In past years, AS has been negligent in providing the basic educational needs for students on this campus. These should include an adequate resource center, offices for student organizations, among others, which could easily be paid for with the substantial budget held by AS, furnished by student fees every year.
Rather, we have witnessed a group of noninclusive students in AS who abuse their authority to fulfill the needs of their own constituency.
A notion of false authority has been taught to these students by past AS administrations, and consequently has brought forth the premise that once in office they can acquire the power of government to benefit their own interests.
When the legislature decided wrongly to disqualify the Student Struggle slate, it was mentioned several times during the meeting that a wrong action on the disqualification issue would then set a precedent.
But the precedent has been set in the past, not by the current situation, but by previous administrations, sponsored by the Progressive Coalition, and their stubbornness to remain in power. What is the Unified Student Movement saying to students participating in student government at SF State? Their actions speak for themselves. They are teaching students to be separatist, to be anti-Semitic, and not to concentrate on the serious problems students of all ethnic backgrounds face at institutions of higher education in California.
What are the leadership skills being taught to these students? The actions taken by the legislature to disqualify the Student Struggle slate exemplifies these teachings. They clearly taught these students, especially those new to this process, that student government officials can trample over people, including their own that they profess to represent, in order to gain power. Are these the tactics that the Progressive Coalition utilizes to revolutionize the minds of the entire population at SF State? Again, their actions reflect a retrospective pattern of an internal colonized mentality -- naturally not caring WHO they step on to achieve their own personal objectives.
We should not forget that the main purpose of attending this university is to attain the best education possible, thus becoming an educational experience within itself.
Do the actions of USM and the Progressive Coalition aid our educational experience? I believe they're creating an educational hazard.
They're not learning anything, and they're not teaching anything. But, if USM finds their illegal victory rewarding, then they should gloat on their educational hazard.
No one else will.
Augustine Nevarez is a graduate student in Family and Consumer Science, and the ex-vice president elect.