Visit the following link to watch interviews with the 2010 candidates for open positions in the Undergraduate Student Government: 2010 USG Special Elections
Meet the USG Candidates
November 29, 2010
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Anthony • Dec 4, 2010 at 9:27 pm
So apparently the elections ended on Dec 3rd….
I dont think anyone was aware of this. How many votes were cast? Who won? Where was the advertising? Why wasn’t their a solar alert that an election was open?
How can any of these people declare a vote by majority if the majority didn’t even vote!
I call shenanigans.
So many good ideas and events get shot down by USG and SBU bureaucracy, and these are supposed to be the people representing us. We shouldn’t have to petition to them to make change, they should know the change we want made! I would contest that the USG has been a poor representation of the student body here at Stony Brook for the past 5 years, and that the majority of undergraduates have no idea who is even in charge.
This system needs to change, more people need to be made aware of whats going on.
The USG should have their budget made public, their elections made larger and more inclusive, and they should be forced to make advertising USG related events and elections a priority.
Anonymous • Nov 30, 2010 at 1:02 pm
USG candidate Jackie Mark, brings out a very good point about Communication. Just last Year the USG VP of Communications, David Mazza (he is also your VP of Communications for 2010-2011) wrote:
Every year since USG has had a website, the new administration has made a new one. After five consecutive failed attempts to create a useful website, I developed a strong web presence for the USG that students found extremely useful. This project coincided with SBUlife.com. A major issue for USG is the ease of uploading and updating content. WordPress is the perfect solution for a future-proof website that almost anyone can maintain. We based the organization of the content on the Associated Students of the University of California (http://asuc.org). I’m proud to say that we have a solid and scalable product that can fit the needs of USG for years to come. Finally, another step towards consistency.
http://davidmazza.net/blog/
The only thing that is consistent with this website, is that no one is maintaining it and this fails to make USG accountable and more transparent. That “STRONG WEB PRESENCE FOR USG” has been neglected and what you, as students don’t know, will hurt you.
Consistency for USG is being dysfunctional; and 2010-2011 looks to be another academic year of individual agendas with very little student respresentation.
Another insight to your student government is this remark also posted by your USG VP of Communications in Think Magazine on February 5,2010:
Full Disclosure: USG Member here (David Mazza)
It is true that this senate has done little or nothing to advocate for students, but that is because we allow students to win who are only here for their resume, or the meager $60 /week. It is true that when faced with a real issue, the majority of the senate will respond with blank stares.
Elections are coming much earlier this year, and every seat is open. The mandatory workshop to get on the ballot is Wednesday February 17 and 18 at 1pm. Just show up, even if you don’t seriously plan on running. (and there is $60 /week in it for you anyway, it’s a nice perk) If you are reading THiNK Magazine, we need you BADLY!
http://thinksb.com/2010/02/usg-represent/
And finally, there should be outrage with both last year’s (Jasper Wilson) and this year’s(Matthew Graham)USG Presidents in regards to the closing of the Southampton campus. The USG Senate wrote a resolution on April 13,2010 CONDEMNING THE DECISION TO CLOSE STONY BROOK SOUTHAMPTON. On October 4, 2010, at the Stony Brook Council meeting, both last year’s and this year’s USG Presidents went against that Senate resolution.
What, if any conversation, did either one of these two individuals have with the USG Senate or the USG Executive Council? We wouldn’t know because USG stopped posting all Senate and Executive Council meeting minutes on their easy to maintain website.
Communication, transparency and accountability makes for good government. USG lacks all three of these!
VOTE NO to the proposed $5.75 increase in student activity fee funds. Demand to know where your student activity money is going.
2010 – 2011 REFERENDUM ON THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE
http://sbusg.org/files/2010/09/Referendum-to-raise-the-SAF.pdf
“With an unprecedented budget crisis, the University Administration is increasingly relying on the Undergraduate Student Government to supplement, in part and sometimes in full, funding for Stony Brook traditions and services that previously have been funded by the Administration.”
My question is: What other “SERVICES” will the “UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION” rely on USG funds to pay for? Building maintenace and repairs? That’s exactly what they want $60,216.57 of your money for.
http://sbusg.org/files/2010/09/Apropriation-Act-2.pdf
VOTE NO to the increase!