A.S.I.
makes plans for new semester
By Heather Clarke
On-line Forty-Niner
Associated Students Inc. has been working
throughout the summer on many up coming
projects for the new academic year.
One of the biggest projects in the works
is a recreation center, said A.S.I. President
Danny Vivian. The idea has been in progress
for almost two years but it is now at a
point where it is ready to be presented
to students, Vivian said.
A.S.I. gathered a committee made of a group
of random students and visited school recreation
centers at about seven different campuses
to look at what they offered, who ran them
and how they were run, Vivian said.
The project might be started within this
year, but first A.S.I. needs to finalize
the financial figures before deciding on
whether the campus will vote on it, Vivian
said.
Eugene Minter, director of the University
Student Union, plans to make a presentation
to the Senate, said Sharokh Sheik, vice
president of A.S.I.
Another issue A.S.I. is working on is campus
parking. It is formulating a student parking
committee and will seek volunteers this
fall, Vivian said. The committee’s purpose
would be to inform students on parking matters
and inform parking services on student issues,
he added.
“The truth of the matter is there are some
great suggestions out there,” Vivian said.
“The committee is for taking student input
and making sure parking addresses it.”
The committee would serve to give more formalized
input to parking services so students get
their questions answered, Vivian said.
“[Students] understand there are limitations,
but sometimes I think it’s the lack of information
we get,” said Vivian. “That’s why you get
the same questions. Students get left in
the dark.”
According to Vivian, another project A.S.I.
is currently researching is to extend library
hours and increase library seating.
“Last year during finals there wasn’t a
place to sit,” Vivian said.
A.S.I. is also looking into the idea of
utilizing the USU during finals week. During
the year, meeting rooms are reserved by
clubs and used for events but A.S.I. is
considering making them only available for
students to study in during finals week,
Vivian said.
A.S.I. is also putting on some big events
this fall semester.
On Sept. 6, A.S.I. will sponsor the second
annual Long Beach State Smorgasport. The
event will include a variety of sports and
activities for students to play such as
volleyball, basketball, cardio kickboxing,
chess, billiards and bowling. The event
lasts from 6 to 11 p.m. and includes
free food.
Laura Apeldoorn, secretary for equity and
diversity for A.S.I., is planning this year’s
Multicultural Festival. The festival will
start off with a luau.
She said the goal for the festival is to
promote awareness of the cultures represented
by the Cal State Long Beach campus.
Because October is Cultural Awareness Month,
the festival will be held Oct. 21 through
Oct. 24, Apeldoorn said. A theme is tentatively
set for each day, which includes a welcome
day, a day of art, a drumming circle day
and United Nations day.
There will be a student committee for the
festival so that there will be as much student
input as possible, she added.
Apeldoorn said she is very pleased because
many student organizations will be involved
this year.
|
