So when I walked into the forum last night and saw only a handful of strangers, I couldn’t help but think, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Turns out, I was just early, and the meeting began with its usual pomp and circumstance. Special presentations kicked off with graduate students Laura Pecenco and Marina Garrett presenting on behalf of Students Saving the Crafts Center. Before the center closed due to University Centers’ budget concerns, it provided courses in a smorgasbord of artistry, and according to Garrett, it was the cheapest place to blow glass in probably the whole country.
Garrett argued that the value of the Crafts Center far superseded the constraints of UCEN’s bottom line.
“We want UCSD students to become leaders in the future,” Garrett said. “So we need to provide them with a variety of opportunities to help prepare them for life.”
The presentation further provided testimonials on behalf of the center from current and former students, one of which included a story of two Triton lovebirds who fashioned their wedding rings at the Crafts Center.
This little anecdote enticed a major “Aw…” from council.
A.S. President Meggie Le also presented about the university’s Master Space Agreement, seeking input from council members about how A.S. Council should relate to the campus co-ops in the future.
After meeting with representatives from the co-ops, from UCEN, and from GSA, Le proposed a series of changes to the MSA regarding council’s role in the co-ops’ certification and continuation. These changes would increase the level of oversight that council has and would require them to support the co-ops as much as possible, as long as the issues continue to be in the students’ best interests.
AVP College Affairs Leonard Bobbitt disagreed with the extensive rules set forth by the proposed changes to the MSA.
“I think it puts an unnecessary burden on us,” Bobbitt said. “It’s not our job to be whistleblowers.”
Rules Committee prompted serious debate with the suggestion to separate campus slates from college slates for future elections. A.S. Council voted to discuss the matter in a moderated caucus, as opposed, apparently, to freewheeling mayhem.
Council members on both sides of the issue worried about potentially dividing the student body, or leaving students who wouldn’t normally participate out of the political process.
But it was AVP Student Affairs Elizabeth Garcia who boldly put forth the dirty truth.
“Nobody cares about these elections except the people running,” she said.
After another round of moderated goodness, council voted to table the issue until next week.