Nov

26

Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed Under Links, UC Merced | Leave a Comment

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I am traveling to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with fellow UC Merced Bobcats Efferman and JoJo! Woo hoo!

I will miss the family fest this year; my first Thanksgiving out of California.

Jul

10

UC Merced Here, Now, Forever!

Filed Under California, Central Valley, Education, UC Merced | Leave a Comment

I am furious. I think I am beyond furious by a recent article in the Merced Sun-Star reporting that 23 UC San Diego professors suggested we shut down UC Merced.

The people of the Central Valley worked long and hard to advance the argument over several decades on why the region needed a public research university.

Influenced the leadership of the Board of Regents throughout the years to usher the dream into a reality.

Persuaded state and federal public policy makers on the merits of investing in public higher education.

Hired a top-notch staff, led by Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey, to make certain the soil would be tilled, the floors plans would be drawn up and construction would begin and continue.

The very idea of shutting down a university is outrageous but my full fury is not directed at 23 misguided professors, rather its focused on the Governor and less-so on the Legislature because I believe the elected leader of our state is ultimately responsible for whatever happens.

The Governor has shaped the discussion by claiming the May 19, 2009 election results were the people saying “no more.” No more taxes, no more borrowing.

He successfully shaped the debate which has limited an entire range of options because people assume what he says as political reality then debate within whatever political reality is remaining.

The budget deadlock and fiscal crisis has undermined our ability to invest in what matters most. We are forced to look at options which are detrimental at best and disastrous at worst. This is the direct result of the Governor unable to view, discuss, debate and decide within the maximum range of options. Eliminating debate at such a critical time in California’s history is unacceptable.

But no matter. Our university in the Great Central Valley will withstand adversity and flourish here, now and forever in the cradle of California, the bread basket of the world. Unequivocally, UC Merced is Here, Now, and Forever!

Dec

6

Library, Food

Filed Under Central Valley, City of Merced, Links, UC Merced | Leave a Comment

I am here in the Kolligian Library with Mayra on the 3rd floor. Sitting here, I think back to all the conversations I had, papers I wrote, books I read and sunsets and night skys. I find the KL to be a place for me to think and reflect on my time and life here at the University. A lot of memories come flooding back as I sit here. The first time I met someone, the hours and hours of debate regarding student government and politics, and the never ending banter of University life. LOL. Great times.

This morning, Mayra and I went to Rancho San Miguel, a market in South Merced. I saw Larry walking his quick pace to buy masa and go to Millerton (I think) in the outskirts of Fresno. He is going to MC the parade today starting at 3pm in Downtown.

Mayra and I ordered a chorizo torta and caldo de pollo. Both were just great and about $11 bucks. Not bad. I enjoyed sitting there at the colorful table, eating and talking with Mayra. The hustle and bustle of the market, plus the great food, makes for a nice Saturday morning. Before leaving, we bought some fruit (jicama, cucumber, papaya, and mango) to make some spiced fruit later today. Yum!

May

18

Hard Line, Always

Filed Under California, Human Development, Links, UC Merced, United States | Leave a Comment

I just had a conversation with Juan Carmen, Associated Students of UC Merced Director of Student Advocacy about a recent article in the Merced Sun-Star where he is quoted as saying:

Student Juan Carmen, 20, from Los Angeles, said he wasn’t surprised about the fee increase, mainly because of the state’s budget crisis. “I’m just glad it wasn’t like 10 percent or more,” Carmen said. “It’s still an increase, but it’s not like a major one.”

7.4% is a major increase! $490 is 50+ hours of work. Such fee increases places an additional burden on a students who have to pay for their education, housing and other living expenses.

We cannot continue to believe that moderation is the best approach to the issue of student fee increases.

The time has come where we have to be hard line, always. This continued march to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from 200,000 or so students over the past decade must end.

May

11

Coming Full Circle

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Life is interesting.

Today, I went to the Great Valley Center’s 10th Annual Conference. The theme for this year conference was “Our Place in the World 10.”

Last year at the conference, I was nearing the end of my first year at UC Merced, recently elected the first student body president, approaching my last day in the Institute for the Development of Emerging Area Leaders (IDEAL) program, and realizing that life was a great long journey to be experienced and enjoyed to the fullest.

Today, I am coming full circle. Instead of a “Volunteer” I was a “Speaker” this year. Instead of walking into a giant room with rarely recognizing a face, I was greeted by familiar faces. Instead of just learning the ropes, I was guiding someone else through them. And instead of being dazed and confused, I was focused.

Rodney and I spoke on the topic “Engaging Students Today for a Better Tomorrow” and we had a great time.

About 10 people decided to listen to our presentation, which we deeply appreciate being that we had rescheduled from Wednesday at 10:45AM to Thursday at 3:45PM.

Our sponsor, Tejon Ranch, commented near the beginning of the presentation about the fact that there was only one other person in the room. But the room was filled with two more hand fulls of people within a matter of minutes.

Following our presentations, we had some great questions and comments from the audience. One piece of advice struck me: “Keep going.”

