General Assembly

Minutes from April 19, 2007

Associated Students of Occidental College

General Assembly Minutes

April 19, 2007

12:00-1:30, J200

Minutes by Chelsey Brack

Senators Present: Mike Myers, Caroline Kim, John Wilson, Patrick McCredie, Andrew DeBlock, Max Thoman-Tedford, Konstantin Chaykovskiy, Alison Dempsey, Amy Laslett, Max Read

Guests Present: Jon King, Cate Bridenstine, Liz Bodman, Hampler Maiseth, George Martinez, Richard Kerr, Marc Sells, Zachary Brandwein, Philip Allen, Justin Pevel, Camean Huen-Shane, Paolo LeCosulich-Schwartz, Amanda Tonkovich, AJ Mata, Tom Logan, Jeff Whitlock, Alex Schred, Elliot Spilk, Laura Furney-Howe, Whitney Lewis, Shoshana Rosen, Emme Haiken, Denise Loera, Zak Stoltz, Tuan Ngo, Mailani Boumean-Kamakeo, Jessica Lobl, Abe Cohen, Brett Henderson, Ryan Serrano, Daniel Landesman, Brett Safford, Ginevra Drinka, Maddie Knaup, Nieto Shapiro, Vince Karlen, Ivan Kostic, Deborah Linton, Andrea Lane, Jake Slinker, Derek Steer, Jason Kayne, Jackie Keeley, Katie Healey, Gabbie McKay, Grace Canby, Rachael Morin, Sarah Baglee, Chelsey Brack (49).

Spencer Jemelka and Katie Orme opened the meeting at 12:06 PM. Katie and Spencer welcomed everyone to the official student forum. The General Assembly is a place for students to bring up issues and policy change. The General Assembly recognizes that the student body is one of many forums that form the community. This is a forum for students to work with other students and administrators. Spencer said that we would begin with the discussion on Sex on the Beach

1. Earic Peters and OSL, Discussion of “Sex on the Beach”

Earic Peters talked about how students are aware of sexual assault and problems surrounding Sex on the Beach. They have been talking about these issues and whether or not to call it “Sex on the Beach” or not. Caroline Kim said she had definitely heard that there were concerns around sexual assault. Earic said that this year we did have it named Sex on the Beach, and many students attended, but many students were aware of many students being intoxicated coming into the party, sexual assaults, a car driving down the steps on our campus by the fountain, people urinating in bushes and on the property, people not taking care of each other and people passing out, etc. It is important to look at Sex on the Beach as how it’s affecting our community. OSL is reviewing what happened that night. Talking about what happened, talking to Campus Safety. We need to address what our community’s handling of this type of party. They can’t control students from drinking too much, throwing up and urinating on the sidewalks and benches. They will hold students accountable; someone has to clean that up. The bigger problem is how we hold ourselves responsible. Earic then opened up the floor for questions.

Katie Healey said that this philosophy applies to all dances and all activities on campus, so she asked why Sex on the Beach is being the only one targeted, and how will the results of these discussions affect other student events and student funding in the future. Earic clarified that Katie was wondering how Sex on the Beach is different from dances like Gender F#$% and Da Getaway, and he said that the activity on campus in terms of violations on campus tend to increase, the number of people attending increases, the bigger events on campus tend to attract more activity. We have more of everything, especially the negative things. He said that it does not affect the funding, that is up to the Senate. She asked if it is being censored for behavioral problem and asked what that means for the students. Earic said that we are not talking about censorship; we are talking about individual responsibility to be able to have a good time.

Amy Laslett said that she understands what he’s saying, but she doesn’t understand how stopping one event of the year is really going to make a positive impact on campus rather than a negative one. Earic said that OSL is just talking about making events safer and want students to make more responsible decisions. It’s about how we respond to individuals in this community. He said we could name Sex on the Beach something else, but asked would people act the same way as before? He then said probably not. He agrees that the culture is embedded in the college, and he knows that taking it away, changing it, etc. are all options that we have to play with.

John Wilson said that he didn’t know about Sex on the Beach being reviewed this year, and asked if the students were notified. Earic said that yes, an email was sent out. John said that they need to think about the students and notifying them very clearly that students could attend Sex on the Beach but would be reviewed afterward and possibly canceled. Earic said that they did notify people, and they have been talking about this for quite some time, as there have been problems. Earic said that the conversation will continue to happen with Student Life, etc.

