The topic of spending money in the ASCC budget reserves and the money set aside for special projects was brought up early on in the Wednesday, Nov. 25 ASCC Senate meeting.

During the public forum, it was Court Chief Justice Trent Coates spoke not as chief justice but as a Cerritos College student.

He accused the senate of not voting on their own opinions, but on those of their friends and fellow senators.

He asked the senators to use their own critical judgement when voting on the legislations that are presented to them.

Ex-ASCC President Miles Aiello was also present at the meeting and spoke during the public forum.

He was shocked that no clubs had received funding since the new ASCC Senate took office.

He reminded senate that the money it has to spend belongs to the students who pay their activity fees, and is there to be spent in benefit of current students.

Responding to Aiello’s comment Student Trustee Victor Villalobos also used the public forum to say that no money has been given to clubs because no club has written legislation asking for funds until recently and those legislations were on the day’s agenda.

He added, “You should educate yourself before you speak.” A comment that seemed to be distinctly directed at Aiello.

The topic of funding continued in the public forum as Theater major students spoke about their need for the KCACTF Region 8 competition funding and their struggle to graduate as Theater majors due to classes getting cancelled because of a lack of enrolled students.

Through tears one theater major described how much she wanted to have more opportunities as a theater student at Cerritos College, and to feel like the college cared about theater, and made an effort to provide more opportunities to learn and compete.

The meeting’s agenda had five items that involved funding.

The multitude of items forced ASCC Vice President Ivan Oyarzabal to keep discussion and presentation times to a short amount of time.

ASCC Senator Cristian Garcia said, “The only thing I feel is not that it [the meeting] was rushed, it’s that they keep on pushing forward is for the Falcon Kids… that is something that is kind of rushed.

“Yes we have been funding information, yes they [ASCC Commissioner Rodriguez, and ASCC President Eduardo De La Rosa] did tell us exactly what’s going on, but at the same time they’re not answering our [ASCC Senators] questions.”

The Falcon Kids legislation asked senate for $19,510 to start the program, which includes giving 1,000 3rd graders coloring books, t-shirts, pencils, crayons, folders, backpacks, a Franco Falcon plush toy, among other promotional materials and program support costs.

The legislation was not approved by senate.

ASCC Party Whip Gloria Sedano said, “We [senators] don’t feel it was a student initiative, if it were then they [ASCC Commissioner Rodriguez, and ASCC President Eduardo De La Rosa] would have organized with more students, whereas it was just a small body of students bringing it forward and asking for money.

“If it were a student initiative they would have gotten the students first organized and taken into account what the students wanted, but first they are asking for the funds first and then asking for the students get on board, which is not very transparent to the students.

“We don’t know exactly where this is going to benefit because they haven’t told us exactly what schools they’re going to target, so we don’t feel it has a lot of organization. That’s the main reason why it [the legislation] didn’t pass.”

De La Rosa’s endorsement for the legislation was seen after the legislation was not approved by senate.

De La Rosa showed concern over a missing word, and what he thought was and irrelevant resolve in the Franco Falcon legislation that was presented and approved after the Falcon Kids legislation was rejected.

Garcia said, “The minute the Falcon Kids was denied, the president said something [a comment on a missing word and a questionable resolve in the Franco Falcon legislation] and walked out…. [leaving] tension.”

ASCC Senate did pass the legislation Theatre Funding for KCACTF, a legislation that provides 11 theater students and one advisor the $14,093 they need for travel expenses, hotel rooms and registration cost to the 5 day competition at the University of Hawaii.

Funding for the Triathlon Club’s Palm Springs competition was also approved giving the club the $2,403.72 they needed for transportation, meals and travel.

A change to Franco Falcon’s pay was also approved by ASCC Senate.

Franco Falcon’s pay was instated at $14.32 per hour.

Villalobos presented the legislation, which asked senate to give $1,779.75 from the ASCC Senate’s special projects account.

For Garcia the full agenda caused “the rushing of other legislations that did pass, like [ASCC] Court Justice said, ‘why don’t you do seen voting’ [instead] of how the vice president [asked for objections, only saw one and] said ‘one person said no and the rest said yes.'”

The Wednesday, Nov.25 meeting also had the presence of Cerritos College President Dr. Jose Fierro, who spoke to senate on the rumor that the school was switching from an 18-week semester to a 16-week semester.

Fierro said even if everyone in the teacher and custodial union, faculty, and students agreed that they wanted a 16- week semester, the process of getting it approved and implemented would take 2 to 3 years.

He added jokingly, “I hope all of you are gone by then.”

For Fierro priority should be placed on ways to improve graduation and transfer rates at Cerritos College.