Student Alumni Association -- August 28, 2008 Executive Board Meeting

Attended: Diana, James, Ben, Christopher, Leo, Carlos

In a very interesting meeting, we were able to cover topics ranging from discussion of marketing materials to a extensive tour of the new student union. To start off, our new mission statement has been set as:

The mission of the Student Alumni Association is to promote unity, pride, campus involvement and networking amongst CSULA students: past, present, and future.
(2008)

For this upcoming year, you can expect an SAA presence at events such as the Fall Student Fest, the USU Grand Opening, the 1st Alumni Board Meeting, and in the campus main walkway at various times for recruitment and promotional purposes. There is talk of even hosting a Holiday Movie night (shhh!) and further information is yet to come!

Upcoming events can, of course, be viewed at the Association's website, but here's a tentative list as well...

• LACMA Late Night Art -- September 6, 2008
• SAA TV Taping Fundraiser -- September 11, 2008
• Dodger Days -- September 21, 2008
• Midnight Mission Volunteering -- November 22, 2008

List of scheduled upcoming meetings...

• Alumni Center Conference Room -- October 1, 2008 (3:15-4:15PM)
• Alumni Center Conference Room -- October 15, 2008 (3:15-4:15PM)

As always, if you have any question regarding the Student Alumni Association or any campus events, feel free to contact me via email.

Cheers!

S.U.R.G.E. -- A Warm Welcome and Introduction

The purpose of S.U.R.G.E is to provide Cal State Los Angeles AB 540 students (non-resident students exempt from out of state tuition) with informational resources to guide their education. This includes researching information on scholarships and/ or internships that AB 540 students can apply to. S.U.R.G.E provides guidance, support, and creates a constructive learning environment and also encourages high school graduates to attend college.
--Excerpt from Students United to Reach Goals in Education (S.U.R.G.E.) Constitution

After being invited by a past member, Fermin Vasquez, to attend the last general meeting for the summer quarter in order to give a short introduction as to who I am and my past accomplishments, I realized that many of my past preconceptions regarding the undocumented student status issue were completely mistaken. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what these students face, I would suggest that you visit the following websites:

http://www.ilrc.org/ab540.html (Information regarding the AB 540 and Dream Act)
http://www.decolonizing.com/ab540faq.htm (FAQ regarding the AB 540 law)


The interesting thing is that even though CSULA has a large hispanic/latino presence, from what I was able to see from this organization on campus is that this issue hits close to home to more than just to one specific ethnic community. This is, indeed, a multi-ethnic issue and one that needs to be addressed within the upcoming year. After reviewing with them their ideas and plans for the upcoming 2008 quarter, I have found myself in a position where I cannot, as both a student and a member the CSULA community, stand idly by.

I expect to see great things from this organization... and I very much look forward to working with its members in throughout my stay here at California State University, Los Angeles.

PepsiCo Leadership Diversity Practicum Series: Lenora Billing-Harris

"People are like marbles, with a hard protective covering of the varied components inside that make them each a culture of one."
- Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP

Honestly, I cannot stress how much this presentation has impressed me. Despite it being advertised with such a distressingly bland title, it definitely had its merits.


The presenter at this practicum was Lenora Billing-Harris, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), diversity consultant and author of The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work. Taking an interesting approach by using Wizard of Oz characters as a metaphor, her presentation aimed to help CSULA students understand how they can use their brains, hearts, and courage to make a real difference in today’s multicultural world.

Considering the political climate that we are in, both at the national level and even here at our own University, I cannot imagine a better time to impress the value of diversity upon our student body. I would highly recommend that anyone who is interested in attending similar uprcoming events contact the PepsiCo Leadership Office

Student Alumni Association Executive Board Meeting -- August 16, 2008

Though the social event at Granada Park was canceled, the Student Alumni Association still decided to go along with it's scheduled Executive Board Meeting, albeit a change in location. Within the CSULA Cafeteria, we were able to get through over two hours of discussion and planning for the upcoming Fall Quarter.

During this particular and lengthy meeting, we were able to come up with new mission statement for the organization. According to SAA President

The mission of SAA is to "promote unity, pride, campus involvement & networking amongst CSULA students; past, present and future."

The mission statement itself is inspired by the organization's 2008-2009 goals which include:

1. Increase membership and retention
2. Increase presence and recognition on campus
3. Increase the sense of family on campus
4. Create a link between alumni & current students
5. Increase participation in community service activities
6. Create a synergistic relationship amongst campus organizations
7. Establish a working and thriving organization that will last for years to come.

While specific events are still under discussion, I would urge CSULA students to look forward to witnessing an SAA presence at the following CSULA events:

Fall Student Fest

September 30, 2008

The Grand Opening for the University Student Union
October 24, 2008

and more TBA...

