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Date: December 12, 2007  

Hey Clint,
Here are my email threads with Delante; I know there’s more with other editors.  I'll get them on forwarding it to you.
Delante sent us something about his goals that none of us think he wrote, but it’s with another editor.

Just start at the bottom

 

Thanks for doing your job right and good luck with this
--elliott

message dated 9/12
Delante Johnson writes:
1) I want to help maintain the budget, by not giving out more than we can account for
2) Ensure significant amount of funds by midyear review
3) Defintely make this school year a much better year than last, regardless of little issues
4) Be even more publicly known that last year

 

So for the paper, these are standard questions that I would ask anyone in your position,

where have you had experience in balancing budgets?  Is it from balancing your check books from the time you were 16 or anything like that?

By ensuring that there are a significant amount of funds in the AS treasury, how is that going to help students and what sort of end of the year/ semster have been proposed to you?

In what ways are you going to make this a better school than last year?  What do you see as the big issues?

How do you plan to be publicly known and how is that going to affect students?
message dated 9/12
I do realize I am a simple person, I am more than amused with myself when I play my guitar and drink beer.  The show Entourage makes me happy as well.  I am not quite a social butterfly; I don't even have myspace.
I also understand that personal voice is important.  That is one of the things that writers get most frustrated at editors and teachers for changing, but at the same time things that displayed for the general public are open to general criticism.  I grant you that you may not be the most fluid writer nor fully grasp the full power of words, an issue that I am still personally grappling with, but there are some things that may come off as completely inappropriate to someone from the outside world.
For instance, you say you are from the "yay bay," I understand that you are a very energetic and positive person who may be inclined to say yay allot, but it is also slang for cocaine. This is identifying your with the "cocaine bay" and may not be the wisest decision in your young political career, coincidental as it may be.
I would never go after anyone's personal habits, drug and sex scandals are probably the lowest form of journalism, but you are posting it on AS's website and you are representing our school.  I like CSUMB because of the people I've dealt with and the teachers I have had, and i think it would be slightly disingenuous and possibly silly to officially affiliate our school with the "hyphey" movement, even if it is just about the music.  If I have a would be employer who saw that, there is a strong possibility it would lessen his opinion of my school.  That is not good for me.
The strength and value of our diploma is a bit of a collective act.  If our school is known for putting out over achiever show offs, it makes a future employer look more favorably at our campus.  Those are the kind of people that "reputable" schools look for (think USC, CAL, Stanford and other Ivory Towers.)  If our reputation is based upon pointless rambling, my application would probably meander over to the trash can.  We live in a competitive area and I fully intend to prove that our school churns out more competitive and competent students.  Some people might call that process.
It is a goal of mine to at least diminish the Gross Domestic Prejudice, and I try to avoid stereotyping in my normal life. 
Since no one actually reads our publication, do you mind if i print any of this or at least grant a personal interview?  I have a voice recorder so we can put our whole conversation, un edited on our website so people, like my parents, can experience Delante in in the raw and unedited?  We can bill it like a pay per view special, but free!

tell me what you think
Elliott
760 519 1517
messaged dated 9/12

Can i ask you a question? Why do you feel I HAVE to have a goal of funding "green initiatives"? I mean I would if I had the power, but you make it seem like its my job description to do so,which is just really biast on your behalf. Same thing with the budget thing.  You act like its in bold print and all over the school, across the campus and boards, brought to every students attention once a day. I don't think so.
            My position does not even permantely FUND anything. So how would I have a goal on really funding such big projects like that? As a "Finance Senator", there's not much one can do...that's what the other postions are for. I GET PROPOSALS that I can assist and sign off on it, but forreals maybe you shouldve asked me all this concernity before telling robert. Yes the students aren't aware much, yes they should be more in the know about the budget and greenness and whatever but the truth of the matter is most people ARENT.  Bringing me BACK AROUND to WHY I HAVE THE GOALS THAT I DO, especially for this year. I'm FOR the people.  Our goals are supposed to be realistic for us, not another party.

