{"id":213,"date":"2015-06-22T21:41:23","date_gmt":"2015-06-22T21:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2014-15\/?page_id=213"},"modified":"2016-07-01T18:56:42","modified_gmt":"2016-07-01T18:56:42","slug":"student-commission-on-racial-equality-score","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/student-commission-on-racial-equality-score\/","title":{"rendered":"STUDENT COMMISSION ON RACIAL EQUALITY (SCORE)"},"content":{"rendered":"

INTRODUCTION<\/h2>\n

The A.S. Student Commission On Racial Equality is an organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and issues of students of color and underrepresented communities at UC Santa Barbara and the broader system of higher education. Through education and direct action, S.C.O.R.E.\u00a0strives to promote diversity, equality, cultural understanding, and community empowerment.<\/p>\n

\"13177800_778257925609798_3788864925299246396_n\"<\/p>\n

The commission’s\u00a0vision is to continue the struggle of increasing the representation and retention of underserved communities in higher education, while actively promoting diversity and social equality. It\u00a0advocates self-empowerment through education and cultural celebration, political engagement, and activism in every form of expression. SCORE is here as a resource and support network to serve all students of color and allies at UCSB. Ultimately, the commission participants\u00a0strive for a learning environment that is supportive of\u00a0students of color.<\/p>\n

This year, SCORE worked\u00a0to create\u00a0a space where all student of color organizations at UCSB could\u00a0connect, network, and collaborate on issues that are common among many of their\u00a0experiences, such as the need for outreach & retention programs, combatting discrimination on\/off campus, and increasing the accessibility and affordability of the UC system, in order to create real solutions and real change!<\/p>\n

EVENTS<\/h2>\n

INDIGENOIUS RESISTANCE DAY<\/h3>\n

SCORE stood in solidarity with\u00a0El Congreso de UCSB \u00a0to recognize the atrocity committed against the local\u00a0Chumash Indians. They called for abolishing Columbus Day.<\/p>\n

\"12088218_689426277826297_1010349974265515804_n\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION!<\/h3>\n

During the week of Halloween, SCORE and the American Indian Student Association (AISA) co-sponsored “Cultural Appropriation!” a presentation at the Multicultural Center that examined “ethnic” costumes and other ways cultures are appropriated.<\/p>\n

\"12189190_694678460634412_7733872110560015881_o\"<\/p>\n

This was a timely and much needed discussion. Cultural appropriation has been\u00a0at the forefront of conversations and actions on campuses across the country.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM?<\/h3>\n

Yes, environmental racism exists!<\/p>\n

\"12694515_1053598701368856_2706107294393712146_o\"<\/p>\n

During winter quarter SCORE, Humyn Rights Board, and the Environmental Affairs Board hosted “What is Environmental Racism?” a workshop and discussion on environmental racism and environmental justice. From the Flint, Michigan water crisis to mining on Native American reservations, the issue of environmental racism goes back centuries as an institutional and systemic disease. As the Flint crisis demonstrates, it’s still alive and well today. Students working through AS have been at the forefront of\u00a0informing the campus community about this issue for several years now.<\/p>\n

SHIRLEY KENNEDY MEMORIAL LECTURE<\/h3>\n

SCORE co-sponsored the 2016 Shirley Kennedy Memorial Lecture featuring poet, writer, filmmaker and arts administrator Kalamu Ya Salaam.<\/p>\n

\"KalamuyaSalaam_SKennedy2016_FLYER\"<\/p>\n

Dr. Kennedy was first and foremost a community activist and an advocate for diversity and tolerance. At UCSB she was a lecturer and, at the time of her death in 2003, the acting director of the\u00a0Center for Black Studies where she had been the Outreach Coordinator for many years.<\/p>\n

WOMXN OF COLOR CONFERENCE<\/p>\n

As in years past, SCORE co-sponsored the annual Womxn of Color Conference with several other AS advocacy entities, including Queer Commission, Take Back the Night, Humyn Rights Board. The Hull Chair of Feminist Studies and RHA round out the list of sponsors.<\/p>\n

\"12747366_814656198679817_289952904244868316_o\"<\/p>\n

This year’s conference title “Recognizing and Cultivating Intersections for Our Collective Liberation” \u00a0included performances, discussion workshops and lectures from keynote speakers, including Irene Lara, professor of Women\u2019s Studies at San Diego State University. As noted in the Daily Nexus, “organizers have laid out several questions they hope to discuss throughout the weekend, such as \u201cHow do we navigate and come to comprehend our trauma in relation to our very existence?\u201d and \u201cWhy is it important to center our movements on love and re-incorporate joy into every aspect of our lives in order to counteract this dominant narrative of struggle?\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of the day long program, Karen Hannah a graduate student in Feminist Studies and Lola Mondragon, a graduate student in Chican@ Studies hosted a workshop called “Sacred Bodies, Safe Spaces: Healing in Community Through Drumming, Meditation, and Coloring.\u201d<\/p>\n