Cate Bridenstine asked if anyone in the administration has noticed that it has gotten better, stayed the same, etc. Earic said that he has been here for seven years. In his first year it was a Type III event, second year there was a high rate of incidences happening in the residence halls - things were being stolen, etc., an officer was assaulted. Having it be a Type 0 event doesn’t make it a non-alcoholic event. It is risky. There are assaults and other behavior that happened especially when it took place on Stewie Beach. They know that in their research, 42% of sexual assaults are not reported. With that research and knowledge of past incidences that have happened here at Oxy during the Sex on the Beach event, they are trying to minimize the number of incidences and make it a more enjoyable and safe event for everyone.

Grace Canby said that given these results, could we compare the results from Sex on the Beach, Da Getaway, Homecoming, etc. Earic said that we could definitely do that, but we have to know that Sex on the Beach is the most controversial event of all of them, that is why these precautions are being taken and the discussion occurring. Earic said that it is important to see the breakdown of the events in the past, in existence, etc. Grace and Earic agreed that not all statistics are accurate, in terms of alcohol poisoning, etc.

Tuan Ngo said that he wanted to give a sort of inside perspective; at the beginning of the year we started planning these events, already talked about how Sex on the Beach is a public event that involves sexual assault and alcohol use, etc. He understood that in the past it was held on Stewie beach and having it there made sexual assaults increase, so they thought that moving it away from the res halls would help. They tried to predict what would happen and thought there would be positive results. He heard that there were several events that happened – people having sex on the dance floor, countless other incidents. Wondering why not at oasis? Why sex on the beach? What is it about it that makes students lose control at this event? As someone who worked on this program this year, they are talking about how it affects the health of the campus, how people feel about it. If he is in event-planning again next year, he doesn’t know if he would go forward with it again

Ivan talked about how it’s more about social behavior, how to behave in public places. He knows that there was a program against the sexual assault that happens during the dance. We are supposed to be educated and we should know better. Maybe the administration should have a class about interacting in society – learn about responsible drinking, responsible behavior. We are all students of this college on a larger scale and need to take responsibility for our actions. Earic agreed and said that he knows all students want to be treated like responsible adults, and they want to treat you like responsible adults, but if there were a class, it should be about being a responsible community member. He said he is concerned that these conversations are not happening between community groups and that there need to be individual conversations. We need to reflect on our own responsibility, how we impact the campus-wide community.

Derek Steer said that it seems like a whole lot of energy has been spent focusing on the name “Sex on the beach” and that if they were to just cancel the dance entirely, that behavior would just switch to another event. In the fall there is Toga, in the spring there is Sex on the Beach. Students kind of go crazy, it’s kind of that time of year – right before finals, students just want to let loose. He thinks that getting rid of it is not the answer. Earic said that if students are getting crazy and wild and loose, is that really an ok thing in the community? Derek said no, he is in agreement with Ivan, but said that in general people don’t really care about their accountability to the school, and if there was more awareness of that, things would change – behavior would change. Earic said that he agrees, it’s really about being civil in this community.

Amy Laslett asked if he could go over details about how this review is going to happen. Earic said that they will be having many discussions, with campus safety and others, talking about location, how to engage students in these conversations as well. Until then, is not certain if changing the name will even change the culture and behavior of the students, so, Earic said that if we are not changing the name, how do we address the behavior of the students on the campus? It is something to discuss further.

Liz Bodman said that they are all kind of agreement that it is all about the culture, and a class as a campus-wide requirement wouldn’t really be affective. She asked about students who get alcohol poisoning, asked if there should there be a follow-up for that. There could be some sort of education class, not as a punishment, but for people who would benefit from the class who have had alcohol abuse. Earic said that when there are violations, there are consequences for that behavior, but it doesn’t always make its impact. We have to look at everything in its separate entity – Toga, Sex on the Beach, etc. He asked the GA why people act the way they do for these dances and asked how we identify why students decide to act a particular way at this particular event, these events.

Katie thanked everyone for the discussion, wrapped it up, and switched gears to the Save Senior Smack resolution.