“Keep going.” A simple phrase, but incredibly powerful.

For some reason I feel older, as if a new chapter in my life is set to open and another is set to close. This may due in part that I am going to walk for graduation next Friday, but I believe it is something more. The idea of obtaining a university education, a University of California, Merced education has changed my life. I look at the world differently. I see both its complexity and its simplicity and value it much more than I did just a year ago.

Much has changed and much will change. The future is something I look forward to.

PS: Thanks to those who came to the Iliad on Tuesday night. I had an awesome time!

Feb

1

Making Valentine’s Day Cards

Filed Under UC Merced | 1 Comment

Tonight the UC Merced Rotaract Club spent a couple of hours making Valentine’s Day Cards for Veterans in Fresno. Below are a few pictures.

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Jan

17

New UCM Chancellor Later Today!

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It is 1 in the morning and I am still awake.

Among other reasons, one reason I am still awake is that I am extremely excited that later today the UC Board of Regents is going to consider hiring UC Merced’s New Chancellor! OMG!

Stay Tuned!

Jan

12

ASUCM – The Next 18 Weeks, The Future

Filed Under UC Merced | Leave a Comment

After reading the opening chapter of Shaping the Network Society and a few blog articles about how blogs facilitate giving and receiving and the importance of fresh contest, I have decided to begin publishing emails that I send out to members of the UCM student government. It is time to move some student government discussions into the public sphere.

ASUCM:

It’s Monday, January 8, 2007. Our terms as members of the inaugural ASUCM end Friday, May 18, 2007. 18 weeks remain for us to do what we set out to do.

Personally, this will be my last semester in student government, capping off an 11-year career. I won’t get sentimental in this email; rather, I will save such feelings for the end of the semester. If you are lucky, you may see me shed a tear. ;-)

Know, that to me, when the next 18 weeks is all said and done, when it is time for us to depart and move on to the next things in life, I hope, no, I know, that will all shake hands, exchange hugs, shed tears, and reminisce of our times together; and be proud of what we have collectively created and of what we have collectively achieved.

Over the next 18 weeks, we need to collectively focus on and work towards accomplishing the following tasks:

> Write and approve Elections By-Laws

  • a. I would recommend the establishment of a joint committee, chaired by the Chief Justice and Advisor and comprised of Court Justices and disinterested Senators. This joint committee will be responsible for writing the Elections By-Laws, submitting the by-laws to the Senate for approval and signature of the President.
  • b. Timeline: This committee should complete it work no later than mid-February so as to ensure ample time for creation of the by-laws and digestion of the by-laws in preparation for the election later in the Spring.

> Write and approve Research Grants By-Laws by early in the semester so the ASUCM can provide undergraduate research grants this semester.

  • a. The ASUCM Director of Academic Affairs and Senate Standing Committee on Academic Affairs have already been meeting regularly throughout the fall semester. I would urge the group to continue their diligent work. My hope is that we can provide undergraduate research grants this semester, possibly directing some resources towards this year’s CORE 100 group projects.

> Establish and convene the Inter-Club Council by early February to establish a formal line of communication between the student governments and clubs and organizations.

  • a. The ASUCM Director of Student Activities is charged with this responsibility and I want to strongly, and publicly, urge this matter. It is critical that ASUCM communicate face-to-face with club/organization leaders about the ASUCM and in particular the budget. I want maximum input from club/organizations leaders regarding the 2007-2008 ASUCM Budget.

> Write, negotiate and approve ASUCM Budget 2007-2008

  • a. According to the ASUCM Constitution, the Treasurer and I, are responsible for creating an operating and submitting it to the Senate in the spring. It is spring, and the Senate will get a budget. Furthermore, the Budget and Finance By-Laws were approved last semester and delineate a specific budget schedule. We will try to follow the strict schedule as best as we can. But, as I mentioned earlier, I want maximum input on the budget and I will go out and actively seek it from everyone.

> Pass an ASUCM Fee Referendum; adamantly campaign for its approval so as to ensure that the ASUCM has the resources it needs to improve student life.

  • a. The ASUCM Fee Referendum will be the cornerstone of the 2007-2008 ASUCM Budget and the future of the ASUCM. Without increasing the ASUCM Fee from its current $10 per semester per student, this student government will remain impotent and unable to greatly improve student life. We need to have more resources to support clubs and organizations, undergraduate research, public service efforts, and invest in our future Student Center.
  • b. I will consult with Dr. Nies and Dr. Lawrence regarding what administrative procedures we need to follow. Such as having the fee reviewed/approved by the Student Fee Advisory Committee.
  • c. In conjunction with approval of the 2007-2008 ASUCM Budget, I will ask the Senate to approve the ASUCM Fee Referendum.

> Develop and approve the ASUCM Strategic Plan, formerly the Student Master Plan for UC Merced. The Strategic Plan will outline the ASUCM’s short and long term goals and vision for the future.