Yes, I'm perfectly capable of doing/ dreaming about things also, but thats not my primary position. MY primary position HELPS maintain and co-sign off on requests and such,  henceforth my goals not be so much partaining to education or putting 50 greenhouses on campus, plus building biodegradable residency dorms,  because thats not really my field. However, as I said earlier, folks can COME to me about requests for funding, or what they think the A.S. should be funding, or anything related.

ok so to ADD to my goals in the way you want for your paper,
yes
1) I want to help maintain the budget, by not giving out more than we can account for
2) Ensure significant amount of funds by midyear review
3) Defintely make this school year a much better year than last, regardless of little issues
4) Be even more publicly known that last year

happy now?
sorry if i sounded harsh earlier--actually no im not, i wasn't harsh. I came at you the same way you came at me, lol. You undermined my goals and information like I'm not worth anything.  Like you know who I am and what I do. Like you're ME.  And about the people not reading thing...sorry, but yeah it doesn't seem like much effort to even get people to really read it like a regular newspaper...not that most students would, but you know. i barely even see bins anywhere lol.

Maybe you should be chewing Robert out for not properly showing me what kind of goals I "should" have, if you feel like mines are crap. But FORTUNATELY it doesn't work that way, because individual goals are individual goals, whether you, a (school) newspaper editor, see them "proper" or not.  Thank-you!

 

 

 

De'Lante Lei'Dehnti Johnson
TAT Major
Concentration: Film Acting & Broadcast Radio
A.S. Financial Director
Class of 2010
Anti-Hater Movement Representative
OtterStream: "De'Lante In Wonderland" (AHM pt. 2)

 

this year's theme: "Sophomore Redemption"

 

messaged dated 9/11
ok, you know what? no where in this email am i trying to assault or attack either; i'm just merely responding to what I read =)

FIRST OF ALL, the title I go by is FINANCIAL DIRECTOR. Thank you very much.

secondly,

YES, you are trying to anti-agonize me because quite personally, and then quite PUBLICLY, its probably wannabe over-achiever show-offs like YOU (who make up the 1 or 2% of the campus?) who randomly want to find some fault with everything just to cause drama. And then its show-offs like you who are "so better in writing and expressing (NON-REALISTIC) goals than everyone esle" that want to be jealous and negative about something so little.

 As i told bobby, yes I know that page is a page for US, the A.S. students, however IF YOU READ, THEY ARE OUR BIOGRAPHIES, NOT OUR AMBITIONS TO THIS SCHOOL. HOW IN THE WORLD ARE WE TO TALKING ABOUT OUR LIVES AT SCHOOL WHEN WE'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A YEAR.  A BIOGRAPHY is a story about oneself. Not a list of goals. A BIOGRAPHY deals more with the past, not the future. Everyone  talks about what they wanna do; its time people start RELATING to the people in ADDITION to their goals. We're not in a presidential race, we're at a SCHOOL. We're for the PEOPLE. PEOPLE LIKE THE THINGS THAT ARE IN MY BIOGRAPHY. Uncool folks like you may not, but damned there almost every other student I've talked to is ok with the vision statement and goals and such, but like my personality a little more.
I CAN BE IN THE PUBLIC LIGHT WITH A.S. AND STILL BE MYSELF.

So i dont know what misunderstanding you had, but HOWEVER there is a whole seperate page thats going to be put up with my goals and plans if thats what you mean. I find it annoying, and overbearing that you would even speak out agaisnt me like that without even at least contactng me with your concerns.  I hadf to RANDOMLY find out from bobby through a mistake on his behalf.

THIS is why people think I'm so defiant and negative/harsh--no its not me at all. Its the folks around me.

MY biography is NOT nebulous, and it is VERY much informative if you just read it. It's talking about the author: ME. A BIOGRAPHY. Why Do I have to have a set goal and plan in every little thing?? That gets really annoying, and makes you come off as someone who just likes to TALK about their 'goals'. YOU CAN ONLY REPEAT THE SAME THING SO MANY TIMES, WHY ARE YOU MAKING IT SEEM LIKE THIS CAMPUS IS ABOUT TO HAVE A OVERNIGHT CELEBRITY MAKEOVER FROM THIS.

  So you're telling me that ALLLLLL the other biographies are better than mines?? even the one-liners?
I don't believe this.

Another thing, don't talk to me like i'm just some dummy who ran for nothing. I know what I did, and I DO know that I'm in the public light. That's why I want to relate to my students. Not everyone is liek you in the sense that everytyhing should be sooooooo educational-fronted with NO fun at all, ok?? Do you know already I bet I have talked personally to at least a third or more of the freshman class?

And ANOTHER thing, DO NOT mock me with Gwen Stefani(her name has 1 "f" btw, not 2). That was merely just one of my interests, how dare you. Gwen Stefani has nothing to do with the situation, besides the fact maybe trying to book her for this school...but anyways yeah You are not human, you are a over-obsessed hater or something.

