SUNY Stony Brook Student Issues

Victory!

2004-04-21T00:04:00.000-04:00

I am so extremely excited to announce that the Club and Organization Bill of Rights was passed! President Sandy Curtis didn't exercise her Executive Veto power, and the Senate accepted the changes that I have made to it, clarifying areas, and making the document much more professional.

Although this is a great victory, there are still so many issues that are unresolved on campus. The destruction of the bamboo forest is one of these that we could have won, had information regarding environmental law been available to myself.

Here's the background info: since the 1960s, students have been getting high and wasted in the Bamboo Forest, an area in the northwestern past of campus, behind the current Undergraduate Apartments. Several years ago, Stony Brook Administration decided to build new housing in that area. Last year, they destroyed large parts of the area, almost eradicating the nonindiginous plant species in that area. Now, they're ready to move students into one of the new buildings next Fall.

It's too late to fight, and we can't ask Stony Brook to destroy buildings, but I think I'll check out the area and maybe have the bamboo replanted somewhere. I'm too tired right now though, so I'll say good night for now

Contacting Fellow SUNY Students

2004-04-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

At the Press Office. Been up all night writing my State of the Onion article, compiling a list of Executive Board members from the other 63 SUNY schools, and I wrote a lengthy email to all of them, asking for their endorsement of the Club and Organization Bill of Rights.

Here it is, if you care to read:

Subject : SUNY Stony Brook Government in Shambles

Hello All,

I am writing to you because you were listed as a member of the Executive Board or as a Faculty Advisor in one of the 64 SUNY schools. I am sorry for the following email, which is quite long, but I am calling out to you all to help your fellow SUNY students here on Long Island.

My name is Tom Clark, and I am a student of Stony Brook University. I am a 4th year Math Major, and President of the Math Club. Here in Stony Brook, our prior Student Government, Polity, was decertified due to horrible financial practices and record keeping. That was over a year ago, and they have now been replaced by an entity with a different name, but a problematic entity nonetheless.

The new Undergraduate Student Government, heretofore USG, controls over $2 million in student activity fees. This fee is collected from over 13,000 undergraduates. Although USG is a fiduciary entity, whose purpose is to disperse money to clubs and organizations, and to act as a liaison between students and administration, they are failing in both respects.

USG had their constitution voted on by the student body in Spring `03, and over Summer `03 they drafted many of the policies they have today. But since their inception, they have been hostile to the student body.

Over the summer, USG violated the New York Open Meetings Law numerous times, denying students access to illegally held, closed meetings. This is in direct violation of their own Constitution, which states they must comply with the New York State Open Meeting’s Law! When pressed about it, they feigned ignorance of the law (they feigned ignorance regarding FOIL requests as well).

Once Fall `03 came along, USG had only one functioning branch, the Executive Council, and lacked a Senate and a Judiciary. They demanded certain requirements that hindered students from running, including restrictive timelines and petition requirements. So we started the school year with no tools to challenge any policies enacted by the Executive Council.

This led to many problems, the biggest being arbitrary cuts to club budgets, without notification. Clubs found out weeks later that their budgets were cut, with little or no explanation, and no avenue with which to challenge these cuts. The cuts were confusing given the fact that USG had a $700,000 surplus, which was “discovered” following the absolving of Polity, the previous government.

So I, along with members of the Stony Brook Press, an alternative campus newspaper, have drafted a Club and Organization Bill of Rights, which USG has effectively filibustered for six weeks up until last Tuesday. The Senate finally passed our Bill with a 6-5-1 vote. But President Sandy Curtis plans to veto the bill, under the justification that the USG legal council stated the Bill of Rights was redundant and all Rights were already outlined in the Constitution and Financial Policies and Procedures. It is disconcerting that the Executive Council is forcing the Bill to be looked over by legal council and that redundancy could be an argument against a Bill of Rights.

I wish my student government was more interested in the rights of students like Binghamton (especially regarding resolution S00-24), but our campus voice falls on deaf ears. Our USG is a puppet of an administration with such deep ties to Computer Associates and other companies that it is more involved in turning a profit than harboring the type of environment where students are truly free (President Shirley Strum-Kenny was on the Board of Trustees for Computer Associates, Barnes and Noble, with whom we have a lucrative bookstore contract, and Toys `R' Us).

For another example, USG President Sandy Curtis stated at a Senate meeting 3 months ago that they will no longer fund any political or religious groups. They said that funding them would violate the Chancellor’s Guidelines. The Chancellor’s Guidelines outlines that there should not be bias regarding funding of political and religious organizations, but does not advise against ALL funding. Currently any political or other group must obtain a permit 6 weeks in advance to protest on our campus. We are being denied many political freedoms.

