Newspaper

AS Bulletin

Student Government at UCSD

Approximately 12,000 undergraduates attend UCSD. Approximately 10 undergraduates know exactly what they want to do with their life. The rest of us intend to spend four (or five, or six...) years at UCSD earning an education, finding our personal strengths and weaknesses, and getting a handle on what we seem best suited to do. (Approximately 8,000 seem best suited for surfing, tanning and bar-hopping.)

Some people, sadly, will waste the opportunities that UCSD has to offer, and will learn relatively little about themselves and life during their tenure at UCSD. If you, however, are interested in being more than a full-time student, if you are interested in educational opportunities outside the classroom, if you would like to find fun, and maybe career experience at UCSD, then read on.

Well-rounded students at UCSD, those who combine athletics, academics and extracurricular activities, seem to perform better in school, and definitely enjoy themselves more. Academics and studying is something you'll probably have to work on yourself, but for everything else, there are a thousand and one to get involved. To get started, read This brochure. It should tell you everything you need to know about student government, student organizations and related activities. If it doesn't, if, after four years here you find a better way to become involved, then maybe you too can someday write a brochure.

In the meantime, the ASUCSD cordially invites and encourages you to participate in one or more extra-curricular activities. Studies show that 50 percent of the knowledge you will acquire in college is a result of extra-curricular activity. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and find some type of campus involvement that interests you! Go get em! Good luck!

Associated Student Government

The Associated Student Government, headquartered in the Student Center, is to the College Councils what the Federal Government is to State Government. The Associated Student Government represents all . undergraduates on campus, as opposed to merely focusing on one college. Each spring for the past nine years the undergraduates of UCSD have been electing and harassing 26 fellow students to various posts on the AS Council. For one year these students do the following: Allocate $500,000 between 150 student organizations, campus media, student services and programming (don't worry you only pay $13.50 per quarter); appointing students to over 125 campus committees; represent student interests before the campus, the Regents and the Academic Senate, the Administration, and local and state governments; and act as the students' advocate.

The AS Council is comprised of a President, three Vice Presidents, six Commissioners and three Senators from each college, all elected every spring quarter. Obviously, you can't run for one of these positions now, but you can get involved in many different ways. To help you out, the following is a description of the AS Council.

Commissioners

Academic Affairs (Peter Kim): This person serves as the students' main representative on matters of academic policy. In recent years people in this position have concerned themselves with the plus/minus grading system and establishing a Bachelor of Science degree for some majors.

Communications (Michael Falbusch): This person has the unenviable task of attempting to fund and organize a variety of campus media. It is a challenging task, but one that must be done to provide for all forms of campus publications.

Operations/Services & Enterprises (Marla Winitz): This person oversees the budget and daily operations of the ASUCSD operations/services & enterprises and ensures that all expenditures and budget directives of the ASUCSD are followed.

Public Relations (Barbara Higgins): You don't have to smoke a cigar, shake hands, ask everyone about their family, and slap people on the back. But it wouldn't hurt. This person is in charge of communicating AS Council decisions in the world, and making them sound good.

Programming (Josh Beckman): This person is in charge of funding, planning and running AS-sponsored activities. These events range from speakers and lecturers, to movies, dances and the all-important TGIFs (Thank God It's Friday Celebration).

President (Mary Rose Alexander)

The President of the ASUCSD is non-voting member of the AS Council. But the President attends all meetings, organizes the yearly guides policy and has the power of the veto.

Vice Presidents

Administrative (Ariel Anguiano): This Vice President chairs all meetings of the ,AS Council. It is always interesting to watch a Vice President slowly go insane over the course of the year as he attempts to maintain order while the 26 high-strung student politicians bicker, argue and trade abuse during council meetings. This is the person to see if you are interested in any campus committees (read on for further information).

External (Greg Arnold): If you like to be hip deep in local or statewide politics, this is the job for you. The benefits are enormous (or have you never visited Sacramento in the summertime?). Financial (Jill Lifschiz): Picture yourself standing in a circle of snarling wolves and you are holding a piece of prime rib. You now understand the subtleties of dividing a budget into 150 fair parts for student organizations.

Senators

Each college has four senators on the AS Council. The senators do not have specific job descriptions like the commissioners but they are full voting members of the council and they make up a majority of the positions on the committees which report to the council each week.

Freshman Senator

This is your chance to be a full-fledged voting member of the AS Council. In the fall each College Council will select one freshman representative to be the voice of the freshman class. If you're interested contact your local dean's office. Start early, go for the gusto!