Football was the last subject on Associated Students, Inc. senators’ minds at Wednesday’s Senate meeting when a petition sparked discussion of bringing 49er football back to Cal State Long Beach.
Although the motion was killed with only one vote in favor the issue will be on the next ballot because of a 1,600 student petition that was collected and verified. This petition included five percent of the student population, meeting the requirement in the ASI bylaws to propose a referendum.
Senator-at-Large Mark Rizk and Jason Aula spearheaded the movement. The resolution calls for an $86 fee increase over the next five years in order to fund a football team.
The resolution also states that the funding generated by this increase will be put towardNCAA Men’s Division 1AA football, Women’s NCAA Crew, Lacrosse and Field Hockey.
“It seems like the students are ready to bring the team back,” Rizk said.
Members of ASI felt the resolution was poorly written, and that it lacked the proper research and statistics to ensure a football team would be a success.
“None of the language in the resolution demonstrates the direct benefits to the students,” Sen. Jameson Nyeholt said.
Aula said the student signatures should speak for themselves.
“The purpose of this petition is to voice the students,” Aula said. “This resolution is supposed to be the voice of the students.”
However, Nyeholt said student support isn’t enough.
“If we’re to operate merely on the basis of student support, then we’re not really undertaking our job correctly,” he said.
The remaining population of the student body was brought up later by Sen. Trevon Williams.
“We still have to account for the other 95 percent of students,” Williams said. “For something this major, I feel that there should be a higher demand. This increase will affect 100 percent of the student body.”
ASI was also concerned with this year’s budget deficit.
“We need to take care that all potential fee increases should be advocated to those areas taking a hit,” Nyeholt said. “Our main undertaking as an institution is to educate people.”
Rizk pointed out that a football team would strengthen relations between CSULB and the city of Long Beach and garnish additional alumni support because of publicity surrounding the football team.
The subject left many of the senators on the fence about the issue, as demonstrated by the eight abstentions.
Also discussed at the meeting was the re-opening of the first floor of the University Student Union, scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.
Other articles of business included a second reading of a resolution regarding University of California’s “Compton Cookout” and how racial events like this should not be tolerated.
Vice Provost David Dowell and Associate Vice President for undergraduate studies Lynn Mahoney also presented a PowerPoint about CSULB’s Graduation Initiative, which identifies students at risk of dropping out and advise them about academic and developmental interventions. They said first year retention rates have increased from 72 percent in 1990 to 86 percent in 2008.
In addition, Senate Resolution #2010-23 was read discussing the possible selection of Long Beach to be a test city for Google’s new broadband technology.
Also, President F. King Alexander was selected by the Cal State Student Association as University President of the Year.
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