1997_04 The Daily Collegian April 1997

              2    Election '97 Issue
Monday, April 28,1997
Candidates seek Associated Students Inc. presidency
Rocio Magana - SEA
Rocio Magana
By Derek Walter
The Daily Collegian
ASI newcomer
Rocio Magana has big
changes in mind for the
university's parking
system.
She should know.
As a campus traffic
officer, her job is to
give out tickets.
Magana hopes her self-described "pro-stu¬
dent" platform will catapult her into the
president's office.
The Student Empowerment Alliance can¬
didate said her frustration with the current
makeup of the ASI persuaded her lo seek
ASI's top post.
"N\_Ji don't like what's going on right now,"
Magana said, "they (thc.ASI senate) are play¬
ing like little kids, playing with our money."
She said she was encouraged by friends
to run, but was still uneasy about il. To find
oul more, she sought the advice of the sitting
president. Tommy Monreal.
While Magana is running on the SEA
ticket, she downplayed party politics, and
placed an emphasis on individual candidates
and ideas.
She said the party is diverse, and has a
membership filled w ith a w ide range of ideas.
"We don't all ihink the same." Magana
said, "we've had some great debates within
our party > \
Magana. who is a fourth semester junior,
is putting her call for parking reform at the
lop of the agenda as she hopes to enter the
"roman circus," as she'describes ilTof ASI
politics. J
While the political science major is a new¬
comer on the ASI s«.ene, she isn't d complete
political novice. She's helped organize ral-
* lies and participated in organizations such as
M.E.Ch.A.. the coalition for social andteco-
nomic justice and "radio bilingue."      \
While there is no direct link betwecnVhe
ASI and the office of parking and transpor¬
tation. Magana said through intense lobby¬
ing, and a lot of patience, fees can be low¬
ered.
"It's going to be a long process, but we
can do it. I think it's worth.it. Schools so
expensive." she said.
Through letters and appearing before uni¬
versity and state officials. Magana hopes to
be able to convince officials to cut parking
fees. She said the money should somehow
be funneled back to the students.
Magana said she was concerned over the
lack of interest and involvement among stu¬
dents with ASI.
Allowing students to speak during ASI
senate meetings is one way Magana feels
students can feel more involved.
"Students need to express themselves,"
she said.
Magana said she favors a time limit, and
a process where students would have to
notify the board they wish to speak at an
upcoming meeting.
Another hot issue during this year's ASI
meetings has been stipends for executives.
During a compromise over the $132,000
surplus budget, all ihree executives received
a payment of $300 per month.
Magana said stipends are beneficial be¬
cause il allows executives to be more ac¬
cessible to the students by keeping them in
their office.
She stressed stipends are not a matter of
money, though. She said payments can open
the necessary time in executives' schedules.
"It will help keep [the executives) fo¬
cused on student needs," Magana said.
Magana said the final say over stipends
should rest with the students because it's
their money.
Funding for student clubs and organiza¬
tions is also a concern of Magana's. She said
many factors would be used to determine
h(Av much each club will get.
"We'll look into their activities, their
purpose, intentions, goals, their impact on
campus and their membership," she said.
Clubs are a positive aspect of the uni¬
versity, she said, allowing students to inter¬
act with each other and the community. She
said joining clubs is another way students
can learn while attending a university.
One area of the university which Magana
didn't particularly consider worthy of ASI
money was the library. She said since the
state and the university both funneled in
money, she wasn't sure if ASI funds could
have any impact.
Last year's ASI fee cut from $16 to $8
vmay have hurt ASI's ability to meet the
student's funding needs, according to
Magana. She said if there was to be any in¬
crease, however, it should be done through
a student referendum.
Sean Prewer - Reality
By Derek Walter'
The Daily Collegian
Sean Prcwcr has
gotten a taste of just
about every thing ASI
politics has to offer.
The current direc¬
tor of undeclared ma¬
jors has been elected
to the AS! senate
once, appointed another time, and has lost
a bid for the presidency. Sort of.
In last year's election. Prewer was
named the winner in a three-way race which
pitted him against Anna Rocha of the Stu¬
dent Empowerment Alliance and the inde¬
pendent Tommy Monreal.
But the sweetness of victory quickly
turned inlo agony for Prewer. After a re¬
count, Monreal was declared the winner.
."Il was devastating." Prewer said. "I
called my family and they were all excited.
Then to have to turn around and tell them I
had lost. It was heartbreaking."