  • a. The future of the ASUCM is of the utmost importance. By planning for our future, we will be in a better position, to play the necessary pivotal, crucial role in the development of the university and region. A culture of greatness will overtake this university and propel it to be a premier public research institution. Our university, UC Merced, will not be “as good asâ€? institutions like Berkeley and Harvard, our university we will be better because being the best is expected, because being the best is the only option.

> Establish the San Joaquin Valley Student Association to unite the 17 higher education institutions in the region and establish a strong, unified, respected student voice in the region and state.

  • a. The San Joaquin Valley is our home. Our home 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. As stewards of this region, as people concerned about the future, and as the only UC in the region, we need to bring together our fellow student leaders 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.

> Develop and launch our Global Advocacy Agenda.

  • a. The ASUCM Director of Student Advocacy is responsible for advocating the needs of students, on a campus to global level. Our world faces a number of challenges: climate change, war, genocide, and mass poverty. It is unacceptable for us to idly stand by as the official voice of the students and not advocate for change in the world. If we do not confront these and other matters now, in 20 years, when we have aged and ascended to greater leadership positions, we will be confronted again with a problem that has been exacerbated with the passage of time. I do not want to tell the up-and-coming generation, “My generation had an opportunity to solve the problem back when we were young, but didn’t.â€?
  • b. I would urge, publicly, that the said Director and Senate Standing Committee on Student Advocacy develop and launch the ASUCM Global Advocacy Agenda with clubs and organizations.

Some of you will undoubtedly seek re-election, some of you will certainly seek another or a higher office, and some of you will happily move on.

For me, the next 18 weeks will represent the pinnacle of my student government career; this is it for me ladies and gentlemen. All my energies, all my efforts, all my life will go into ensuring that we plant the foundation of the ASUCM and establish our tradition of greatness.

I more than look forward to the next 18 weeks; it’s going to be a ride that none of us will forget.

Sincerely,
Josh Franco
UC Merced
Student Body President

Dec

21

Letter to the Editor: UC, city are one

Filed Under Central Valley, Letter to the Editor, UC Merced | Leave a Comment

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/opinion/story/13133053p-13779716c.html

Editor: At UC Merced, Fall 2006 has been both a challenging and rewarding semester.

It has been challenging because students are experiencing what it means to be a UC Merced student: more reading, more researching and more responsibility. One vital responsibility that students have is to serve the public.

Much has been said about the relationship between students and the community this semester.

People who continue to erect boundaries between students and the community further propagate an “us versus them” mentality; however, I write to say that we are truly one and the same.

Students eat, shop, and live in the same restaurants, stores and neighborhoods as members of the community. Community members work, pay taxes and enjoy their weekends just as students do.

We drive on the same roads, we breathe the same air, we love this Valley, we read the Merced Sun-Star, and we each desire to make a difference in this world in the short time we have in it.

We each contribute to the vitality of this planet, whether it’s planting crops, mowing lawns, cleaning toilets, serving food, trading stocks, attending city council meetings, writing our representatives, e-mailing our professors, researching alternative energies, discovering cures for aliments or contemplating the future.

And while some semblance of division will always exist because few people will always feel unappreciated or unwelcome, such should not deter us from making our community what it must be: an inspiring beacon of perpetual hope.

Students value Merced, and this region, for the opportunities it offers and responsibility of serving the public it bestows upon us and we share this responsibility with the community.

Therefore, I conclude with a heartfelt “Thank you” to the people of the city of Merced for giving students the opportunity to learn about, live in and love the Valley!

JOSH FRANCO
UC Merced Student Body President

Dec

15

ASUCM: End of the Fall 2006 Semester Message

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End of the Fall 2006 Semester Message

The end of the fall 2006 marks the completion of the ASUCM’s first semester in existence and it has been both rewarding and challenging.

This semester has been rewarding because for all the long hours, for all the hard work that students put in last year to establishing the ASUCM, we are finally seeing the fruits of our labor. We are finally experiencing how our model government functions in the real world; our hypotheses are being tested and our assumptions are being challenged. This is incredibly astonishing and something to be thankful for; we are seeing the idea of student government at UC Merced become a reality.

This semester has also been challenging for the very reason that the ASUCM is new. Because the ASUCM is new, everyone is asking questions like: What is the ASUCM? Who is involved in the ASUCM and who is not? What is the purpose of the ASUCM? What are the issues the ASUCM is addressing and how is it addressing such issues? What is the role of the ASUCM in the university, local community, region, state, nation and world? What will the ASUCM be? It is such questions that require answers and together these will define the ASUCM.

Finally, UC Merced and the ASUCM are unique. Born in a new time, built in a new century and crafted for a new world, the university and the student government will be like no other. We do not have the burden of the past on our shoulders; we only have the benefit of the future at our fingertips. Learning from our sister campuses and student governments, next semester, we are going to advance the university and the ASUCM to the next level. To accomplish such will require energy, leadership and will and I believe we are up to the task for both the rewards it will bestow and the challenges it will offer.

I want to wish everyone an refreshing Winter Break!

Best regards,
Josh Franco
Student Body President

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