President Chris Chavez praised at this week’s Associated Students Inc. meeting the recent Cookies for Cuts demonstration on campus.
Though Chavez called it a “success” in comparison to its counterparts held at other California State University campuses, he addressed it as a mere stepping stone in the ongoing conflict over education in California.
“This is just the beginning; we can’t let this be the endpoint,” Chavez said. “The battles we’re gonna be facing are not just going to be here — they’re gonna be in Sacramento and they’re gonna be across the CSU. We need to continue being active on this.”
It was also reported at the meeting that Miles Nevin, the executive director for the California State Student Association, the organization spearheading the CSU-wide event, was “impressed by the quality” of the event.
Students showed up at Cookies for Cuts on Tuesday to protest the fiscal decisions made by the California government. Attendees were given the opportunity to demonstrate their opinions by throwing pies at a photo of the Capitol, as well as purchase cookies to raise protest funds. However, as of Wednesday, the total amount of proceeds remains unknown. ASI has promised that the amount collected will be disclosed next week.
The meeting also addressed the $1.85 million Cal State Long Beach received from increased federal stimulus funding. This is out of a total of $77.5 million that has been allocated to schools from the program. The money, which has been distributed proportionately across the CSUs according to size, will be used to provide more courses to students during the upcoming winter and spring sessions.
In continuing legislation, the senate resolution on the DREAM Act, introduced by Vice President Omar Gonzalez last week, was approved in its second reading.
Additionally, a Senate resolution in support of direct lending was also moved to approval.
Introduced by Sen. Jameson Nyeholt and Senator-at-Large Ana Jaime in last week’s meeting, the resolution supports direct lending policies, which ultimately would allow students to receive student fee loans directly from the federal government, not just private lenders.
Direct lending would widen the scope of financial loans beyond the private sector. With options beyond those offered from private banks, students would be less exposed to “predatory lending practices” as far as student fee loans go. Benefits such as lower interest rates, simpler application processes and overall lower costs could also potentially be received by students.
Chavez calls it “what might be one of the most innovative programs in higher education in decades.”
In other news, a new senator for the College of Engineering was introduced to the ASI panel. Chris Truong, who was sworn in by Assistant Dean Jeane Caveness, will be serving as the new senator.
“It’s going to be a learning curve for me,” Truong said of her first role involved with student government.
Aaron Finkle was also confirmed as the new representative for the Student Media Board. A freshman film major, Finkle said his primary goal as representative was to “actively contribute to the growing success of student government.”
Zeina El-Kassem, a sophomore pre-nursing student, was also confirmed as associate justice for ASI. For El-Kassem, this will be a reprisal of the role, which she filled in during fall 2008.