MILLION STUDENT MARCHES<\/h3>\n

\"12246836_10207862802753173_2438649223956511781_n\"<\/p>\n

SCORE members joined several hundred other students\u00a0in two\u00a0Million Student Marchs in November and April. Students’ core demands were:
\n1) Tuition Free Public College
\n2) Cancellation of all Student Debt
\n3) A $15 minimum wage for all campus workers<\/p>\n

The second march also introduced a wider range of issues having to do with campus climate, including responses to racist and islamophobic chalkings on campus sidewalks and voicing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.<\/p>\n

November March<\/p><\/div>\n

\"IMG_9917\"

April March<\/p><\/div>\n

INTERSECTIONAL JUSTIC CONFERENCE<\/h3>\n

SCORE Co-chairs Unique Vance and Karen Sidhu, and EAB Environmental Justice Chair Nia Mitchell attended the Intersectional Justice Conference at the Whidbey Center on Whidbey Island in Washington state.<\/p>\n

\"IIJ-Wide\"<\/p>\n

As stated on the conference website:<\/p>\n

“Interspecies & Intersectional Justice<\/a> is a volunteer-led program pursuing human rights, animal rights, a just society, and a healthy planet through intersectionality and vegan advocacy. Our first project is the 2016 Intersectional Justice Conference, March 2016, at the Whidbey Institute.<\/p>\n

We look at a range of social justice issues through the lens of animal rights, identify ways in which we can better collaborate between and among movements, and examine the impact of speciesism on humans, other animals, and the planet. We are dedicated to inclusion and equity, and are committed to ongoing learning, growth, and collaboration.”<\/p>\n

3rd ANNUAL SOCIAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE<\/h3>\n

SCORE was a co-sponsor for this conference that took place in the Multicultural Center on Saturday, May 7. The Social Justice Conference organizing committee had this to say about purpose of the conference:<\/p>\n

“This year, the Social Justice Conference wishes to provide the space for student leaders, invested in the advancement of marginalized communities, to continue their passions outside of their college careers. Our collective goal is to foster the growth of students today and for their future, creating generational support and resources.”<\/p>\n

The conference included workshops, panel discussions, and speakers centered on a wide spectrum of topics: race, gender, environmental justice, gentrification, community bridging, and more. It was open to UCSB students and alumni, but the organizers also welcomed community members to share and learn.<\/p>\n

CONFLICTS WITH THE AS SENATE<\/h2>\n

Several AS groups, including SCORE, signed letters to the AS Senate during spring quarter. They are presented here in their entirety and reflect the political dynamics of an organization that is defined by students who are passionately committed to making UCSB a better place for all students.<\/p>\n

LETTER TO SENATE REGARDING HONORARIA LEGISLATION<\/h3>\n

SCORE and several other AS entities\u00a0demanded a special meeting of the Senate during spring quarter to address a\u00a0proposed Bill to Reform Honoraria. A\u00a0letter to the Senate, signed by these\u00a0entities, was posted on Facebook. The text, which \u00a0is included here, focuses on the honoraria reform bill, but also speaks to\u00a0an alleged history of discrimination\u00a0by members of AS’s legislative body:<\/p>\n

“We, the undersigned, demand a Special Senate Meeting this Wednesday, March 9, 2016 to address the concerns regarding the recent bill presented on March 2, 2016: A Bill to Reform Honoraria. We are extremely disappointed in the 66th Senate in their passing of this bill, especially in the severe lack of transparency and communication in the process of crafting and voting on the legislation.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, the process in passing of A Bill to Reform Honoraria was a clear and blatant violation of the AS 2015-16 Legal Code. According to Article XI, Section 2, Clause A, \u201cRecommendations for By-Law changes that may affect any Board, Committee, or Commission must have written or oral consultation with all parties involved.\u201d The clause goes on to clearly state that these \u201cparties involved\u201d include the Chairs of the Entity and any other members. Clause D of this section goes on to specifically discuss honoraria: \u201cany and all honoraria changes or revisions must have direct consultation with the respective Board, Committee, and Commission, before being forwarded to Senate for approval.\u201d
\nEven the most liberal interpretation of this clause would come to the conclusion that in order to abide by Legal Code, the sponsors of this Bill and other Senators needed to reach out DIRECTLY to the Chairs and other members of each and every single Board, Commission, and Unit that received Honoraria (with the exception of AS Program Board, who work on the stipend system). This was not done, plain and simple. If one asked a BCU Chair at random whether they were even personally notified or emailed that this Bill was on the table, they would reply with a resounding \u201cno.\u201d In reference to some statements made during the Senate meeting when this was passed: this Bill does NOT just affect the BCUs that have the \u201chighest\u201d honoraria \u2014 it affects every single one, because it is a change to By-Laws that mandate a unilateral limit on all honoraria awards across the board.<\/p>\n