Also, the Student Alumni Association will be holding several recruiting events in order to attract new membership. Any interested individuals can, of course, contact myself via email at CSULALeadership@gmail.com

... and now, to continue watching the Olympics!

Unfortunate News

Well, to say that this week has been interesting would be a huge understatement.

I have found myself in the awkward situation of having to resign from my elected position as the Statewide Lobby Corps Officer of the California State Student Association because of my campus' student government president's decision not to provide funding for the my attendance at the state conferences.

Due to budgetary constraints and the relevancy of the ASI position that you have applied for, ASI will be unable to pay for your attendance at CSSA meetings.

Jennifer Chemel

ASI President

California State University, Los Angeles

While I do firmly agree that it is the right of whomever takes the position as a president of an organization to make a decision such as that, I also must state that I disagree with the logic and reasoning of said decision. Especially when the excuse of budgetary constraints is used and said president has opted to choose the more expensive form of travel (a flight from LAX) rather than choosing the far more affordable option (driving a mere 4 hours).

... we knew in advance that CSU Stanislaus was to host the August meeting, ever since the July transition meeting. Logistically speaking, this CSSA conference is being held under the same circumstances as it for the June conference (which did not include a flight). It does seem quite interesting to me, as a student who is paying fees supporting A.S.I., what changed so that air travel is now a logistic necessity... especially in the face of of having such a restricted budget as you had previously mentioned. Surely ground travel would save the organization funds to help make the most of the limited monies that are available.

My realistic expectations are quite simple. I made my commitment to become the CSSA Statewide Lobby Corps Officer under the leadership of Joel Francis with the understanding that A.S.I. would aide me by providing me with the necessary funding to fulfill the obligations that position entails. Despite the transition in leadership, I expect, realistically but perhaps optimistically, that I would be given the support that I was promised when I was encouraged to apply for the position. I have already shown my commitment on both occasions that A.S.I. has had problems funding my travel, but the fact that now I am being put into a situation where I may have to go through an involuntary resignation due to the lack of support from, not A.S.I., but from my President... my position is that my position within CSSA is one that can benefit the students of CSSA by its very nature. By remaining the CSSA Lobby Corps Officer, I would be able to aide the efforts of the A.S.I's Leg. Affairs Rep.

My goals as the CSSA Lobby Corps Officer are to help establish a fully functional Lobby Corps at the 23 CSU campuses. Is it not Victoria's goal to establish our very own Lobby Corps at CSULA? Would not having the statewide leader in this field at CSULA be a tremendous source of additional aide and would it not lend strength to our campus' own efforts?

Maybe I am indeed mistaken... but of course, the weight of this decision ultimately rests upon your shoulders.

I will be out of town for the weekend, in order to take part in a fencing tournament, but I will be checking my messages. Please feel free to contact me at your leisure now that you have my contact information.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Very respectfully yours,

Carlos Francisco Lopez-Jimenez

CSSA Statewide Lobby Corps Officer
California State University, Los Angeles

5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032

Unfortunate as it may be, the fact remains that the given decision makes it unfeasible for me to fulfill the obligations and duties of the position that I was elected to at the Statewide level. Apparently, when someone is appointed to the position of president of an organization due to the line of succession clause of the bylaws rather than being elected into office, a common practice is to disbar individuals of their positions.

However, on the brighter side of the spectrum, I am very pleased to announce that a new member has been born into my family... pictures will, of course, follow as they are taken.

As always,

Carlos Lopez-Jimenez

What I Stand For...

If I have had the chance to speak to you in person, then you probably already know my fundamental beliefs and intentions as a student advocate. However, for those of you who are still curious... here's a brief overview.

I believe in True Representation, Accountability & Transparency, Experience, Unification, and Advocacy & Mobilization.

I support the right to an affordable and accessible education, stringent environmental regulation, and the growth of the national economy through investment in our human capital.

I am pro-choice, pro-freedom of speech, pro-human rights and am vehemently opposed to racism, intolerance, and close-mindedness.

... there it is, in a nutshell.

A Short Introduction

Dear friends,

After several weeks of pressure and encouragement from a few friends and supporters, I have decided to set up this new blog. As the title suggests, here you will find current news and events that I feel are relevant and important to the students of the University. I will also, of course, be writing about my own personal life and experiences in order to give all of you a better idea of who I am, what I represent, and what I do outside of the realm of advocacy and politics. With the rapid advances of technology and considering the convenience of digital communication, it is my hope that through this blog, we will get to know each other better.

As always, yours truly,

Carlos Francisco Lopez-Jimenez