2. Rachael Morin – “Save Senior Smack” Resolution

Rachael introduced the Save Senior Smack resolution again, and said that it falls nicely in with the talk about reviewing things on campus. She said that if it’s canceled as an on campus event, it will just change to an off campus event, and will become out of control. She brought it as a resolution to be talked about, supported, and to hopefully make a change for this year and/or years to come. Katie Orme then opened up the floor.

Katie Healey said that she has never been to Senior Smack, and she was wondering why there is so much concern around it. Earic said that it is an event that the Office of Student Life runs during Senior Week, all the seniors come and dance, it is open to the entire student body. In the past, has been a Type 0 event, however people come drunk, visibly intoxicated, and a lot of things happen. It is held in Sycamore Glen on the last day of classes, and students generally “let loose”. It appears to be a lot more activity like Sex on the Beach, more intoxication, and students come from both on and off campus, from all around. Reason number one to re-shift the Senior Smack event is because of its Student Life transit; it’s a Student Life program, and it’s not doing what it should be doing for the students. The event itself, how it is attended for first, second, and third years to come and say goodbye to their seniors should happen a separate way. On the same goodbye-night, seniors are bused to a separate location with karaoke, a live-band, food, etc. the first, second, third years will have fun and say goodbye to their seniors in a different way.

Amy Laslett said that this resolution is about students being insulted in this decision because students should be a part of the decisions. Earic said that it is because it is an Office of Student Life program; because they run the office, they decide what is going to happen. They decide what is going to go on for the students. Amy asked if he agrees that there will be a lot of negative feedback, students will be upset about the outcome/cancellation. Earic said they just want to change the purpose and intent of senior smack – it’s about saying goodbye to our seniors.

Jackie Keeley asked why it wasn’t really announced; she felt that students weren’t told about a substitute dance also. Earic said that it’s just a re-shift about how Senior Smack is done. Jackie asked when this information going to be shared with the students. Earic said that he thought it would be going out before this meeting, but it’s really about the seniors – it’s their event.

Emme Haiken said that going back to Sex on the Beach discussion - students make decisions about alcohol, and that there is a difference between what seniors are doing and what the younger students are doing. She thinks that suppressing events like Senior Smack and Sex on the Beach is not going to be effective; OSL is not going to change alcohol use, and not all students are 21, so what will happen will happen. Earic said that it is about safety, not about alcohol use necessarily. The focus is on damages, vandalisms, personal assaults – trying to minimize those. Emme said that whether it’s on campus or not, doesn’t matter. Earic said that whether we have 50 Type III events, or 3, students are going to show up intoxicated and make bad decisions. Earic said that students drink all the time already, so need to learn how to handle themselves.

Deborah Linton said that she agrees that the canceling of Senior Smack is debatable as to how it’s done. Since it’s about safety, she thinks that there is going to be two Senior Smacks happening. There will be the one that OSL plans, but then there will be another one that is bound to happen anyway. She thinks that Senior Smack has its problems, but the reason that it hasn’t had more problems is because it has been contained. Once it moves off campus, she is worried about what will happen with it. Maybe a different problem-solving approach is needed. Let someone else take that on. Earic said that whether Senior Smack happens every year, plenty of off campus parties happen every year as well. They know that students are already irresponsible off campus anyway. It’s an issue that they have to deal with on campus though with Senior Smack. It’s an issue that they have to deal with in the res halls too – drinking in res halls, trying to respond to these incidences as well. OSL knows that they are happening. One of the ways that OSL is taking responsibility is driving the seniors so that they don’t have to drive drunk.

Rachael Morin said that the idea of having more opportunities for students who are of age, like the not un-happy hour, etc. those events provide for students a night of fun that they don’t have to get black-out drunk to enjoy. They are very different things that students need to become aware of; also that there is a way to have fun without abusing alcohol, there can be safer alcohol use. Earic said he doesn’t understand how students pound shots between 5 and 9 pm then come to an event hammered drunk. Rachel said that if there were opportunities for students who are of age to have a time or place on campus to have legal access to alcohol, and just have a social interaction. Earic said that people like to drink 1, 2, not think about stuff – loosen up, the more they drink, the more they loosen up. Earic said that the issue is when enough is enough, till students know that.