 I really do not like the way you're coming at me. What you're doing is CENSORSHIP, and I am really fed up at this point.   quite frankly I couldn't care less if I was in your stupid paper right now, because  no one really reads it! soooo.....

and last but not least--funding green initiatives HAS NOT been brought to my attention at all. Nor has the CA budget.
So do yourself a favor and tell these people with those issues to CONTACT ME, AND TO ATTEND THE FINANCIAL COMMITTE MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
I don't care at all how you view me, but I'll tell you one thing--you're NOT right in whatever negative aspects you have. I don't have to prove anything to yuo, but I WILL do my job as accordingly. And it WILL rock.

So here's a goal  for you: To rid the world of STEREOTYPING and PREJUDICE.

now i am going to be very busy with my job and such over the coming week and so forth. forgive me if i never need to speak to you again? I'm trying to contain my personal feelings =)

De'Lante Lei'Dehnti Johnson
TAT Major
Concentration: Film Acting & Broadcast Radio
A.S. Financial Director
Class of 2010
Anti-Hater Movement Representative
OtterStream: "De'Lante In Wonderland" (AHM pt. 2)

 

this year's theme: "Sophomore Redemption"

message dated 9/9
Delante Johnson writes:
before you make fun of someone, you should probably look in the mirror and fix/worry about your own damn self, especially behind the back talking.

you're not better than ANYONE. 

Well first off I want to say sorry, as the reporter in question and again as news editor of the Otter Realm.  To put into context what I was saying to Bobby was  that I was unable to ascertain exactly what your goals/ agenda are as Finance Senator.  The biography is a bit... nebulous and uninformative at best.  I know you like Gwen Steffani, but I'm not exactly sure what your plans are towards funding green initiatives or about any plans about any possible impacts of the CA budget being late.  nothing against you, just the title of your job.
Remember that you have put yourself in the public light by running and joining AS, as a reporter i have a job and a duty to inform my readers; the campus.   I am human and I am really not trying to crack down on you, or anyone else, but I honestly have nothing that I feel is appropriate to print.  Please send me a list of initaitves and plans that you have for the semster, I'd love to print them.

 

if we need to further work on our views please reply back to me
I'm really not trying to antagonize you
Elliott Singer

News Editor of the Otter Realm
Message dated 9/4
To Whom It May Concern:

before you make fun of someone, you should probably look in the mirror and fix/worry about your own damn self, especially behind the back talking.

you're not better than ANYONE. 

(heed below, original message)

De'Lante Lei'Dehnti Johnson
TAT Major
Concentration: Film Acting & Broadcast Radio
A.S. Financial Director
Class of 2010
Anti-Hater Movement Representative
OtterStream: "De'Lante In Wonderland" (AHM pt. 2)

this year's theme: "Sophomore Redemption"

----- Original Message -----

                        Tuesday, September 04, 2007 5:24:34 PM
Message
From:                Robert Graham
Subject:            Re(3): FC, 9/4
To:                    Delante Johnson

So the otter realm made fun of you today and I had to save your ass.

Say thank you.

 

----- Original Message -----

                                Sunday, December 9, 2007 6:27:59 PM
Message
From:                     Mary Freeman
Subject:  Justin Stie/Delante Johnson
To:                          Clint Weirick
Robert Graham

Hi Clint and Robert,

I'm going to forward you them emails I've received from Delante and Justin, so below is the copy and pasted emails. My responses are in bold and Justin's and Delantes are not, so that it'll be easier for you guys to read. They are all in chronological order. Let me know if you have any questions.

All emails took place on 12/03/2007

Hi Justin,

This is Mary Freeman from the Otter Realm. I was hoping that if possible I could interview you regarding the IAC midyear reviews, since you're on the committee. I have a pretty flexible schedule this week so just let me know what time would work for you if you can do it.

Mary Freeman

 

what do u want to know?

Justin,

I was just wondering if you'd be available for an interview. Mostly, the interview would be about how the process works, what the purpose of the review is, how the reviews have gone so far (i.e. has anyone had an exceptionally good review or an exceptionally bad review, etc.) Can you do the interview?

Mary Freeman

PS: Sometime before Monday preferably?

id rather not. its not erally an important issue, since so far, everyone has had a good review. and im pretty sure everyone will. there are more important things out there on campus. you guys have not interviewed me about any show ive done this semester. or asked what ive been doing. but again i would rather not get interviewed. tell your people the last issue was semi descent and they should keep going along those lines. but maybe go do some real work and find what people are doing on campus, like the important things, because you guys wouldnt know, thats why you do articles about nothing to fill up space. tell your people to do some real journalism and stop trying to be wanna be US weekly. tabloids are not waht the people want to see, so stop dumbing down these newspapers. we want to see some real important issues in your otter realm.

