Anti-rec center group holds town hall meeting, few in attendance
by Nathan Codd, [X]press Staff Writer
http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/013836.html
Passionate students voiced oppositions to the proposed Recreation and Wellness Center during a town hall meeting Oct. 22 and went largely unanswered by members of the Associated Students, Inc.
The Coalition Against the Recreation and Wellness Center held a town hall meeting in Jack Adams Hall in the Cesar Chavez Student Center, to inform students of the situation regarding ASI's approach to getting the project approved. However, very few students attended.
"I know it seems like the turnout here isn't that great, a lot of people have things to do," said dietetics major Jasmine Vassar, 23. "But in being passive and un-active, you are contributing to the building of the rec. center."
During the discussions, members of CARWC explained that in their opinion, the rec. center represents more than just a building, but indicative of the death of democracy on SF State's campus.
"If students vote that they want this thing, cool, I will accept the students' voice," said CARWC member Sam Brown-Vasquez. "But when students are denied the opportunity to vote on the decision making on this campus it illustrates the fundamental flaws with the way democracy is handled."
The few students that spoke that were uninvolved with either CARWC or ASI, brought to the microphone some very strong arguments, most against the rec. center.
Enoch Tuaumu, 22-year-old history major, brought tears to the eyes of some with his statements on the indiscretion shown by ASI in this matter and the way it will reflect upon the students as a student body in the future.
"I question the ASI in their priorities," Tuaumu said. "Who is this rec. center for? Most students don't have time to come here and drink juice and live it up and do Pilates and yoga. We work. And the higher the fees are the more we have to work."
Other students, however, argued in support of the rec. center saying it will provide a safe place for students to exercise on campus.
ASI members Travis Northup and Philip Fabian were briefly in attendance, but did not comment on any of the statements made by CARWC members or other students.
» E-mail Nathan Codd @ ncodd@sfsu.edu
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by Lisanne White, [X]press Staff Writer
http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/013783.html
The ongoing Recreation and Wellness Center process is facing more hurdles as volunteers canvass with petitions and a hard-to-plan town hall meeting finally goes ahead.
ASI board member Emily Switzer, 20, had planned an informational town hall meeting, with a debate on the issue today. Unable to secure a nonpartisan, well-informed moderator and her plans fell through.
"Hosting a town hall meeting was important to me, because I feel that it is my job as a student representative to listen to the opinions and concerns of the students I represent," Switzer said.
According to Switzer there was apprehension among ASI members about how constructive the meeting would be.
ASI president Natalie Franklin has always maintained the association is doing its best to remain open to comment and keep students informed, but at the Oct. 14 ASI meeting she said she would definitely not attend a town hall meeting because she doesn't see the need for it.
"The project will never die -- this is a fact," Franklin said. "The project will just be on pause until the next board decides to go to petition again."
"Whether people choose to believe it or not, this will eventually happen at SFSU. Change is inevitable, and change is what we need right now. So if this doesn't happen today, trust it will happen eventually. I don't see the college growing without it."
The Coalition Against the Rec. Center is going ahead with the meeting today from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Jack Adams Hall.
"We wanted to invite the ASI to participate in a debate but it appears that they won't be coming for fear of being 'attacked,'" said coalition member Sam Brown-Vasquez, 21, an environmental studies and Spanish senior.
ASI meetings, both public and private, have been interrupted by students protesting the recreation center and the Student Fee Advisory Committee's decision to continue with a petition instead of a student vote.
Petitioning started Oct. 12 and needs approval from 20 percent of the student population, roughly 6,000 signatures, for the project to move forward. It will continue through Nov. 6.
As of Oct. 19, 48 petitions, each with space for 100 signatures, were circulating campus; only one full of signatures has been completed.
The town hall meeting, which Switzer originally wanted as an ASI event, was not supported by many of the ASI board members and Switzer was organizing the event as an individual, not as a representative of ASI. Switzer's original plans were to address controversial issues such as the debate.
ASI graduate representative Frankie Griffen said in the that he was opposed to the idea of a debate because ASI has already voted in favor of the recreation center. He said Switzer would "need to do it as a private student, not under the ASI banner."
"We have comment boards at our open houses, we have e-mail addresses on the Rec and Wellness Web site, we have public comment at the meetings," Franklin said. "An opinion can always be stated and will always be heard, that's an advantage of the petition."
ASI has planned events, like a rock climbing wall, to promote the center while petitions are being circulated.
The idea of the recreation center has been around for at least two years but opposition to the project has been gaining momentum throughout the last year.
» E-mail Lisanne White @ lrwhite@sfsu.edu
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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN THE HARDCOPY, PLEASE CONTACT THE COALITION NOW AT NORECCENTER@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR FULL NAME AND THE LAST 4 DIGITS OF YOUR SFSU ID AND WE WILL MAKE SURE YOUR SIGNATURE IS ON THERE!!!
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We, the undersigned students of San Francisco State University, wish to voice our opposition to the proposed Recreation and Wellness Center. Each semester, while more instructors and classes disappear, classes become more and more crowded with desperate students. Despite these severe cuts, President Corrigan, Associated Students, Inc., and the Student Fee Advisory Committee have deemed it prudent to charge students $93 million in additional student fees, over the next several years, in order to fund a Recreation and Wellness Center. It is estimated that this center will not see completion until 2014 or later. Furthermore, by scrapping a student referendum process for approval of the Recreation Center, they have decided that WE should not be able to decide how OUR student money is spent. As a student of San Francisco State University, I exercise my power as a part of the SFSU community by saying NO to the current Rec Center proposal and NO to unnecessary fee hikes.
Pledge of Uniform Support for the Safety and Integrity of Silent Protest
Silent Protest at Corrigan's Brown Bag meeting with ASI.
Looks like we crashed their luncheon... bon apetit! NO REC. CENTER!
