This week the Student Union Assembly (SUA) met for the first time of the 2012–13 academic year. At the first meeting there were new college representatives and SUA officers in attendance. The meeting focused largely on how SUA works, and as a result it was “a bit informal,” said SUA chair DT Amajoyi.
Internal vice chair Shaz Umer, gave a presentation on Proposition 36, which is on the Nov. 6 ballot. The proposition would revise California’s Three Strikes Law in which three felonies would result in 25 years to life in prison for an offender. Under Prop 36, prisoners who had committed three felonies would be reevaluated with a possible re-sentencing if the felonies were nonviolent.
Commissioner of academic affairs Shiku Muhire, gave a presentation about another upcoming proposition, Prop 34, which addresses the death penalty. Voting yes on Prop 34 would eliminate the death penalty in California.
External vice chair Victor Velasco, talked about his attempt with the University of California Student Assembly (UCSA) to register about 40,000 students to vote, of which about 42 percent have already been registered. The UCSA, of which all UC students are members, is a group of student governments within the UCs.
The meeting ended with a presentation by College Ten representative Maria Jennings about the UCSA.
When the meeting ended Umer said that with so much information in such a short amount of time, it may not have gotten through to everyone. But, he said, with the introductory information out of the way next week should go smoother.
The Student Union Assembly’s next meeting will be next Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 6–8 p.m. in the Alumni Room of the University Center.