Derek Steer wanted to know why the administration finds it necessary to take all seniors to an off campus location, as opposed to having it here on campus during senior week, so that juniors who are 21 years old could come be a part of it too. Likes the idea of having the barbeque on the final day of classes etc, but asked why it matters that the event is no longer on campus, and not calling it Senior Smack. Earic said that right now they don’t have the educational workshops to help students, etc. Derek asked why they would cancel Senior Smack without telling anyone, and then leave Sex on the Beach just for review, when Sex on the Beach is the more controversial topic, and Earic said that it’s because Senior Smack is an OSL event – it is directly OSL’s concern.

Elaine said that she doesn’t understand why just these dances are such a concern to OSL, why just this type of thing involving alcohol, and Earic said that everything that happens on this campus is a concern to OSL, it’s all about quality of student life. He doesn’t care about off campus and how students behave there; just on campus is what they can control.

Cate said that at first it just seemed like a decision of OSL, choosing an alternative event that they don’t want to inflate the incidences of alcohol use on campus, and that is what’s provoking the unsafe behavior. The extreme behaviors motivated by alcohol are what it is; otherwise it wouldn’t be such an issue. If it’s not complying with the goal of OSL, can someone else do it, and she asked that as a junior, is it completely off the table for next year? Earic said that he agrees that it’s about the intent of the event and about what is going to happen. The intent is to say goodbye to seniors, but student life will not sponsor an event that doesn’t go with their mission about helping all of the students. Cate asked if it’s going to keep happening with all events, and Earic said that that’s a good question, and he doesn’t know. He wants students to be a part of the discussions they’re having about the dances to decide if students are responsible enough to handle these events. Katie Orme said that they are pressed for time so encouraged everyone to ask their final questions.

Jake said that the underlying issue is that we’re in college, we all want to do crazy stuff; we are experimenting, growing up. Learning how to act is a problem that youth have anyway. The older students have a responsibility not to teach younger students, but to show an example. The school is reliable, responsible for us; we need to say that if they are going to throw this party for us, we need to be responsible about this. He said that he has learned his lesson over and over again, has gone through Earic’s program, and is grateful that when he was younger he had older students looking out for him. For students who are getting drunk for the first time, other students have to be there for them. He said to the GA: if there have a party, behave yourselves. If you make a mistake, answer to the consequences – answer to students on the Honor Board – students telling you that you screwed up. Especially when you have to look your peers in the eye, it will really get through. Right now, take it and make it what it should be, friends who don’t know how to not be FUBAR (F&%$@ed Up Beyond All Recognition) - we need to help them. We have to be able to say have fun, but be careful. Students have to handle this issue to help students who will come here after us. The entire GA applauded Jake when he finished talking. Katie and Spencer said that this was just the discussion, and next week it will be voted on.

Spencer said the next part of this meeting is about club sports applying for student funds. He then said that he had to remove himself from the meeting because he is biased. Club sports are not the same as clubs.

3. Abe Cohen – Capital Improvement Request for the Rugby Team

Abe Cohen talked about the Capital Improvement Request for a scrum machine.

[ASOC Capital Improvement Request Form

Name: Occidental Rugby Football Clubs	Department: Club Sports
Date: 3/29/2007	Total Amount: $8,300

Capital Improvements allow departments to grow and develop. The Capital Improvement fund is no more than 10% of the total Savings each year. The fund provides for purchases outside of the range of the yearly operating budget.

Capital Improvement Guidelines:

§ Item must last for at least 3 years without needing updates.

§ The minimum amount of a capital improvement expense must be $300 per item/system. A system is defined as a set of items that do not work alone, such as walkie talkies, or the items that will protect the purchase from damage, such as a bag for a camera.

§ Software is not included in this price because it changes rapidly. Software should come from the department’s operating budget.

§ All requests must be reviewed by the ASOC Advisor, the ASOC Finance Manager, and the Associate Dean of Students prior to being presented to the Senate to ensure that the items match the guidelines and that the plans for protecting the investment are adequate. Should you have any questions, please contact Kenna Cottrill at kcottrill@oxy.edu.

Itemized list of purchases:

What	Purchase From	Cost (be specific)
Predator Scrum Machine Basic	Rugby Imports	$7,500
Scrum machine transportation	Rugby Imports quote	$300
Scrum machine cover	Rugby Imports	$450

Please explain why your department needs these items, including how they serve your department’s mission, and how they will benefit students.

