 "Photo: N/A")
As a response to an announced 2.9 percent credit card transaction fee, Associated Students Inc. President Richard Liu and Students For Quality Education member Shelley Bruce, along with a coalition of concerned Cal Poly students, organized a campaign against the fee.
Some members of Liu’s cabinet stand in opposition to the campaign, essentially polarizing student government.
The new policy will ban all debit card transactions, all Visa credit card transactions, as well as impose a 2.9 percent charge on all Master Card, American Express and Discover card payments beginning Spring quarter.
The student group, dubbed “United For Change,” demands an increase in student representation and for administration to inform students in decision making processes, the elimination of the credit card transaction fee and timely notification to students on fee increases and other issues.
Since the announcement of the fee through a campus wide e-mail on Feb. 4, group members have been meeting in secret to discuss planned actions against the decision.
The campaign, which is being spearheaded by Liu and Bruce, will attempt to unite students in action in order to demonstrate to the university that students’ interests should be considered while making policies.
Group members include: Liu; Bruce; Ruben Vazquez, a member of SQE; ASI Vice President Chris Chen; ASI Attorney General Heena Mehra; Alicia Martin, secretary for the Educational Interest Council; Johnathan Jianu, senator at large and Rose Float Committee member; Will Pfeffer, senator at large and member of Campus Crusade for Christ and Stephanie Wong, director of fundraising for the Science Council.
According to documentation made public by the group, a rally will be held on Thursday in the University Quad between the Marketplace and Building 6 during U-hour. During this time, speeches will be delivered by Liu, faculty, staff and students.
“Like a fire, this campaign is neither a coincidental nor a random movement,” Liu wrote in documentation outlining the group’s vision. “The fuel of the fire, critically important to this campaign, has already been prepared by our school administration through the short-decisions which harmed the future and livelihood of many students.”
“Drastic times call for drastic measures,” said Chen, “The [administration] is trying to run the university as a business, but they need to include the students because all they are doing is cutting and cutting.”
Chen elaborated on his position on the group’s Facebook page writing, “We are not fighting because the university is increasing fees; in fact we understand the necessity to do so due to California’s budgetary issues, we are fighting because we are sick and tired of the inconsideration and abuse that the university administration has shown towards students.”
The group’s official Facebook page carries a disclaimer stating that ASI is not organizing the campaign, despite heavy representation from members of the ASI executive board.
“I will speak on behalf of Student Government that we have no comment at this time,” said ASI Secretary of Internal Affairs David Levinson via e-mail. “Any person working on the campaign is not doing so under the name of ASI, but rather as students.”
Multi-Cultural Council President Brian Lozado, who has expressed opposition to the group in comments posted to the group’s Facebook page, declined to comment when contacted by the Poly Post.
ASI Secretary of External Affairs Edward Fillinger also declined to comment.
However, at “United for Change” planning meetings, where logistics regarding the campaign were discussed, several people expressed concern over Liu’s involvement in the campaign, due to his position as top representative of student government.
In response, Vazquez gave Liu some words of encouragement.
“Don’t let anyone discourage you. If you feel this is right, you should continue to push forward with this,” Vazquez said.
Liu said despite being criticized for his actions in leading the campaign, not only by some student leaders in ASI, but as well as members of administration, he is determined to fight for the welfare of the students.
“As a student leader, our job is simply to represent the students and fight for their interests,” he said. “In the midst of this budget crisis, our roles are even more important.
We need to exercise our leadership and find the best solution for the students.”
Liu reflected on his role as ASI President while reaffirming his commitment to students.
“When I ran for the ASI presidency last year, I promised the students I would fight for their interests. One year later, I can proudly say I have been fighting and will continue fighting for them. No matter how much criticism comes, I will keep that promise. This is my love for the students and this university.”
“I will not step away from this campaign,” Liu told the assembled members at a recent meeting. “I believe in this campaign, and I will not step away. I will not back down because I know that in my gut, I am doing the right thing.”
Reach Ariel Carmona Jr. at: news@thepolypost.com
6 comments
we are trying to get the university to 1) let the students know about our their plans within a timely manner so a situation like the sudden cancellation of summer school does not happen again and 2) get an increased student representation for whatever is to be implemented.I'm giving you the opinion of a student who isn't too much affected by the budget cuts and has no problem getting any classes. However, my heart breaks for those are being affected greatly by this. For instance, those who may have a hard time financially to balance school and working a full time job. If we can meet somewhere in the middle and even earn some time, time for students to know what we are being implemented with so that information that comes to us doesn't have to be such a shock.This will buy valuable time for those who may want to open a different credit-card if they have only a Visa card, those who have a difficult time financially and may struggle from paycheck to paycheck as they work full time on top of school, those who park on Temple to save every dollar possible by avoiding to buy a parking permit.It is not just a matter of the fee. There is a bigger picture.
This is you exercising your leadership? Your "best solution" is to get people to pay for their tuition in coins? Well, at least now I know who to thank when I'm late for class because some jackass thinks he's "fighting for the students" by holding up the line at the cashier's office, when all he's really doing is inconveniencing students.Like a solar-powered flashlight, this is neither a well-conceived idea nor an effective solution to a problem.