Justin,

This is very discouraging that you don't feel this is an important issue. Thank you for your time. We will make sure to include your refusal to interview and response to this subject in our article.

Mary Freeman

yur article gets read by 5 people tops. i dont care. its not an important issue. Really believe me. there are way more important issue in the WORLD. ok. Forget about the CSUMB little fake world where no one cares. And actually no one cares about Internal Affairs commitee. But people do care about War and civil rights, and police brutality. and Racism, classism. Environmental issues.  And REAL History like Howard Zinn stuff. OK.

put whatever you want about me in your litte paper, but know you guys are looked upon with discust by the students. Maybe if you listened to me, people would actually want to pick up those papers.  But right now you are just wasting TREES. when i visited this school 2 years ago i was told the realm sucked, and things havnt changed.  Why dont you think im important. You dont listen to me. And believe me i know and talk with a lot of people, in high places on this campus so dont pretend you are better than me, or think you know more about whats going on.  There is a so called Revolution going on in our AS government, and people are changing the whole structure of our governing ways, and you are over here talking about IA comm.  Who cares. I dont, and  i am in AS. you think the average student is gunna read your article?

Go to some of my events and maybe ill respect you. im talking about the whole realm. maybe if one person from the realm participated with some of the events ive thrown, i would feel differently about you guys. Please send these eamils to your co workers or wahtever because they need to know.  You otter realm people are so biased its discusting. You are not tageting the average student. We have a lot of people on this campus wanting to change things for the better with possitive and peacefull ways of action. people of different cultures, but i dont see you looking after theit needs. Your just trying to put nonscence pop culture in out faces.  i cant even believe some of the things ive read this year. wow.

Maybe you might want to ask what the students want instead of pushing your personal agendas.  Where is the culture and the hip-hop, and the novels, and the art, leaders of america in your newspaper? STOP dumbing down OUR newspaper.

what do you think about these words Mary?

Justin,

I appreciate your candor and passion to change things here on campus.
            Presonally, I disagree with your statement, that only 5 people "tops" read the Otter Realm. As a reporter for a campus newspaper I feel it is important to report on what is happening on campus, and I feel that the Otter Realm does this to the best of its ability.
            As far as your concern for greater global issues goes, this is a campus newspaper, and as much as some of those issues may concern us at the Realm, we focus on local issues. We try to localize these global issues, for example, in our Nov. 1-14 issue we had an article about local businesses gowing green, (in that same issue we covered a show of yours, with a quote from you included).
            As far as coverage of your events go, the issue that we are working on in production right now contains an article about the BBC show on Thur. that EWG and AS are putting on, and in the past (this semester) we have covered events that both AS and EWG have been involved with. What AS is doing is peppered throughout many of our other articles, for instance, a most recent article of mine highlighting the audit of the CSU system includes details about AS's resolution to oppose upcoming student fee increases.
            Being that every staff member is a student, and each has an input as to what the Otter Realm covers, I would say that it is representative of the student body. We cover many different stories on campus from sports events, to theater events, to the conflicts between our CSU system and CFA, as well as the impact of our expanding campus community.
            The purpose of the Otter Realm, as a campus newspaper, is not to always speak to every student with every single article we write. There is diversity in our story choices, and that is in order to serve the diversity of our campus.
            We do not really understand what kind of change and what "revolution" you are talking about. If there are specific issues you feel that we have not covered you are more than welcome to write for the Otter Realm freelance or even join the staff next semester.

Sincerely,

Mary Freeman
Assistant News Editor
Elliott Singer
News Editor
Laura Newell
(Coming) Editor-In-Chief
 Lindsay Cesmat
Editor-In-Chief

Thanks for your response.  I do have some more suggestions, and i do feel like others needed to see what i wrote earlier.

But, im sorry, this isnt about me anymore. i dont care what you write about me or my events. though i wouldnt mind more of you guys attending my events to see what student life is like. 

I do think the realm needs to focus a bit on world issues/ national a lot more, because i asked many people about the realm and they all felt that that was needed.  We are isolated enough on this campus, and students do want to see whats up outside these walls. Community issues are pretty cool, bu we need to know whats going on in America at least.  The paper feels like a high school paper with drama stories inside sometimes.  But i think things can change, hopefully they do. i have no interest in writing for you guys, but maybe bringing you guys stories.