In regards to the counterargument that all Chairs are required to read all Senate agendas and minutes, and therefore that is enough of a direct written consultation with the BCUs, we answer with a resounding \u201cno.\u201d The Legal Code itself will tell you this, as it is stated explicitly within the language. When Senators themselves barely read the minutes they are actually charged with voting on, how can they expect the Chairs of BCUs to read Senate agendas that rarely even affect them?
\nHistorically, the AS Senate has not represented the interests of disenfranchised and marginalized communities; unfortunately, the 66th Senate is no exception. It was the duty of the 66th Senate to communicate with its respective BCUs to have a serious and transparent discussion about honoraria reform. Members of the Association have a right to know about the direct impact of this piece of legislation and how its enactment will affect BCUs and Entities for the next two years. This systematic lack of communication leads to problems that affect the core of Association; in this case, it resulted in skewed perspectives and overstepping of boundaries. The Senate believed that as the representative elected body of the Association they unequivocally oversee any and all financial decisions. While they do have the power to make decisions, they do NOT have the authority to do so without the consultation and input of Entities. It is dangerous to make sweeping mandates and enforce them upon any and all bodies of the Association, as it completely ignores the individual needs and processes of each BCU.<\/p>\n

The Legal Code recognizes the autonomy of BCUs (Article XI, Section 2), and with good reason \u2014 these bodies know their operations better than anyone else, hence why they have the authority to run on their own autonomy. The Senate\u2019s duties are in oversight and advising and collaboration, NOT in sweeping mandates. In substantially altering their abilities to award honoraria the Senate disrespected the very backbone of the Association, setting an incredibly dangerous precedent in knowingly changing the operations of BCUs without their collaboration or consultation.<\/p>\n

The lack of communication in this legislative process can also be attributed to another serious problem: timeline. Chairs of AS Entities and other members of the Association had merely two weeks to be informed of the bill or even provide input. When the Senators chose not to directly reach out to these BCUs, it effectively shut the window of opportunity for full transparency throughout the Association. The last time the honoraria process was changed was as a part of the restructuring process of the Association. This restructure happened over the span of over two academic quarters, with consistent communication, transparency, and consultation with all BCUs. A change in honoraria has a significant impact on the way the Association works, and therefore it must be done in a similarly collaborative manner for full effectiveness: a two-week legislative process is simply and objectively not enough.<\/p>\n

If anything was more disrespectful and disappointing than the process, however, it was the response of many of the Senators. The rationale and \u201ccounter-arguments\u201d to defend the Bill\u2019s passage was appalling, and in fact demonstrated how out of touch the Senate is with student needs. Some of these claims ranged from \u201cthe only BCUs that are upset about this are the ones whose honoraria is being cut\u201d to \u201c[honoraria] is not going to pay half of your rent for the month.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are misguided statements, and the unfortunate truth of the matter is that if there was any sort of communication with the BCUs before the bill was on the floor, the Senate would know so. Some Chairs that happened to be in the room when the vote was being cast actually came up and addressed these concerns, yet the Senate chose to pass the bill regardless.<\/p>\n

For clarification: this letter is NOT an opposition to honoraria reform. Obviously, honoraria is an important point of contention because these funds come directly out of student fees paid to the Association. This deserves fair oversight and wholesome debate \u2014 as the UC campus with the highest fees we have an extra responsibility to be accountable to students and spend their money in a way that will benefit the campus as a whole. But tangible and effective reform can only occur when there is full and transparent communication with all interested parties. As members of the Association, we are in support of a conversation around honoraria reform \u2014 not legislation that is passed without even the decency of transparency.<\/p>\n

For these reasons, we demand that the Senate hold a Special Meeting this Wednesday (3\/9\/16), and revisit the legislation. We believe that this legislation should be tabled until next quarter, to allow for a transparent and collaborative process.<\/p>\n

This meeting is called by a petition of five Senators (who are undersigned parties), which as per Legal Code meets the 1\/6th of voting membership required to call for a meeting. We hope to see all of you at the meeting, as we are also taking time out of our Study Week in order to address this incredibly serious and pressing matter.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

