ASUCM: State of the Associated Students Address – Fall 2006

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Below is my first State of the Associated Students of the University of California, Merced Address. I will deliver another such address some time during the spring 2007 semester.

Thank You Vice President Crawford, distinguished members of the Executive Officers, Chief Justice-nominee Bolin, honorable, and soon to be, members of the Court, esteemed members of the Senate, [Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Dr. Lawrence,] Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Dr. Nies, respected staff, welcomed guests, fellow students…

I am excited to deliver the first State of the Associated Students of the University of California, Merced Address! It is an honor and privilege to address this body here tonight.

According to the Associated Students of the University of California, Merced Constitution Article IV, Section 1D, the President shall “give information relative to the state of the ASUCM and such measures as judged necessary and expedient, at an appropriate time each semester before the Senate.”

The purpose of this address, like other similar addresses, is to highlight our past accomplishments, illuminate our current state of affairs, and outline the action that we must individually and collectively take to improve student life.

Last year, we, the students of this emerging great university, convened the Committee on Constitution and By-Laws. The committee met weekly throughout the year, for hours upon hours, to discuss, deliberate, debate and ultimately write a constitution that would outline the general framework and serve as the foundation for our student government. Modeled after the United States Federal Government, our student government adheres to the principles of a representative democracy, embodies a separation of powers and system of checks and balances, encourages both conflict and cooperation, demands dignified deliberation and debate, promotes greater inclusiveness rather than absolute exclusiveness, requires regular renewal of both the individuals and the institution, and sustains a deep-rooted appreciation for the past, present and future. It is such basic governmental principles that will guide our student government to greatness.

The establishment of student government at UC Merced is our greatest collective achievement and from this achievement, all other achievements will follow.

This semester, around 300 people were captivated by the performances of the many student entertainment groups at the ASUCM’s 1st Annual Dance-Off. This ASUCM event brought together the student body and provided the student entertainment groups a premiere opportunity to display their talent and electrified the campus with their energy and passion. It is my hope that we continue to selectively sponsor other large-scale activities and events to further improve student life.

Next, we established our presence on the World Wide Web with ASUCM.org. ASUCM.org 1.0 features the constitution, information about the student government officers, a calendar of events, agendas and minutes of Executive Officer and Senate meetings, full text of student government legislation and links to our sister student governments. Moreover, the website can be translated into ten different languages, including Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. This website improves student life because it offers a centralized location to obtain information about student government. It is important to note that ASUCM.org is still in its infancy and in the future, we can expect the website to include more information, better resources, and a flashier, more colorful design.

Finally, this semester has been a tremendous learning experience for all of us in student government. We are learning what it means to represent students, what it means to govern, what it means to engage in politics, and what it means to be a leader. The very recognition of this fact is an accomplishment because as Thomas Jefferson once said, “The qualifications for self-government are not innate. They are the result of habit and long training.” Thus, we have started to ease into our habits and we have begun our long training.

In our current state of affairs, there is much to be said. However, there are three aspects that I want to address.

In my many years of serving in student government, I have observed that communication or lack of communication can make or break an organization. And for communication to occur, there must exist a relationship or a means by which to communicate. Without a relationship, information cannot be exchange and without information being exchanged, it follows that failure is inevitable. This is a fact of any and all human endeavors.

Thus, the first aspect is that communication is essential to the immediate, short, and long-term success of this government. In other words, we have yet to achieve full communication. But each time we convene collectively or meet individually, each time we email everyone or call someone, we are getting closer to achieving full communication. If we continue to make the effort to establish relationships with one another, then our goal of full communication will be realized.

To establish a relationship is critical to communicating essential information. Whether that information is the date, time and location of a meeting or a piece of legislation, without a relationship, no information can be shared and known, and thus it becomes lost in a sea of would-have, could-have, should-have. As the captain of this ship, I will not sail us into such a sea.

The second aspect of our current state of affairs that I want to highlight is that we are interconnected. We are interconnected as students of this university and as members of this government.

It is widely accepted that we live in a world in which everything is connected to everything else. Nothing is truly independent; rather everything is interdependent. We, individually or collectively, do not function in a vacuum. We are not independent of influence, whether it is positive or negative, whether it comes from above or below, or whether it will strengthen or weaken us. What we say and do inside the confines of student government can just as easily influence what we say and do outside the confines of student government, and vice-versa.

Consider the following quotation: “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” With one explosive phrase, one ill-conceived action, or one ill-informed decision, the spoiling power of ignorance can destroy our collective resolve.

The third and final aspect of our current state of affairs can be deduced from the first two: by recognizing that communication is important and that our individual actions can reflect the whole, it will be our desire to make a difference that shall shine through. As I look across this room and into each of your eyes, I see that each of you want to make a difference, each of you want to matter in this world. However, while our hearts tell us we can make a difference, sometimes the logic of our mind forces us into a labyrinth that echoes we cannot.

This labyrinth that I speak of is created by both the abundance and scarcity of knowledge of the world we live and the roles we have as student representatives. This aspect regularly presents itself in the form of a question and that question is, What is the purpose of serving in student government?

To serve in student government requires a firm grasp of the purpose of student government and the fundamental purpose of student government is to improve student life.