This year Prewer hopes things will be
different. The senior political science ma¬
jor said he considers this year's Reality
ticket to be the strongest since he's been
involved in ASI.
"We have people with a lot of different
and interesting ideas who will fight for what
we believe in." he said.
Prewer's been involved in that "fighl"
since his sophomore year, when he. was
elected lo the at-large post #2.
Since then, he's gone on to serve on the
legal committee, where he's currently vice-
chair, and on the academic committee.
Prewer said he felt the Student Empow¬
erment Alliance ticket is nol up to the chal¬
lenge of managing the ASI.
"It would be a great disservice if they
won," he said. "They don'l know what
they'd be getting into. All the progress
we've made will be eradicated."
The cornerstone of Prewer's campaign
is a plan to give a $50,000 grant to the
School of Natural Sciences to build a com¬
puter lab. The school would then maich ihe
grant with $50,000 of its own. Prewer said
the lab would be open to, and benefit, all
students. V
Prewer's also targeting other computer
labs for renovation. The School of Agricul¬
ture and the School of Health and Human
Services arc also in dire need of upgrading,
because quality labs were "virtually nonex¬
istent," Prcwcr said.
His strategy falls in line wilh some ol
Reality's senate actions earlier this year In a
compromise with Monreal over a $132,000
surplus budget, the School of Social Sciences
received ft$25,000 grant to upgrade iis com¬
puter lab.
Prewer said adding eight new computer*
to the library was also necessary, based on
his own personal experience.
"I would have to wait in line for an hour
just go get to use a computer," he said.
Funding for clubs has also sparked con
irovcrsy during ASI senate meetings this \c.tr
Prewer said the allotment of money to clubs
should be governed by three basic guidelines
the number of members, tiow much in dues
the club receives and the level of fundraising
done by each club.
"Clubs should seek their own funding firs!
so they don'l have to rely on student funds.
Prewer said. "We don'l wanl to reward people
who don't lake the initiative."
Reality hasn't been united on everything,
though.
During the surplus budget battle, the part)
was divided over the issue of stipends. ifi
payments, for executives. The budget, which
included $300 per month for executives.
passed Jby a tie-breaking vote cast b\ the
president pro tempore. Gabriel Ciucur
The compromise was a "pretty good deal"
according to Prewer. He said in exchange I'm
the stipends. Reality was able to secure
S40.(KK) for the library, and the social sci¬
ences computer lab grant.
Prewer said the party's split over stipends
cause*! no permanent strife.
"We're friends first," he said. "We're nol
going to lose any friendships over student
politics."
Prewer said he wants to make stipends .i
thing of the past, however. He said this year's
Reality senators would work hard to ensure
no stipends will be included for next year's
budget.
Many times this year, bitter partisanship
has been the trademark of ASI meetings
Prewer said while disagreement among sena¬
tors is inevitable, order must reign supreme
"It's ok to disagree with somebody politi¬
cally, as long as you keep it on a professional
level. You need to make sure you follow the
rules of parliamentary procedure," he said.
Legislative Vice-President
Sn
Larrv Farnsworth - Reality
"The areas of highest priority should he academia. We are here
to get an education. Don i get me wrong, social life has its place at
a university, however, the money the ASI has to appropriate I should ,
go to I academia as it benefits all students, regardless of hack-
ground. "
Larry Farnsworth is a senior political science major running for
legislative vice-president with Reality. FarnsXorth is running lo
seriously restructure ASI. He believes that regaining trust is one of
the most important issues confronting ASI next year, and lhat stu¬
dents should speak through their elected representatives at ASI
meetings. He also supports ihe student fee cut.
David Splivalo - SEA
"Since every student has as much power as every other stu¬
dent, there can 7 he a priority label placed on the student govern¬
ment budget. ASI represents all the students at Fresno Stale, so it
is intrinsically important that I don't support one club/organiza¬
tion over another."
David Splivalo is running for legislative vice-president with
SEA. He believes that parking permit costs should be reduced,
more computer labs should be added, equal financing lo all stu¬
dent clubs and that students should be able to speak out at ASI
meetings. He supports the student fee cut. but thinks more stu
dents should vole.
Polling
Places
RDH & Satellite Student Union
Tuesday: Noon - 5p.m.
Wednesday: 8a.m. - 5p.m., Thursday: 8a.m. - 12p.m.
Outside Round Table Pizza & Henrv Madden Library
Tuesday: Noon - 5p.m.
Wednesday: 8a.m. - 5p.m., Thursday: 8a.m. - 12p.m.