Vote This Week!

It’s an important week for Associated Students of SDSU. This week, students are asked to vote for the student government leaders for the 2013-14 academic year.

These students will be responsible for a $20 million budget, making decisions on behalf of the student body and managing A.S. facilities, including Aztec Student Union. These students will play an integral role in opening the new union later this year, and make sure that the new “campus living room” meets the expectations of the SDSU community.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. today and will close at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 14. Students can vote easily and quickly via WebPortal. Candidate statements can be found in the Monday, March 11, print issue of The Daily Aztec or online via A.S. Elections Central (opens PDF document).

All students are invited to attend the A.S. election results event that starts at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 14, in East Commons. The event will include free refreshments, a DJ and an opportunity to meet A.S.’ future leaders.

From Political Science to the Presidential Campaign

Former A.S. vice president of external affairs, Krista Parker, talks about her trip on the campaign trail for President Obama.

On July 14^th, I jumped on a plane to begin the crazy adventure of campaign life- my destination Virginia Beach, VA. As one of the most important battleground “states”, I say state in quotations simply because VA considers itself a Commonwealth still to this day, VA was the place to be for this roller coaster Presidential Election and I was the lucky one who was able to sit in the front!

Read the rest in From Political Science to the Presidential Campaign on the SDSU blog.

Cheer on the Aztecs THIS WEEKEND!

Associated Students of SDSU is proud to invite all SDSU students to a free tailgate before this Saturday’s football game against Air Force. Free student tickets to the football game are available in advance at the Viejas Arena Ticket Office or on Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium. 

Starting at 10:30 a.m., SDSU students with valid Red IDs will enjoy a DJ, free food and an opportunity drawing for two donated single tickets to the Northrup Grumman Presents the Battle on the Midway featuring the No. 20 Aztec men’s basketball team vs. No. 9 Syracuse at 1 p.m., Nov. 11. To obtain a ticket for the opportunity drawing from the A.S. booth at the tailgate, SDSU students must show:

• Valid Red ID
• Ticket to the Nov. 10 football game against Air Force

The opportunity drawing will be held at 11:35 a.m. and students must be present to win. For more information about Aztec Athletics, please visit the website.

 

CSU Student Trustee Position!

CSSA Now Accepting Applications for the CSU Student Trustee Position

The California State Student Association (CSSA) is accepting applications for the position of CSU Student Trustee. As one of the two student members of the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees, the member serves as the voice and representative for the students of the 23 CSU campuses. Currently there are 25 Trustees, 5 ex officio members who include the Governor of California, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chancellor.

Undergraduate and graduate students interested in applying must submit application by: April 6, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. No late applications will be accepted.

Information regarding the position can be found at:
http://www.csustudents.org/whoweare/student‐trustee.shtml.

For questions, contact CSSA staff via email at: cssastaff@csustudents.org

Minimum requirements:  

• Undergraduates will have at least junior standing by July 1, 2012 

• Applicant is a student in good standing and has at least a 2.0 GPA 

•Applicant will be a CSU student (Undergraduate or Graduate) for the entirety of the two year 
term as Student Trustee (through June 30, 2014). 

Summary of Timetable: 

Nov. 2, 2011              
Search begins, applications available at www.csustudents.org  

April 6, 2012                
Application packet and relevant materials all due to CSSA office by 5:00 p.m. 

April 20‐23, 2012       
Application screening by the Initial Review Board  

May 4                         
In‐person interviews at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 

May 25                       
Names of final candidates will be forwarded to Governor Brown

Want to volunteer?

SDSU’s Student Life & Leadership Office has provided this list of upcoming volunteer opportunities. Contact the individual organizations hosting the project for more information or to sign-up!

 

UpcomingSan DiegoVolunteer Opportunities
As of 10/10/2011 

The San Diego River Park Foundation – River Survey and Field Data Collection Santee

No Experience necessary. Volunteers with an interest in the ecology of San Diego County are needed to help collect data on invasive plant species, presence of trash and other information along the San Diego River in Santee.

Meeting atMastPark, teams will walk predetermined sections of the river with a trained team leader and use GPS, cameras and field data sheets to gauge the health of the river.

This is a great way to see the river and make a difference for its future and a wonderful hands-on learning opportunity.

All data collected will be used to help in efforts to restore our river back to a healthy state. Community service hours can be verified for those that need them.

