund then presented a list of potential names for the newly approved A.S. Store, which will be located in Price Center and sell Greek merchandise. Suggestions included “Black Pearl” and “Maelstrom Dome,” although Haglund said he was unsure what “Maelstrom” meant (one councilmember defined it for him as a “violent storm”). Haglund said that the store, which councilmembers originally hoped would open in Fall Quarter 2010, would more likely make its debut next Winter Quarter.
During public input, Muslim Student Association President Sarmad Bokhari spoke about a recent incident in which a Muslim student — when prodded by pro-Israel speaker David Horowitz — implied that she supported a second Jewish genocide. According to Bokhari, the student, Jumanah Imad Albahri, is not and has never been an elected representative of the MSA, and her views do not represent that of the organization.
Vice President of Finance and Resources Andrew Ang announced that he would be submitting associate vice president nominations to New Business next week.
Transfer Senator and Transportation Policy Committee member Adam Powers gave a lengthy presentation recapping the Transportation Referendum — a fee that would go toward preserving buses and shuttles on campus that was proposed in Fall Quarter, then failed Winter Quarter on the recommendation of the A.S. Transportation Committee.
“The options were ‘Pass this referendum or we’ll cut shuttles,’ and that was a little too ‘A or B’ for us,” Powers said. “I think we need to cut ties to them.”
The next meeting of the Transportation Policy Committee, who will ultimately decide the effect of the failed referendum on campus shuttles, will be Monday, May 24 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Price Center West Bear Room.
The council then approved A.S. President Wafa Ben Hassine’s nomination of Muir College freshman Elizabeth Garcia as her chief of staff.
Sixth College Senator Parminder Sandhu said that further meetings of the Electronic Policy Committee had been cancelled, as “the university librarian says there’s not enough to discuss.”
Ben Hassine reminded everyone that the official 2010-11 executive budget would be proposed at next week’s meeting.
“This will be a short meeting,” she said, amid skeptical laughter from councilmembers. She reminded them of a new process in which only the most pressing issues will be passed, and the rest of the budget will wait until Week Three of Fall Quarter.
“Take my personal guarantee that this will be a shorter meeting,” she said. “It’s the fall meeting that will be the longer meeting.”
