ASUCD votes to oppose campus administration’s PE cuts
The Dec. 3 Senate Meeting was called to order at 6:11 pm by Vice President Emily Barneond.
Environmental Policy and Planning Commission Chair Hunter Ottman was present but left early, and President Kyle Krueger was absent.
The meeting moved into the UC Student Association’s (UCSA) presentation, delivered by UCSA President Aidan Arasasingham, who is also the external vice president for UCLA’s governing body. Arasingham presented on the history of UCSA, highlighting the parallels in social movements today with the social movements at the time of UCSA’s founding 50 years ago and emphasizing the avenues of collaboration between all UC Student Associations.
Julian Garcia, the Internal Affairs Commission (IAC) chair, delivered the IAC Quarterly Report. IAC is in the process of recruiting new members and interviews are currently being conducted to fill vacancies. Garcia emphasized IAC’s contribution to the ASUCD Bylaw Clean-up Project, which began in July 2020 and was finalized in November 2020.
“We organized the bylaws into three sections in a thematic way, and we finally passed it on Nov. 12,” Garcia said.
Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Committee (ECAC) Chair Yalda Saii began the ECAC Quarterly Report, but technical difficulties ended her presentation prematurely. When her presentation resumed, Saii highlighted projects ECAC has contributed this quarter—including a statement on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a statement on California ethnic studies, voting on Senate Bill #36 and election day processing spaces.
Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC) Chair Jane Casto delivered the GASC Quarterly Report. GASC began with two members at the beginning of fall quarter, but the committee now has six active members to be confirmed at the Dec. 10 Senate meeting. Casto acknowledged GASC’s increased social media presence, outreach program and project growth this quarter.
“One of the very big projects we’re working on this year is the reinstatement of Title IX Taskforce and subsequent legislation that will come out of that,” Casto said.
Barneond then moved the meeting into public announcements.
“If anyone here is planning on anything related to the budget, please come and talk to me because our financial situation is still not a pretty financial situation,” Controller Alexis Eduardo Lopez-Perez said. “We are running a deficit this year, and that deficit keeps getting larger as the quarter goes on”
The meeting then moved into elected officer reports.
External Affairs Vice President Maria Martinez said she was sent by UC Davis to meet with the Republican Leader of the US House of Representatives, Congressman Kevin McCarthy.
Purva Bhattacharjee, a third-year political science major, delivered the Student Employee Career Launch Presentation
“Using my connections with ASUCD, we launched the ASUCD New Student Employee Career Launch Program,” Bhattacharjee said.
The project intends to help students start their job search nine months before graduating, using resources provided by the UC Davis Internship and Career Center.
Valerie Tu was confirmed to be Aggie Reuse Store Unit Director. Controller Lopez-Perez recommended Tu for the position and urged for a speedy confirmation.
The table introduced Senate Bill #38, authored by Martinez. SB #38 is still awaiting commission vote.
“An ASUCD Senate Bill to establish an Undergraduate Student Parent Committee (USPC) in recognition of undergraduate students who are caring for dependent children or have caregiving responsibilities for young family members, students who are pregnant, and students whose partners are expecting,” SB #38 reads.
SB #39 was authored by Casto and intends to re-establish the Title IX Task Force. The bill passed unanimously.
Title IX policies will be implemented into a myriad of campus organizations. GASC will cooperate with the Interfraternity Council at UC Davis to legislate sexual assault mitigation throughout Greek life.
Emergency Senate Resolution #4, authored by Senator Tenzin Youedon, passed. Senator Samantha Boudaie, Senator Juan Velasco and Senator Mahan Carduny abstained. Senators Amanjot Gandhoke and Lucas Fong voted no. SR #4 opposes UC Davis’ decision to discontinue Physical Education courses.
“I believe as student representatives, we need to actively work to serve our constituents,” Youedon said. “The students have been non stop emailing their representatives and expressing their concerns and oppositions to the discontinuation of the [physical education (PE)] program.”
Interim Dean of the College of Letters and Science Ari Kelman addressed ASUCD senators’ concerns over lack of communication between the student government body and campus administrators in issues such as the cancellation of the PE department during public discussion.
Barneond adjourned the meeting at 10:59 pm.
Written by: Hannah Blome — campus@theaggie.org
