Senate
hears debate on fee committee
By
Daniel Linck Savino
Daily Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
The Associated Students Senate meeting Wednesday afternoon took up lengthy
and pointed debate over the appointment of students to the Student Fee Advisory
Committee. The committee had seven applicants and four vacancies to fill.
The first applicant was Zahra Billoo, member of the California State Student
Association and long-time AS worker. Her brief speech centered on the importance
of avoiding fee hikes.
“I feel that if they are going to increase student fees at this point,
it should be a dire emergency,” she said.
Second was Sen. Amin Km. He spoke at length about the importance of lobbying
state government to reduce fees and tuition, as well as the need to increase
voter turnout.
In response to Km, however, Vice President Hironao Okahana, stated the committee’s
purpose is to advise the university president about instructional fees.
Sen. Kenneth Cooper expressed his concern about Km’s focus.
“It sounds like you have your own agenda,” Cooper said. He then asked
how Km would balance his personal views over those of the students.
“Whatever they want, I will say what they want,” Km said.
Wayne Dick, adviser to the AS Senate, also weighed in, countering Km’s
stated interest in lobbying for tuition decreases.
“This [committee] doesn’t really have to do with the general tuition
that you’re paying,” Dick said.
Km admitted to having only a partial understanding of the goals and purpose
of the committee, having read briefly about the openings the day before.
After the Senate’s questioning of Km, the third applicant, Sen. Juancarlos
Mariano, took the floor.
Once the secretary of Internal Affairs during former ASI President Danny Vivian’s
2002-2004 tenure, Mariano related his personal experience with student fees.
During his time in office, he said, certain classes in the chemistry department
were requiring students to purchase a Palm Pilot to use during tests. After
talks with Department Chairman Doug McAbee, that requirement was changed, and
students were allowed to borrow Palm Pilots as needed.
Dick gave Mariano a hypothetical situation in which his department, computer
engineering and computer science, required all students to buy laptop computers.
“I’m not totally against fee increases,” Mariano said. Talking
to students and finding out their preferences, he said, is particularly important.
If students don’t think it is a good idea, he said that would affect his
vote.
“It just depends on the students,” he said.
The fourth applicant, Edgar Molino, is the president of the Law Society. He
also had a personal experience with Palm Pilots to tell.
In a French class he took one semester, the professor required all the students
to buy Palm Pilots for use during the class. Unfortunately for him, he never
used it outside of that class.
This type of required purchase amounts to a fee the advisory committee can
advocate for or against.
Molino said he could support a fee increase “as long as it’s justified.”
The penultimate applicant at the Senate meeting was Morgan Wheeler, two-term
former senator. In addition to his senate experience, Wheeler has been on the
committee for the past two years.
Having been present for some of the previous questions asked, Wheeler was familiar
with the direction his hearing would take.
Unprompted, he described both his feelings on fee hikes and the importance
of his constituents’ opinions.
“Initially I’m always skeptical of [raising fees],” he said.
But, he added, “Sometimes they improve the level of service on this campus.”
As far as his constituents go, “I don’t think you’re locked
in to vote the way [they] feel,” Wheeler said. He noted they voted based
on a candidate’s opinions.
The final applicant was Kevin Cape, a member of the men’s volleyball
team. He came in part as a representative of student athletes.
“I’m not someone who believes off the bat that I am correct,” he
said. His preference, he said, is to do research and come to a well-considered
opinion.
Sen. Km, however, tried to throw a curve to Cape, asking how he would resolve
a scheduling conflict between the volleyball team and the committee.
“There’s always a way,” Cape said, suggesting a conference
call. “You can call me up, we’ll talk.”
The seventh applicant was not present for the meeting. Each senator was allowed
four votes. After Cape’s interview, a roll call vote was taken.
Wheeler was nominated unanimously, with Billoo, Mariano and Cape picking up
the other three seats. |
