A.S.
Senate hears genocide resolution
By
Gerry Wachovsky
Daily-Forty-Niner
The
A.S. Senate met Wednesday to consider a
resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide
and to discuss plans for better academic
advising for students.
Shant
Baboujian, an Armenian student at Cal State
Long Beach, gave a report urging the Senate
to write a resolution acknowledging the
Armenian genocide, which, notably, was the
first genocide of the 20th century, starting
in 1915. The genocide, Baboujian said, "took
place because of the Christian minority
living in a predominantly Muslim region,"
and also noted that the genocide was led
by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman
Empire. According to Baboujian, Adolf Hitler
used the Armenian genocide as a "stepping
stone" for the Holocaust and he quoted
Hitler saying, "Who, after all, remembers
the annihilation of the Armenians?"
The
report Baboujian made was met with mixed
feelings from the Senate. Guido Piotti,
vice president of the Associated Students
Inc., said, "because [the genocide]
is a social issue, it makes it a tender
subject, since the Senate is a representative
of [CSULB]."
Harvey
N. Morley, criminal justice professor, agreed
with Piotti and suggested that "perhaps
the Senate should pass a general genocide
resolution, so as not to offend other sensitive
groups."
Baboujian
said that while only 31 states in the United
States have recognized the genocide, most
of Europe already has, and he also told
the Senate that "this is not a political
issue, rather, this is about human beings."
Also according to Baboujian, approximately
"1.5 million Armenians died in the
genocide."
The
Senate agreed to leave the topic open for
discussion and will vote on it at a later
date.
Another
large issue of discussion at the Senate
meeting was a report by Simon Kim, interim
senior director for Advising and Retention
Services. Kim spoke of a study sponsored
by A.S.I. that will be conducted next year
"to find out exactly why students drop
out [of college]." He also said that
the average time it takes for a student
to graduate is 5.2 years. Kim hopes to improve
academic advising and supports the creation
of "4, 5, and 6-year plans" for
students to choose from depending on how
much time they have to focus on school.
Daniel
Rukhman, Sen.-at-large for cultural organizations,
voiced his support for better academic advising,
as well as Erik Jolliff, Sen.-at-large for
Greek organizations, who said "organizational
commitments can have an adverse effect on
academics, making students' education suffer."
Jolliff
also noted that it is "key for Student
Life and Development and the Academic Advising
Center to get involved [and improve the
advising process for students]."
In
other news, Kemi Are, a black senior, expressed
her disgust over a flyer that was distributed
by the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. The
flyer, which depicts a black man holding
a hat covering his genitalia, advertises
an "auction" that will be held
at the fraternity's house later this month.
Are, while addressing the Senate, became
emotionally distraught due to the seeming
insensitivity of the flyer, and fought to
hold back tears.
Aaron
Sanchez, senator of the arts and member
of Delta Chi fraternity, said he was "extremely
disgusted by the flyer." Jeremy Harris,
senator-at-large of religious organizations
and president of the Delta Chi fraternity,
as well as Senator Jolliff, echoed Sanchez's
sentiments.
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