________________________________________________________________________

10/13/2007

Hi Delante,

I waited for you in front of AS yesterday and you never showed. I was just wondering if you'd like to reschedule for another meeting? I can also do it over the phone or email.

Mary Freeman

10/14/2007

LOL no homegurl, you could not have been there that long, because I was defintely there, and I walked round that whole building 3 times, in and out, for 10 mins. Next time please don't leave in the first minute. And you had my business card; you could've definetly contacted me, so yeah.  I can do the email thing better...just ask some questions for me to respond to? Thank you,

De'Lante Lei'Dehnti Johnson
TAT Major
Concentration: Film Acting & Broadcast Radio
A.S. Financial Director
Class of 2010
Anti-Hater Movement Representative
OtterStream: "De'Lante In Wonderland" (AHM pt. 2)

 

this year's theme: "Sophomore Redemption"

10/15/2007

Well, I was standing in front of the AS office until from 12:45 (because I got something to eat at the OE beforehand) to 1:20 and came back at 1:30. I guess we missed each other somehow. Anyway, I've got some random questions that we were just wondering about. If they don't fall under you're jurisdiction just let us know who we should be talking to anyway.

1. What is the AS budget this year?
2. What is your relation to ICC?
3. What are something of the issues surrounding the ICC financial problems this year?
4. Why are clubs getting equal amounts of money? Is this a  new practice? Why has it changed?
5. Is the AS office moving to the old library? Or is it just the student center? Is there a need for a loan for this? What is the status of that loan?
6. Are there currently books for AS? How does AS keep it's accounts organized?

After I hear back from you I might have some follow up questions.

Thanks for your time.

Mary Freeman

10/16/2007

ooh ok. Sorry for the misunderstanding/communication. Ill get those back to you asap.

10/25/2007

ill be happy to answer as much as I can, as soon as I know myself the budget. Sorry for delay, things have really been out of place with AS so far...and I don't want to give false hopes in the interview spotlight, lol, so hold tight! WE should be gathering info and pulling up records within the next week.
Thank you,

De'Lante Lei'Dehnti Johnson
TAT Major
Concentration: Film Acting & Broadcast Radio
A.S. Financial Director
Class of 2010
Anti-Hater Movement Representative
OtterStream: "De'Lante In Wonderland" (AHM pt. 2)

 

this year's theme: "Sophomore Redemption"

10/29/2007

ok, there you go =)

 

1.) So the total allocated budget for the fiscal year, including reserve and contingency and such, is $363,365.

2.) Well there is no real relation; ICC serves under the AS umbrella, but is still like a separate organization on their own. the A.S. Legislative Director is also a part of ICC, if that's what you mean.

3.) There was a bit of mix-up and confusion a few weeks ago, concerning their budget and how much money they had., and they had to present their budget to Financial Committee by a certain deadline. That budget wasn't finalized, due to whatever problems they were having.
Another issue is that they feel like they should be getting more funds this time around., rather than the $27,000 they received.

4.) I think clubs get an equal amount of money, because it's a fair deal.  Truth be told there is only so much money available at a time, so we have to do in accordance. Consequently, there are, however, some clubs who do more things than others. I'm not so familiar with the whole system that has been in process over the course of A.S.,because I'm still fairly new, but it sounds like this is the agreed upon way.

5.) Since when is AS moving out? Haha, I love the office location. Right now, it's just the student center moving to the old library. At this time, we're not sure if AS will move or not.

6.) Ahhh, The Question. Or the dreaded one at least. As far as I'm concerned, there has just been...a lot of mishap over the last month and a half, that's better off not talking about or getting into, but to my knowledge, problems and miscommunication have prevented AS from having actual detailed books to where everyone can know where to go to look at them. Even for me being the Financial Director, I can't even really do my full job as I want, and I can't be knowledgeable of what I probably should be aware of, because of the issues we have had trying to keep things in order.  So as far as the accounts, we used to have someone in a position who could help maintain accounts, and was going to help me out. Those accounts were kept in the main AS office, also located in Bldg. 14. But things didn't work out for that position, so it's not like things have been screwed up or mis-organized lately, but it's just been like a 'hanging in limbo' theme due to other personal issues. And mind you, I don't feel like any of us newer members were even trained thoroughly enough for AS. However, there is a new person to help me look at accounts AND the books, and I hope to just move forward from there. Moving forward means being unable to look back , point fingers( as to why not many people securely know total numbers in the books for AS), or "figure out what was wrong" so much, but continue maintaining the AS budget for this school at the status that we're at, so we can positively progress as a college further.

 

 



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