Senator Alejandra Melgoza
\nSenator Akshaya Natarajan
\nSenator Jos\u00e9 Maga\u00f1a
\nSenator Dustin Larrazolo
\nSenator Joana Barrera
\nPublic Safety Commission, Co-Chair, Dwayne Mosbey
\nHumxn Rights Board, Chair, Teresa Campa
\nHumxn Rights Board, Outreach Coordinator, Evelyn Diaz S.
\nHumxn Rights Board, Publicity Coordinator, Stephanie Truong
\nIsla Vista Community Relations Committee, External Chair, Aimee Hanna
\nCommission on Disability Equality, Commissioner, Steven Kwok
\nZero Waste Committee, Chair, Stephanie Periban
\nZero Waste Committee, Public Outreach Coordinator, Shirley Ng
\nQueer Commission, Co-Chair, Jan (Cherise) Cenon
\nQueer Commission, Co-Chair, Danielle Patterson
\nQueer Commission, Queerstorian, Tyler Nguyen
\nQueer Commission, Internal Coordinator, Leah Hardenbrook
\nQueer Commission, External Coordinator, Ernesto \u201cErnie\u201d Pina
\nQueer Commission, Special Projects Coordinator, Ryan Carr
\nQueer Commission, Special Projects Coordinator, Hiro Bower
\nQueer Commission, Special Projects Coordinator, Marissa De la Paz
\nQueer Commission, Special Projects Coordinator, Kate Moser
\nQueer Commission, Pride Committee Co-Chair, Emanuel Suarez Jimenez
\nQueer Commission, Pride Committee Co-Chair, Ricardo Duarte
\nEnvironmental Affairs Board, Co-Chair, Christopher Berry
\nEnvironmental Affairs Board, Co-Chair, Nicholas Frey
\nExternal Affairs Committee
\nTake Back the Night, Co-Chair, Ashley Morgan
\nTake Back the Night, Co-Chair, Gema Hern\u00e1ndez
\nStudent Commission on Racial Equality, Co-Chair, Unique Vance
\nOffice of External VP of Statewide Affairs, General Campus Organizer, Hannah Houska
\nOffice of External VP of Statewide Affairs, Policy Analyst, Lillian Cain
\nStudent Commission on Racial Equality, Co-Chair, Marjan Abubo
\nStudent Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee, Co-Chair, Nelson Monge
\nStudent Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee, Co-Chair, Joshua Hudson
\nStudent Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee, Outreach Co-Chair, Juan Pedroza
\nStudent Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee, Retention Co-Chair, Eric Rubio
\nStudent Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee, Book Bank Coordinator, Carmen Mares
\nStudent Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee, Secretary, Crystal Alvarez
\nCommunity Affairs Board, Co-Chair, Jeremiah Copeland
\nCommunity Affairs Board, Co-Chair, Celine Jeremiah
\nCommunity Affairs Board, Historian, Sarah Heller
\nCommunity Affairs Board, Public Relations Co-Coordinator, Connie Lin
\nCommunity Affairs Board, Alternative Breaks Co-Coordinator, Megan Wong
\nWomxn\u2019s Commission, Co-Chair, Janel Sandoval
\nThe Bottom Line, National Beat Reporter, Kelsey Knorp
\nThe Bottom Line, Campus Beat Reporter, Gwendolyn Wu
\nFood Bank Committee, Chair, Yanira Jenny Flores
\nExternal Vice President for Local Affairs, Paola Dela Cruz
\nSCORE, Secretary, Luvia Solis
\nSCORE, Outreach Coordinator, Jennifer Kim
\nExternal Affairs Committee, Student At-Large, Midori Garcia<\/p>\n

+ Many other student leaders!!!<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

SCORE’S LETTER OF NO CONFIDENCE TO THE AS SENATE<\/h3>\n

The year ended on a contentious note, which included a letter of no confidence written to the AS Senate and an investigation of the AS and campus-wide elections by UCSB Audit and Advisory Services. The letter, whose sentiments were echoed by several other AS entities, was a response to a vote at the last meeting of\u00a0the outgoing Senate to remove AS Executive Director Marisela Marquez from office. The vote failed to gain the necessary super majority, but it was emblematic of a year of frustrations with the Senate. The letter is posted on SCORE’s Facebook site<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"13315755_787978951304362_285931733874714700_n\"\"13256255_787978957971028_293215479396548661_n\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

INTRODUCTION The A.S. Student Commission On Racial Equality is an organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and issues of students of color and underrepresented communities at UC Santa Barbara and the broader system of higher education. Through education and direct action, S.C.O.R.E.\u00a0strives to promote diversity, equality, cultural understanding, and community empowerment. The commission’s\u00a0vision is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-213","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1815,"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/213\/revisions\/1815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashback.as.ucsb.edu\/2015-16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}