Volunteer Details
Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 15 – 16, 2011
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

For more info and to RSVP, call 619.297.7380 or email Shannon@sandiegoriver.org

__________________________________________________________

The San Diego River Park Foundation – Clean up event

 As part of our ongoing mission to save theSan DiegoRiverand its surrounding habitat, volunteers are needed to help remove trash and debris from the riverbed in the Mission Valley Preserve near the YMCA onFriars Rd.

TheSan DiegoRiveris a very important waterway from both an historic and ecological standpoint, home to many rare and endangered plants and animals. Help us to restore our river and provide a clean and healthy habitat for the native plants and wildlife that call the river home.

No experience necessary, all tools and supplies provided. Community service hours can be verified for those that need them. Participants are asked to wear sturdy clothing that can get a little dirty and also wear closed shoes. Hat and sunscreen are recommended. Groups and people of all ages are welcomed to help.

Volunteer Details
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

Additional information: Volunteers can park in the parking lot of the SDPD Western Division at5215 Gaines St. 92110. We will meet across the street from the police department at the western end of the YMCA parking lot at5505 Friars Rd. 92110.

If you would like to donate your time to this event or have any questions, feel free to call 619.297.7380 or email volunteer@sandiegoriver.org. Your contact for the day of the event isShannon.

__________________________________________________________

I Love a Clean San Diego – Beautify Chula Vista Day

I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) works to promote regional awareness of environmental issues including resource conservation, waste reduction and recycling, community enhancement, and pollution prevention.

Beautify Chula Vista Day (BCVD) is a dynamic community cleanup event organized by ILACSD and the City of Chula Vista, and made strong by thousands of enthusiastic volunteers. Save the date for the 9th Annual BCVD which is taking place at HarborsidePark. Last year’s event was a tremendous success, with over 600 community members out in full force cleaning up trash and removing graffiti. Visit www.beautifychulavista.org to register and learn more.

Volunteer Details
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011
Time: 8:00am-12:00pm

If you would like to donate your time to this event, please contact Jemma De Leon at 619-704-2778 or jdeleon@cleansd.org.

__________________________________________________________

San Diego National Veterans Day Run

 Here’s your chance to make a difference for our men and women who have served our country! Join with other runners and walkers nationwide on one special day dedicated to honoring our military veterans.

Help support your community, as well as hundreds of runners and walkers by volunteering! Come out and help those who are honoring our veterans on this great day.  While volunteering for this charitable event, you will be able to accumulate community service hours. With lots positions available there is a spot for everyone.  This fun event will take place before the Veterans Day Parade.  If you would like to come out and volunteer please contact us.  Come support your veterans and this great community! 

Volunteer Details
Date: Friday, November 11, 2011

 If you would like more information or to donate to the cause, please visit http://www.veteransdayrun.com.

What is “The Campaign for SDSU”?

You may have seen banners around campus or received an email about it.

San Diego State University has a mission: to raise $500-million to support the students and faculty of the school and transform into a leading national research university.

This is the first time that all of SDSU has come together in a comprehensive fundraising effort. In the past, each individual division would run their own fundraising programs.

Check out SDSU NewsCenter’s story pasted below for all the details, and visit http://campaign.sdsu.edu/campaign/ or check out Facebook for more information.

Thursday, Sept. 15 2011
By: SDSU NewsCenter

San Diego State University today announced a $500 million fundraising campaign to support its students and faculty and transform SDSU into a leading national research university.  

“The Campaign for SDSU will leverage the university’s unique strengths and its synergy with the San Diego region in support of our students, our faculty, our staff and our community,” said SDSU President Elliot Hirshman. “At a time when state support has been reduced, this effort is critically important to ensure SDSU can continue to provide a high-quality educational experience for the next generation of students.”

The Campaign for SDSU is the first university-wide fundraising campaign in SDSU history. It includes all of SDSU’s colleges, SDSU Athletics and KPBS. Hirshman said private funding is needed by the university to attract and retain top faculty, support innovative programs and assist talented students through scholarships, as well as move the university forward with strategic investments in people and programs.

Campaign goes public

Today’s announcement launches the “public phase” of what is expected to be a seven-year fundraising campaign. For the past four years, campus leaders have worked behind the scenes to secure large leadership gifts from the university’s top donors. To date, this effort has netted more than $270 million in gifts and pledges, setting university fundraising records along the way.  

“Thanks to the generosity of our closest alumni and friends, SDSU is well on its way to its goal of raising $500 million but the most crucial stage of the campaign is still ahead of us,” said Costco CEO and founder Jim Sinegal, ‘59.  

With the theme “Leadership Starts Here,” SDSU will be reaching out to the entire community with messages about the university’s important mission and how their support is essential to the university’s success.

