A.S. Brief 9-29-08

Free Speech Steps
Associated Students held its council meeting outside Wednesday on the Free Speech Steps. While there were crowds, the students seemed more interested in the preview screening of "Eagle Eye" than student politics.

State Senate candidate Jeff Perwin spoke at the council meeting, warning A.S. that the city of San Diego has been opposing students through various alcohol bans and a law that prevents three students from living together in housing districts.

"The city is moving against the college students and you have the right to stand up," Perwin said. "You need to start being aware of what's going on."

President Weber addresses students
President Stephen Weber also visited the meeting, sharing his vision for San Diego State and answered questions from the council and the gallery.

He said that SDSU's road to top recognition laid in a mixture of community involvement, elevating student pride and securing its reputation as a small research university.

Also important were grants and contracts, which totaled more than $130 million last year, Weber said. Weber called philanthropic donations the "third stem" of support that along with student fees and state money would help to enrich the university.

He also talked the changing demographics of SDSU, which will increase by 10,000 new students in the next 10 years.

Debt collections
A subject of long debate for the council was the $19,204 debt owed by the Native American Student Alliance to Associated Students. The debt stems from an event years ago, when NASA and other community groups rented Cox Arena and failed to pay. A.S. funds NASA, so the money that NASA gives back is to pay the debt. Essentially A.S. is paying itself for the debt.

A.S. officially accepted the independent audit that monitors A.S. annual spending and gave A.S. a financial clean bill of health. The auditors offered no recommendations.

Rock the Vote
Vice President of External Affairs Daniel "OZ" Osztreicher said that the "Rock the Vote" program has signed up nearly 5,000 new voters in preparation for the coming election.

The meeting ended to the rousing words of the Aztec Fight Song, as councilmembers were determined to let the crowds know that there was something else going on than just cinema.

-Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Justin Cooper