An exceptional opportunity has been offered to the Occident Rugby community. Our recently retired rugby coach of over three decades has found a brand new Predator scrum machine. A scrum machine is an essential tool that every rugby team utilizes for strength and technique training. This past season Bob Hoder, CEO of Rugby Imports a California based rugby supply company, acquired two scrum machines in error. Instead of sending back the additional machine, Rugby Imports has offered our Men’s and Women’s Rugby teams this machine at a steep discount. This is an opportunity that we cannot pass up.

The reason we are asking for a new scrum machine is two-fold. The first reason is that our current scrum machine, which was constructed by a group of alumni over 15 years ago, is falling apart. It is no longer a working machine and offers as much a benefit to the team as it does a hazard. This is the second reason we are asking you to help us procure this new piece of equipment: safety. While using our current machine members of our team have been injured. The pads are failing and decrepit, presents unnecessary risks during our training sessions. Please examine the photos provided and see for yourself the abysmal of our current machine.

Associated Students of Occidental College, we are being offered a top-of the line piece of machinery at a significant discount. Even the cheapest new scrum machines cost less than the one being offered to us now. We are asking for your office to provide us with at least partial funds to help us in our effort. So far we have asked our team members to donate money to the cause as well as forego other team expenditures on balls, cones, and practice jerseys. Thus far the club has raised over $2500 towards the machine through player donations, alumni support and club allocation funds.

We are asking ASOC to realize that our combined teams have a roster of over 70 players and we practice during the entire school year. Occidental Rugby is also the longest lasting club community on campus and we’re certainly not leaving soon. The machine we are asking for is estimated to last nearly twenty years and will be a cornerstone in training and safety. This purchase is also an exception to normal club requests due to its lasting worth as an investment and initial cost. The club could never pay for this piece of equipment using just its club funds, hence the use of capital improvement funds.

We cannot emphasize enough how important this investment is to our clubs and the Occidental rugby community. This machine will help train our teams for over the next twenty years and is essential to the safety and future success of our Occidental teams.

Pictures of the new and old machine have been provided for comparison purposes.

For further viewing: http://oxy.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013519&l=b6bc8&id=14500792

Please explain how you will protect these investments from damage.

The scrum machine, being a very large piece of equipment, is exceptionally difficult to steal. However, safety settings allow it to be rolled to different sections of the field for storage purposes. The scrum machine cover is made specifically for the Predator model and will protect the machine from weathering, rusting, etc.

Other Plans:

Transportation: We plan on using an independent moving company to transport the machine from Santa Barbara. Bob Hoder, CEO of Rugby Imports did a cost estimate for us; his cost estimate has been reflected in the budget.

Storage: We plan on storing the machine off to the side of the track, taking the place of the old machine. It can be moved off to the side when not in use. The new machine is approximately as large as the old one, so space consideration is identical to our current situation. ]

Abe said that the rugby team needs it for a variety of reasons. The team is getting better and better every year, they are going to get a discount on the machine, it’s very nice and very cheap, club sports and rugby in particular has raised $3000 already, and have been funded additionally to buy this piece of equipment. He thinks it is a very worthwhile improvement. The Rugby team is the longest standing club at Oxy, has been around for over forty years. This machine has an expected life of 20-30 years, and the Rugby team expects it to be affecting literally thousands of kids in the coming years.

John Wilson asked if/when they get new machine, what they will do with the old one. Members of the GA joked that something like what happened in Office Space will happen.

Abe said that this weekend they had the opportunity to go use the scrum machine at Loyola Marymount, and their machine, like the one they’re asking for, has varying height adjustments that they can use. Grace asked if/how it could be adjusted for the women’s team – for women’s shoulders. Abe said from what he’s seen, you basically turn a crank to lower/raise, push in and out, etc.

Patrick McCredie asked what the average retail price is, and Abe said that it’s about $11,000, and that the total cost that they would be paying is $8,250, and are only asking for a smaller amount than that because have been fundraising.

Katie asked for any other questions or comments, there were none, and then Abe thanked everyone for coming.

Katie thanked everyone for coming to the GA meeting, and told everyone to email them at the asocga@oxy.edu with any questions or comments.

Meeting adjourned at 1:17 PM.