Former Mayor of Davis Robb Davis presented to the Senate about free speech on campus
By LEV FARRIS GOLDENBERG — campus@theaggie.org
On Thursday, Nov. 10, ASUCD Vice President JT Eden called the Senate meeting to order at 6:12 p.m., read the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement and called roll.
As the first agenda item, the Senate confirmed four nominees for ASUCD committees and commissions.
Third-year managerial economics major Allyson Francisco was confirmed as Vice Controller in the executive office.
The Senate then confirmed Nicky Fondale, a second-year political science and managerial economics double major, as Library Committee Chair.
Next, two students were confirmed as members of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC). The students have requested that their full names not be included in this article in order to protect their safety. However, the students did share their last names.
Commissioner Chhem, an art history major, said that they have an interest in cultivating community to help mitigate mental health issues, and Commissioner Gaysinsky, an international relations major, said that they hope to ensure the Jewish community is represented on campus.
The Senate then heard a presentation from Robb Davis, the assistant director for student expression at the Center for Student Involvement.
Davis, the former mayor of the city of Davis, discussed hate speech on campus and fielded questions from senators about the university’s methods and response to the Oct. 25 Turning Point USA event and the subsequent clash between protesters and counter-protesters.
“I’m going to be really careful with my words,” Davis said. “I’m not asking you to shut those events down. I don’t think that’s right. Opposing, speaking against, creating alternatives, this is what I’m hoping students and student groups will do. And that never seems like enough when you come up against hate. But it’s what we can do and what we should do.”
The Senate then shifted to quarterly reports, starting with a presentation from the Disability Rights Advocacy Committee. Chairperson Ryan Manriquez, a fifth-year political science and communications double major, listed recent committee accomplishments, including offering accommodations at Sunset Fest for the first time. According to Manriquez, these accommodations included having an American Sign Language interpreter on stage and offering noise-reducing headphones, KN95 masks and refreshments.
Third-year political science major and Chair of the Academic Affairs Commission (AAC) Megan Chung followed with the AAC’s quarterly report.
Chung said the commission’s primary focus is working toward a Pass/No Pass deadline extension. They have released a survey for students in order to gather information about when students believe the deadline should be moved to.
After Chung’s report, fourth-year English and history double major Isabella Chuecos, this year’s Creative Director for ASUCD Creative Media, gave her team’s quarterly report.
The Senate then moved into public comments, during which they discussed the Union of Academic Workers strike.
“Solidarity forever,” Senator Stephen Fujimoto said.
Moving on, fourth-year environmental science major Mackenzie Field, the chair of the Environmental Planning and Policy Commission, gave her organization’s ex-officio report, and Chung followed with an ex-officio report from the AAC.
The Senate then returned to hearing quarterly reports and heard from fourth-year political science major Logan Ueno, the Transfer Student Representative (TSR).
Ueno said he is working on building the TSR office’s presence and visibility on campus to better represent transfer students on campus.
After Ueno’s presentation, fourth-year economics major Derek Neyer, the co-chair of the Executive Advisory Council (EAC), gave the EAC’s quarterly report.
Following a break, the Senate moved into consideration of old legislation and reviewed SB #33, which amends the Section on Special Committees of the ASUCD Bylaws to restructure the elections administration apparatus. SB #33 was amended to adjust the membership of the newly-established Elections Reform Task Force and tabled for a future meeting.
The Senate then approved past meeting minutes, and Eden adjourned the meeting at 10:45 p.m.
Written by: Lev Farris Goldenberg — campus@theaggie.org
