A.S.I. Senate tackles ongoing issues at meeting

By Terran Odell
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer

The Cal State Long Beach ASI Senate met yesterday and discussed a variety of issues such as the textbook controversy, men's and women's basketball and the renaming of The Pyramid.

President Mike Johnson came to the meeting to give a quick report before he had to leave for class. Johnson highlighted the main aspects of his cabinet's focus. Their current issue is the continuing textbook controversy. "Most of our efforts are focused on the textbook issue right now," Johnson said. He said that they would be calling all 2,800 faculty members over the course of the next few weeks to discuss the textbook ordering issue with them. While this will be very time consuming, Johnson hopes to get the issue solved for the spring semester.

Senator-at-large for the sports organizations Morgan Wheeler invited two of the basketball coaches to come to the meeting. Men's basketball coach Larry Reynolds was grateful to be at the meeting and to meet the different senators. Reynolds discussed the past experiences of men's basketball and he noted the necessity for improvement. "We know we need to get our sport up and running…we are well on our way to doing that," Reynolds said.

The women's basketball coach, Mary Hegarty, was also in attendance, and she echoed Reynolds comments. "It is a pleasure to be able to meet with the student government," Hegarty said. Both Hegarty and Reynolds told of the importance that their sports teams are just another part of the university, rather than an overpowering influence on campus.

Hegarty also pushed the importance of getting students to come to games. "The student support is so important. Come there and support us," she said. The women's basketball team opens next week against Montana.

Vice President Erik Jolliff gave the senators an update on the Student Bill of Rights during his report. Jolliff noted that he is working with Sen. Daniel Rukhman on the issue and encouraged more senators to help out. Jolliff hopes to have something substantial ready to show to the ASI sometime next semester.

Wheeler also mentioned during the meeting the latest issue regarding The Pyramid at CSULB. Due to the recent donation by six different families of $3.3 million, about two-thirds of which was from Mike and Arline Walter, The Pyramid will be renamed Walter Pyramid next month.

The Senate will reconvene in two weeks on Dec. 1, after the Thanksgiving holiday.