Again, this may sound accusatory, and it IS! The sad truth is that the state of Stony Brook University is very bleak. The Club and Organization Bill of Rights, a document I've been pushing for months, along with 20-30 other clubs on campus, including the Commuter Student Association, which represents over half of the student body, is a step towards getting our freedoms back. It effectively states that USG must notify clubs before they cut a budget, and explain why they did so. In addition, this document is only 2 pages long, making it clear, concise, and easily accessible to students.

So what I ask of you all, as members of Executive Boards across the state, and fellow SUNY students, is that you send an email to the members of USG endorsing the Club and Organization Bill of Rights. You can check out the Bill at http://www.thepress.info by clicking on “Know Your Rights” at the bottom of the page. Included below the Bill is personal commentary regarding the Bill.

Please email President Sandy Curtis and myself with your endorsement:

sacurtis@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
ttclark@ic.sunysb.edu

Here's a sample email:

President Curtis,

I am the (your position) of (your school). I have been contacted by concerned students in regards to the current situation of Stony Brook University. I am concerned that the current policies of the Undergraduate Student Government are not in the best interests of the Undergraduate Student Body. I believe that the rights of Clubs and Organizations is fundamental, and that the Club and Organization Bill of Rights properly encapsulates those rights.

Please accept this email as my endorsement of the incorporation of the Club and Organization Bill of Rights into USG legislature, and know that had this Bill came before my Executive Council, it would have been incorporated in an expedient manner. I hope that your great delay is due to your commitment and serious consideration of the Bill and that, in the future, such barriers will not be put in place.

Sincerely,
(your NAME)
(your POSITION)
(your SCHOOL)

Modify it if you like, maybe the end is too aggressive, but, well, I'm very heated about the whole thing. Well, if you got all the way here, thank you so much, I really appreciate your support in this manner. Hopefully Stony Brook will get back on its track, and you guys are shining examples of real, working student governments.

I thank you immensely,

Tom Clark

Hey folks!

2004-04-20T23:56:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, thanks for checking out thepress.info and this site. I just want to explain why the Club and Organization Bill of Rights is so important.

1) Accountability - With this Bill in place, USG can no longer make arbitrary changes to Club's budgets without notification.
2) Protection - Although already outlined in the United States Constitution and upheld by multiple Supreme Court cases, the Bill makes everyone aware of the rights of Student Media.
5) Limitation - The Bill limits the arbitrary decisions made by USG, through clarification of ambiguities in the USG Constitution.
4) Precedence - This is the first major Bill that was created by students outside of USG, for students. This Bill sets a precedent that our voices are heard by our government, and that we are the ones in power, not victims of Administration's puppets.

Please voice your support BEFORE Friday, by telling Sandy Curtis not to use veto power!

Click here to read the bill.

Prevent the Presidential Veto!

2004-04-20T23:52:00.000-04:00

Below is an email link to President Sandy Curtis. Below that are messages I wrote that you can copy and paste if you so choose, or write your own. Regardless, please voice your support of the Club and Organization Bill of Rights!

Email Pres. Sandy Curtis at sacurtis@ic.sunysb.edu, sacurtis@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

President Curtis,

I am writing to you as a student of Stony Brook University to express my
feelings on your future actions as President of the Undergraduate Student
Government.

As you may be aware, the Club and Organization Bill of Rights was passed
by the Senate with a 6-5-1 vote. This precedent-setting accomplishment
made by the Student Body was the product of months of problems, and over 6
weeks of deliberation.

The power of the President to veto any bill passed by the Senate is an
example of the type of checks and balances that make the United States of
America such a great country. Although USG makes parallels to our
country's democracy, I would like to make it absolutely clear that I am in
full support of this Bill, and I strongly urge you to not exercise your
veto power.

If you were to veto this Bill, for whatever reason, the implication that
you are not in support of the Student Body is clear. If you were to veto
this Bill, I would not in any way endorse you as a candidate next year if
you so chose to run.

If you were to veto this Bill, you are publically making the statement
that your view is more correct than the combined minds of 19 Senators, and
over 30 clubs who represent the vast majority of students on campus (CSA
alone represents over 50% of the student body).

In short, please do what is right by allowing this bill to pass.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ID #

Here is another if you think the above was too aggressive:

President Curtis,

I am writing to you as a student of Stony Brook University to express my
feelings on your future actions as President of the Undergraduate Student
Government.

As you may be aware, the Club and Organization Bill of Rights was passed
by the Senate with a 6-5-1 vote. This precedent-setting accomplishment
made by the Student Body was the product of months of problems, and over 6
weeks of deliberation.

The power of the President to veto any bill passed by the Senate is an
example of the type of checks and balances that make the United States of
America such a great country. Although USG makes parallels to our
country's democracy, I would like to make it absolutely clear that I am in
full support of this Bill, and I strongly urge you to not exercise your
veto power.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ID #