To improve student life, we need to actively represent our peers, encourage their participation by providing services and coordinating activities, support, promote and celebrate the diversity of culture, lifestyle, and beliefs for the breadth of ideas and perspectives they bring, advance the development of leaders that will serve the public and make a difference, promote the general educational welfare and enhancement of the academic benefits and opportunities offered for the continued success, and create a culture where each student expects the absolute most and best from themselves.

Second, to serve in student government means that you represent someone. To represent someone means that you have their interest in heart and mind when you make a decision or take an action and to know their interest. To know the interests of others, it is essential to establish a relationship with that person. For that relationship will serve as the means to exchange essential information about the thoughts, needs, wants and expectations of our peers. Remember, that we are not here to serve ourselves, we are here to serve others.

Finally, to serve in student government requires an incredible amount of sacrifice. We have sacrificed our beauty sleep, we have sacrificed our study time, we have sacrificed our time to spend it with others, we have sacrificed our perfect driving records, we have sacrificed dinner in the Dining Commons and we have sacrificed so much more. And, like you, I don’t shrink from such sacrifice, I have embraced it and I will continue to embrace it until the downpour of death extinguishes the fire of my life: that is the seriousness and extreme to which I take my public service. Whether here at UC Merced, formerly at my community college or high school, I understand that sacrifice is a requirement that all of us in this room have met. Now, let us be sure that our sacrifice is for something.

It is important to recollect our past and analyze our present for it is our past and present that will guide our future.

We serve the student body because we foresee a bright future and the time for action is now.

Writing the ASUCM By-Laws is a massive undertaking and the progress made so far is great. I would continue to urge all members of this student government, and Senators more specifically, to focus their energy on writing Elections By-Laws. Without such by-laws, our elections will be chaotic and without elections, this government cannot continue to be legitimate.

Second, we have a healthy monetary reserve and I believe we should actively promote that funding is available for student club. Clubs are the primary forms of extracurricular involvement for students. Whether students are directly involved in the club or enjoy one of the many activities and events and clubs hosts, it is essential to provide resources to such organizations. I would further encourage the Director of Student Activities and Senate Committee on Student Activities to convene the Inter-Club Council to establish a formal line of communication between the student government and clubs and organization.

Next, it is the commitment of the ASUCM to promote undergraduate research. I would urge the Director of Academic Affairs and Senate Committee on Academic Affairs accelerate their efforts in writing the Research By-Laws and promoting the fact that student government has a strong commitment to provide resources to students who will become leaders in academia. One day, I would expect the students who receive research grants from the ASUCM to become published and esteemed scholars, Members of Prestigious Academies and possibly Nobel Laureates.

For us improve student life, we must continue to establish relationships and communicate with the people we represent. Each of us should be the most well connected, well respected, most admired, and most sought after individuals on this campus because our peers know that if they ask us to do something, that it will get done. Whether someone has a concern about Open Senate Meetings or Open Access Labs, the Lack of a Tram or the Lack of Adequate Parking, when the student body speaks, this government listens and takes action.

Fifth, we have to get others involved. Whether you find another student to mentor or encourage a friend to attend a meeting, let people know that if they want to learn more about student government, that there is ample opportunity to do so. However, student government is not the only way students can get involved. There are dozens of clubs and organizations, many activities and events, and community organization that are ready, willing and looking for students.

Next, we must continue to advocate the needs of students to staff, faculty, administration and the local community. The Director of Student Advocacy and Senate Committee on Student Advocacy should reach out to the student body and ask them what they would like improved at the university and the community of Merced. The idea would be to collect the ideas and act on ensuring that those ideas become reality.

Seventh, the role we have to play in the San Joaquin Valley is great. Over 250 miles and 50 miles across, the San Joaquin Valley is made up of 8 eight counties. From San Joaquin County in the north to Kern County in the south, the Valley is plagued by some of the highest unemployment rates, lowest political participation rates, lowest college going rates, poorest air quality and worst access to healthcare in the state. Therefore, I will seek to establish the San Joaquin Valley Student Association. The SJVSA will serve to bring together student leaders from 17 higher education institutions from throughout the region to discuss the major social, economic and environmental issues of the Valley, develop a college-going culture in the San Joaquin Valley and take action to solve the problems this region faces by informing and mobilizing students.

Finally, next semester this student government will undertake the creation of the Student Master Plan for UC Merced. The Student Master Plan for UC Merced will articulate the vision students have for the university in a physical, social, academic, political and cultural sense.

Robert F Kennedy once said, “Our lives on this planet are too short, the work to be done is too great, but we can perhaps remember that those who live with us are our brothers [and sisters], that they share with us the same short moment of life.”

But recognize that even though we have different philosophies, beliefs, opinions, and views of the world, that it is only together that will we be able to fulfill our responsibility to the current and future students to blaze the trail and initiate our tradition of greatness.

It is too easy to wallow in defeat and despair; it is too easy to accept, with no reservation and with no question, what we are told; and, it is too easy to say we have done all we can and do no more. Like you, I did not come to UC Merced because it was too easy. Rather, I came because I knew it would be hard.

Finally, John W. Gardner, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under President Lyndon B. Johnson, once said, “What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.”

To some, the problems of our nascent government are insoluble, but to most, such problems are breathtaking opportunities. I am breathless when I look across this room, this university and this region and with each breath lost, another is gained and we able to continue on.