No Accountability for AS This Year

Mary Freeman, Managing Editor

Mary_Freeman@csumb.edu

Laura Newell, Editor-in-Chief

Laura_Newell@csumb.edu

May 8, 2008

This past December CSUMB’s AS conducted a series of reviews regarding the behavior, conduct, and areas of improvement of its members. At these reviews, those who had been found to be less than adequately performing their duties were warned to improve or else sanctions would be taken in the end-of-the-year reviews. Luckily for some, these reviews will not be taking place. According to AS Legislative Director Clint Weirwick, after the mid-year reviews, which were not completed due to lack of attendance, the Internal Affairs Committee felt that the reviews were simply ineffectual. He stated, “There are definitely some people who should not be getting stipends and there’s other that definitely haven’t shown improvement… because there’s no teeth behind it [the review process] we really can’t do much.” AS President Robert Graham differed with Weirwick on the reasons why the reviews were no longer taking place. He stated that, “as an organization we don’t want to pit people against each other,” and claimed that the reviews were too harsh. He also stated, “We realized that once you cut one person’s stipend you have to go all the way through to the back of the line,” and when asked

if this was allowing certain members to slide in order to save time and effort he responded that matters with particular members were being handled outside of student government. One of the people Weirwick is referring to is Financial Director De’Lante Johnson. In his midyear review Johnson had been cited for unprofessional behavior as well as lack of organization. Recently, Johnson has publicly, on his Otter Media radio show and personal Facebook page, attacked AS President Robert Graham, AS Vice President Lewis Hall, and incoming AS Public Relations Director Randy Rigali, whom Johnson ran against in the recent elections. Johnson claimed he did not know why “everyone is making it so big,” and claimed that it was Hall and Rigali’s popularity on campus that was the reason people are taking issue with his comments. Graham responded to Johnson’s comments on his facebook, telling Johnson that “the best part about this is it is now considered harassment, libel, slander, intimidation and a hate crime.” Graham repeatedly refused to comment on the issues with Johnson stating, “I don’t want anything between De’Lante and I or anything I’ve said about De’Lante to go into the newspaper because all that is doing is furthering what he is doing.” Graham later continued that, “I am doing my own part about that, which I do not want to talk about. He will not slide, but I am not going to put it on public record what may or may not happen… It will be taken to higher beings.” In addition to Johnson, there have been other members of AS who have either dropped or joined AS rather late in the year. For these members, and possibly with others like Johnson, stipends will either be fully or partially cut. Between Weirwick and Graham there seems to be a bit of confusion as to how this process will take place. Graham reported that stipends would be cut but that no notification to the student body and media outlets will go out. Weirwick stated however, that hopefully there will be a Senate meeting held to decide the matter, and if not any

notifications that do go out will be made a part of public record. The reason that Graham wished to keep this matter private is that, “It’s [the review process] going to create drama. It’s going to make the organization look bad, as if we like to play these

drama games, especially with the way the Otter Realm sometimes reports it.” Later he went on to say, “I retract my previous statement about it making the organization look bad,” he continued that he wanted the school to focus on the positive things that happen on campus rather than negatives. In order to avoid future problems, such as this, Weirwick has promised to draft up a constitutional amendment for next year’s AS in order to give members more power, such as the power to remove a member they feel is not doing their job or hurting AS.