Hirshman, who became SDSU’s eighth president in July, said there has never been a better time to re-engage SDSU’s 250,000-plus alumni — 60 percent of whom live in San Diego County.

Hirshman cites SDSU’s strong academic reputation, life-changing research, community engagement and athletic success as evidence of SDSU’s momentum. The Campaign for SDSU will propel the university forward by raising funds to support student scholarships, faculty endowments and academic programs, and secure San Diego State’s future as a university with significant regional, national and global impact.

Campaign goals

The Campaign for SDSU has four distinct initiatives aimed at enriching students’ lives and strengthening the economy of the San Diego region:

• Engaging the Region: San Diego State produces the future leaders for critical local industries such as bio-tech, communications, hospitality and tourism, construction management and border studies. The university’s strong ties to the San Diego community are evident in its initiatives supporting K-12 education, student veterans and more. The Campaign for SDSU will support existing programs and create new initiatives that enhance San Diego’s reputation as a catalyst for innovation and discovery.
• Leading Innovation and Discovery: The research productivity of SDSU faculty creates numerous opportunities for students to participate in life-changing projects on and off campus in areas such as cardiovascular research, vaccine development and sustainability. The Campaign for SDSU will seek support to create additional endowed chairs, thereby attracting leading scholars to enrich the academic life of the campus and enhance the value of an SDSU degree for alumni and current students.
• Competing Globally: San Diego State University leverages its strategic location on the Pacific Rim and the border of Latin America to foster a highly diverse, globally focused culture of research and scholarship. The Campaign for SDSU will increase scholarship opportunities for students seeking to study abroad, build endowments to attract faculty with international expertise in multiple disciplines and strengthen programs that tap the potential of students to take their place in our global society.
• Fueling Potential: In the last 20 years alone, SDSU has conferred more than 145,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. That’s 145,000 lives transformed by the power of an SDSU education. Gifts to the Fuel Potential Scholarship Campaign, part of The Campaign for SDSU, ensure that SDSU’s most deserving students have access to the transformational power of a college degree and create a healthy culture of philanthropy among the youngest Aztecs. More than $32 million has already been raised for the Fuel Potential Scholarship campaign. 

Major gifts 

Thus far, major gifts to The Campaign for SDSU include:

$10 million to establish the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy. Read more		$8.5 million endowment for the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management including $2.4 million from Bob Payne. Read more
$5 million to support the Donald P. Shiley BioScience Center from Darlene Shiley. Read more		$5 million from Ron and Alexis Fowler to support Athletics. Read more
$4 million to support the SDSU Library from Chuck and Robin Luby. Read more		$2.5 million for student scholarships from Jim and Janet Sinegal. Read more
$2 million from alumnus Frank Cuenca to support Athletics scholarships. Read more		$2 million from William Brack to support endowed scholarships.
$1.8 million gift from the estate of Bruce Porteous to support the College of Arts and Letters		$1 million naming gift to the SDSU Veterans Center from Joan and Art Barron. Read more

Since the university initiated the campaign in July 2007, SDSU has collected more than 33,000 gifts including 49 gifts of more than $1 million. 

Donors can give through one-time gifts of any amount, planned giving, annual giving or payroll deduction. All gifts to San Diego State University are accepted and administered by The Campanile Foundation (TCF), an official 501 [c] [3] auxiliary organization of San Diego State University.

Fun with the U.S. Constitution!

Who doesn’t love the United States Constitution? It is a living, breathing document that sets the basis for the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy in this country.

The U.S. Constitution is the oldest written national constitution still in operation, and many of the nations that have established themselves in the decades since,  have turned to this document as a model for their own constitutions.

September 17th is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1787 when, at the end of a long hot summer of discussion, debate and deliberation, the Framers signed America’s most important document. But its worth reminding ourselves that the document itself would not become important, would not become “The Supreme Law of the Land”, until it was first sent to Congress for approval and then to the individual states to be throughily debated, argued about, and ratified by the representatives of the people in specially elected state constitutional conventions.

SDSU and many schools across the nation are commemorating Constitution Day with special events, including a reading of the Constitution held at SDSU. AS Vice President of Finance Rob O’Keefe and A.S. Morale Commissioner Peter Humphrey dressed up in costumes representing outfits from the time of the Constitution’s writing and got students pumped up about the document.

Rob and Peter

The preamble to the Constitution sets the tone of the magnificent document that continues to guide the principles of our great nation:

 

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

 To read the full text of the United States Constitution, click HERE.