Progressive At Cal
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
In Answer. Real People. Real Issues.
Last year, Anu Joshi ran the voter registration drive. Then she became External Affairs Vice-President. She took over an office that was used to its leader doing nothing, and made it a productive part of the ASUC. Here's a tiny bit of what a CalSERVE External Affairs VP can do:
- Played a major role in defending student research and health while promoting racial equality by Defeating Proposition 54 (and no, it was neither illegal nor against campus policy)
- Registered and Educated over 2000 students for October
- Served as the Vice Chair of UCSA (A position in which Anu spoke to Bob Dynes and other UCOP administrators on
behalf of all 200,000 students of the UC System & chair all UCSA board Meetings. After years of UCSA looking down upon Berkeley's Associated Student Body, we have finally become a leader in the system again.)
- Educated 2500 students for the March Primaries
- Sent over 100 students to lobby in Sacramento on the budget cuts so far
- Held the first annual queer lobby day (and environmental, labor and SOC lobby days will be happening in the next two months)
- Created a Commissions DECal to train students to become city commissioners
- Will hold UC Berkeley's first annual Day of Silence on April 21st (and had a Queer Advocate in the office)
- Held a Tenant's Rights Week in November with RLA
- Created an LRDP Petition and provided student input on the plan
- Held a hugely successful Rally at the November Regent's Meeting in LA to call on the Regents to have more meetings at campuses with undergraduate students (over 50 Berkeley students were there)
There is a reason that this year the ASUC External Affairs Office is getting respect on campus and systemwide. For the first time in a long time, stuff is getting DONE.
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Monday, March 29, 2004
Old Senate Bill
Spring 2003
SB108
My Big Fat Greek Elections Reform Bill
Authored Senator Misha Leybovich
Sponsored by Senator Misha Leybovich
Resolved: Title IV, Section 13.3.6 of the ASUC By-Laws shall read:
6. Violating University regulations and/or city law pertaining to posting and/or chalking. This shall be construed to mean no chalking or posting on city, public, or university property except for as allowed in these By-Laws.
7. Resolved: Title IV, Section 13.5.11 of the ASUC By-Laws shall read:
11. Placing any campaign literature material on University Property within the grounds of a Residence Hall. This shall include, but not be limited to, indoor and outdoor walls, waste receptacles, trees, public bulletin boards, and any other space where public posting is prohibited by the Guide to Student Living. This item shall not prohibit the posting of literature inside rooms, including on windows, or on personal bulletin boards, provided in wither case that the permission of the affected resident is obtained.
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Thursday, March 25, 2004
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Another Misleading Rumor (i.e. Lie) Debunked
Someone over on the comments on CalStuff is trying to blame CalSERVE for the budget problems at the beginning of the year. I commented there, but it deserves mention here. The budget problems were inherited from Student Action. One problem in particular deserves special note:
"The major budget error was a direct result of Student Action's Lauren Hubbert writing '7.000' instead of '7,000,' costing the ASUC seven thousand dollars."
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Thursday, March 18, 2004
CalSERVE, BEARS United and the Greek Community
Recently, in the Berkeley blogging community, misinformation has been circulated about CalSERVE's relationship with the Greek Community. For anyone who has been paying attention recently (last four years or so), it will be clear that CalSERVE represents Greek students. It's last two presidential candidates were both Greek. The last few years, CalSERVE has had several Greek senators.
BEARS-united seems interested in fighting for TRUE Greek representation, as opposed to Student Action. I've overheard that their platform includes overcoming stereotypes, improving relationships with community and elected leaders, and expanding support for Greek philanthropy in financial and administrative ways.
For Student Action to lay any claim to being the represent of Greeks is absurd. As is suing BEARS-United for their name. This reminds me of the BECS incident last year, when APPLE-Engineering sued BECS (one of Student Action's drone parties) because it didn't run any engineers or scientists, despite the name. Again, the hypocrisy of Student Action rears its ugly head as it now turns to suing to disqualify rivals on the same grounds that it was attacked by APPLE last year. Speaking of hypocrisy, notice how APPLE-Engineering, which tried to disqualify all of Student Actions slate last year, has now "replaced" BECS on the ticket. Rocky apparently K.O.'ed APPLE's integrity too. The old guard of APPLE, by the way, is extremely displeased that the younger generation followed Frankenstein's model and sold-out.
UPDATE:
To respond to the misinformation posted by SA senator John Wilson in the comments. [Note: SFP has beaten me to the punch on a lot of points.]
Point 1: CalSERVE has never voted to cut the Greek Philanthropy fund. Not once. Not a single vote. During budgeting last year, Student Action's Jenn Ro cut the fund from $13,000 to $10,000. Misha voted to cut the fund. Not to be a broken record, but no CalSERVE senator did. Is this clear now, anon? Oh, and one more thing, this happened last year.
Point 2: The CalSERVE executives did not try to "shield themselves" from the cuts. Read the minutes. The executives gave up a lot of money, especially from their stipends. Do you remember the stipend Gustavo personally suggested for himself at the budgetting meeting last year?? (Hint: $0) And, with so much less money then their Student Action counterparts, they made mountains out of mole-hills this year.
