Controversy over the first resolution that was written by a graduate student resulted in an undergraduate reintroducing the bill.
Vice President Shreya Deshpande called the May 23 ASUCD Senate meeting to order by at 7:30 p.m. following a sparsely-attended ASUCD Town Hall in the CoHo. Senator Ricky Zapardiel was absent.
Senate began with the confirmation of Amaris Fraley, a third-year environmental policy and planning major, as an Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) commissioner. Fraley noted underprivileged communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change, and said she wants to open up a dialogue about this issue as a future commissioner.
“I really want to open a dialogue about that where we are able to bring other [organizations] on campus together, specifically orgs that discuss green issues, like Environmental Club, and hold an event of some kind where they’re able to interact more,” Fraley said.
Scott Hatcher, the UC Davis Fire Department’s pre-hospital care coordinator, put on a presentation next. Fire Chief Nathan Trauernicht, who was also present, occasionally interjected with more information and answers to questions from senators. The presentation focused on ways the fire department is attempting to be increasingly student-oriented.
“In 2014, we started our EMT program, where students can sign up and actually become licensed as EMTs,” Hatcher said. “In 2016, we started our community education program that initially started with using CPR and first aid. Currently today, we’re teaching about 1,000 people a year in those disciplines.”
Hatcher emphasized the importance of educating students on procedures such as CPR that may save lives in the time that it takes the department to respond to emergencies on campus.
“It’s going to take us anywhere between three to seven minutes to get to where you’re at, depending on where you’re at on campus,” Hatcher said. “There’s a big difference that you all can make in those three to seven minutes that can really make a difference in someone’s life.”
The fire department responds to about 1,300 calls a year and UC Davis alumni make up 40% of the fire department career staff, according to Hatcher.
A second-year environmental policy analysis and planning major whose name could not be confirmed at the time of publication was confirmed as a second commissioner for the EPPC. The second-year student is interested in the zero-waste movement and thinks it’s something the city of Davis should be more focused on.
Shelby Salyer, a second-year political science and history double major, was confirmed as the External Affairs Commission Chair.
Directly after Salyer’s confirmation, Senate passed SR #16, a resolution that calls for the disarmament of campus police. Senate passed a similar resolution a week earlier, but there was controversy over the constitutionality of the resolution since a graduate student authored the resolution. Rina Singh, a fourth-year political science, international relations and Italian triple major, introduced SR #16 with two additional clauses that call on the UC to fit campus doors with door jams and for faculty and TAs to be trained in basic first-aid and CPR.
The bill passed with six in favor and three against. Senators Maya Barak and Rebecca Gonzalez abstained and Zapardiel’s absence counted as an abstention.
Senate also passed another resolution to remove pesticides from UC campuses. UCSB passed a similar resolution for an herbicide free campus.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Written by: Sabrina Habchi — campus@theaggie.org
God damn, the ASUCD has way, way more power than they should. There is absolutely no reason that undergrads and undergrads alone should be in a position to determine any of these things.