ASI unveils rec center plan

Associated Students, Inc. President, Jeff Sakala, promoted the student recreation center proposal in a presentation at last Wednesday’s board meeting.

The presentation was directed on the importance of a student recreation center to the CSUS campus and included an overview of plans and ideas compiled by the Facility Planning Committee.

Sakala said he wanted to inform the board and the audience of what the rec center committee had developed over the summer.

“Four years ago, students listed a recreation center in the top three priorities for ASI,” Sakala said.

The main components of the presentation clarified specific details of the proposed recreation center and the three location choices.

Currently, the proposed location is over at the south end of campus where the overflow parking is located.

According to Sakala, that proposal is not ideal because it is not convenient for all sections of the campus. He suggests that faculty/staff parking lot six be the site for the center because this location is close to the Union and closer to the center of campus.

Since parking is an issue and Sakala’s plan would result in the loss of some parking spaces, the plan also stipulates a second parking structure be constructed on campus.

The presentation answered questions in regards to why it is necessary for student fees to finance the center, according to Sakala.

“The state cannot pay for a facility that is not directly related to education,” he said. “If the students want a recreation center, they must vote to increase their fees.”

Other issues were also discussed, such as the use of space, the operational plans for the facility, and the proposed hours the center would be open.

In other business, ASI failed to pass legislation that would have changed the two-thirds requirement to a simple majority to approve presidential appointments on the first vote.

An ammended version of the legislation passed by a 6-4 vote after the portion of the legislation was stricken which stipulates the authority of appointments move from the president to the board.

Jean Tot, ASI parliamentarian and Jason Bryant, ASI executive vice president, made the amendment because the original proposal was in violation of ASI operating rules.

Sean South, vice president of university affairs, authored the legislation that pushed to regulate the president’s authority.

“I was attempting to empower the board, and give them more discretion over the appointment process,” South said. “It was a close vote.”

Sakala was a key player in the effort to defeat the legislation.

“This legislation would have eroded the power of the presidency,” Sakala said. “Once we begin chipping away at the responsibilities of the president, the office means nothing.”

In other business, Lane Kasselman, director of arts and letters, was appointed to the Administrative Review Committee.