Point 3: Token Greeks? CalSERVE has Greeks in the highest places and throughout the organization, elected and non-elected. Advocate on behalf of Greeks? CalSERVE never made those remarks against Greeks. Do you want to talk about hurting the Greek community? How about having one of your token Greeks make racist and sexist remarks during a senate meeting. What a great way to improve the Greek image. Student Action no claim to represent Greeks, while CalSERVE and even BEARS-United do.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Leadership
The Daily Cal just doesn't get Renita:
"In last week’s slating, progressive CalSERVE returned to its roots and decided to use its current lock on the ASUC to boost a black woman into the presidency."
After the DC spends time talking to Renita, it will be clear to them that Renita decided to use her leadership skills to boost CalSERVE, not the other way around.
"The party also is taking a gamble by backing an ASUC outsider, Renita Chaney, in a move to diversify the presidency—a woman has not won the seat in six years."
It's not a gamble at all. Renita is the best leader with proven success and lots of charisma. Granted, SA hasn't run a woman in a long time (it's the smoke-filled room old boys club), but CalSERVE's diversity is natural. The best people, the most qualified people on campus, have been slated for each position.
And finally:
"CalSERVE will be without last year’s secret weapon: ASUC President Kris Cuaresma-Primm, a Greek athlete, who spread the party’s appeal beyond its traditional base of underrepresented minorities and knocked out his Student Action opponent with a whopping 1,300-vote margin."
Kris is running for senate. Vote for him.
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Values?
For the second year in a row, Student Action has slated candidates who lack integrity and switch sides whenever it suits them. As we saw with Frankenstein last year, voters don't like hypocrites.
Rocky "Hypocrite" Gade
Says the DC: "Fresno Party Senator Rocky Gade, who won a senate seat with an anti-Student Action campaign."
Apparently, this Rocky has knocked-out any integrity he had. Last year Gade, who typifies an ASUC opportunist and is therefore quite a good fit for Student Action, ran condemning his current bedfellows. I imagine the students will see through his political maneuvering and general lack of experience in AAVP.
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Monday, March 15, 2004
Thank You, Daily Cal
You finally got it:
"One hundred and fifty members from 50 different groups nominated potential candidates and voted on them in Thursday night’s meeting."
Years of SA corruption followed by 1 year of CalSERVE revival have shown student groups the difference. That is why so many people from such diverse backgrounds burned the night away at the community meeting; every one of them knows that CalSERVE has supported students and not insider politics. SA would be happy if 1/10 of that number showed up to pick their slate.
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Sunday, March 14, 2004
Next Year's ASUC Executives
Announcing CalSERVE's executive slate:
President: Renita
Executive VP: Karina
External VP: Liz
Academic Affairs VP: Mike
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Friday, March 12, 2004
The Community Speaks
Over one-hundred community representatives have chosen CalSERVE's new slate. I can honestly say this is the most exciting slate I've seen in a while. The experience and the leadership of the slate is incredible. CalSERVE is ready to re-sweep the executive offices and take the Senate.
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Thursday, March 11, 2004
Daily Daily Cal Review
Well, at least the number is getting closer to the truth. (Note that there is no mention of yesterday's Daily Cal debacle.)
Adil Khan puts to rest the DC's apparent concern with the process:
“They are just the growing pains of working in a broad-based coalition.”
In doing so, he's also recognized the reason CalSERVE will win again: it is a broad-based coalition representing the progressive and liberal organizations on campus, the under-represented, the athletes, the international students, the Greeks, the dorms, and so on.
SA represents a few old time insiders and a few young sellouts. CalSERVE represents the community. The slating process speaks for itself.
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Wednesday, March 10, 2004
In the News
So, the Daily Cal has decided to write on CalSERVE's internal process.
While Student Action’s slating process is confined to a core of senior party members, winning a seat on CalSERVE’s slate hinges on approval from their “community”—a coalition of close to 20 progressive student groups.
Well, that's true in spirit, but not in details. Student Action is famous for its smoke-filled room politics. CalSERVE, on the other hand, relies on the support of the community (notice no quote marks). I have no clue where the "close to 20" number came from; don't you love just making stuff up? Present at last night's community meeting: 65 leaders and represents of campus organizations. These people will decide the slate in glaring contrast to the the handful of political insiders who decide Student Action's.
Then we get this:
CalSERVE draws its base mostly from recruitment and retention centers and underrepresented students, while Student Action relies more on the Greek and athletic vote along with larger campus organizations like the Asian American Association and UC Rally Committee.
Daily Cal, please do your research, I implore you not to write on antiquated notions. Let's look at the facts:
CalSERVE represents Greeks. For instance, to name a few, Olivia is Greek, Patrick is Greek, and Kris is Greek. Oh, speaking of Kris, he's an athlete and all the athletes voted for him. (What are you talking about DC??) And, since when has Rally Com supported SA? Last year, Kris was supported [edited] by Sean Byrne. Rally Com voted with Sean the last two years and against Student Action. Rally com's current leader, Jon Locascio, is a member of the non-sellout wing of the APPLE party. APPLE, as you might remember (again, it's non-sellout wing), hates SA. That's why they sued to have SA disqualified.
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