Letter
to the editor
This letter is in response to “New Senator-at-Large
Debated,” by Todd Leland, printed on Oct
24. As president of Pacific Islanders Association
I am concerned with the decision made to
elect Brian Roberts as senator-at-large.
Roberts has been elected to the senator-at-large
position that represents the multicultural
organizations. As a constituent of Roberts
I agree that he needs to get in touch with
the multicultural organizations here on
campus and listen to their concerns, but
shouldn’t he have done this before running
for the position of senator-at-large?
Due to a tie among the board of directors,
Vice President Shahrokh Sheik voted for
Roberts. Sheik justifies his tie-breaking
decision by saying he felt Roberts enthusiasm
and professionalism displayed during his
presentation and speech swayed his vote.
Enthusiasm is great, but what about choosing
the most qualified person for the position?
What about choosing the candidate who has
been to events, participated in meetings,
and takes into consideration the issues
facing this broad range of particular students?
Any person can do his homework by researching
what all of the organizations do on campus,
and express their willingness to reach out
to these organizations. However, why doesn’t
Roberts just skip the willingness to reach
out and take the initiative? He should have
gotten in contact with these organizations
to find out the significance of their programs.
For A.S.I. to elect a student representative
who has failed to make any prior contact
with the students they will represent before
running for a senate position is ridiculous.
Who exactly is looking out for our organizations
best interest? Is it the representatives
on the A.S.I. board of directors or are
we on our own?
—
Jennifer Miyamoto
Pacific Islanders Association president
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