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2 Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Gonzalez
working in the community has taught her the ins-and-outs of the district, Continued from Page 1 something that she thinks gives her an edge over her competitors. since leaving CSULB. “I have been in the community for a While at The Beach, Gonzalez said long time, so I know all of the commushe bypassed student government and in- nity leaders,” she said. “I know the way stead mentored at-risk youth in an Orange the community works.” County juvenile hall. She also worked Gonzalez said if elected, she hopes to with Corazon.org, an organization that improve the local economy, and make first builds houses, gathers supplies and sup- district communities more accessible. She ports education for families in Mexico. said that after four years working the disGonzalez said working with people trict, she also wants to focus safety efforts has always been on “trouble spots,” important to her. or areas in the dis“I have always trict that see high had that inherent crime rates. characteristic to She also said help people and she wants to move be a resource,” forward with Long she said. “AssistBeach’s economic ing people, but development. also educating “We’ve really re-Lena Gonzalez, people on how vitalized the downCSULB alum they can help town area, and I p themselves.” want to continue on During Gonzalez’s senior year, she that, especially the west side,” she said. interned for then-First District Field “The west side is very industrial, and Deputy Robert Garcia’s campaign for the people there have been there a long Long Beach vice mayor, an election time and bring in a lot of money.” Garcia went on to win. With experience working in the comAfter graduating in 2009, she was of- munity, Gonzalez said she is ready to fered Garcia’s old position, which she has take a step up to the plate in city council. now held for the past four and a half years. “When I came to Long Beach, I “My education at [CSULB] in politi- thought I was going to be here for a cal science, after graduation — it opened long time, but I didn’t know exactly up a lot of doors for me,” she said. “It what I wanted to do,” she said. “But made me think more of a leadership role after everything that I’ve done, I know than a behind-the-scenes role.” now. This is my time to run.” Between 2009 and 2012, Gonzalez also Gonzalez will run against two other served as the secretary of the Long Beach CSULB alumni, Ricardo Linarez and Democratic Club for a year, vice president Jason Aula, and another candidate in for two years and president for one. running for the Long Beach’s First DisGonzalez said the time she spent trict Council seat next April.
“But after everything that I’ve done, I know now. This is my time to run, and this is the time that’s mine.”
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Forum
Continued from Page 1 department, and Carraway sent emails during the summer to apply for the CSULB president position. They received replies thanking them for their interest and explaining that the application will become available later. The forum was included in the syllabus of the media and culture class. The speakers were met by a quiet audience comprised of mostly students who at first were not participating in the forum. One student interrupted the event to leave because he was uninterested in the topic. But when both speakers campaigned for cutting tuition by two thirds and implementing it in a two-year plan, students began talking among themselves and asking questions. “What I thought was interesting was their timeframe of when students will expect to see change,” senior journalism major Victor Reed said. “I thought the town hall meeting was informative. The [speakers] had the students first and foremost in their agenda and our future.” According to state law that governs the CSU president selection process, although the speakers participating in the forum have the credentials for the presidency, they lack the authority to appoint a university president. According to state legislation, the authority to select a president lies solely with the CSU Board of Trustees. Stakeholders in the school, including students and faculty, are represented in the search through an advisory committee, one of the two
Todd Johnson | Daily 49er
Film and electronic arts professor Micheal Pounds discusses the CSU presidential search process during a class on Thursday. committees that work on the presidential selection. Though the stakeholders are represented in the search, the advisory committee doesn’t participate in the final voting of the president. Other than committee representation, and a few votes by the board held in public view, the presidential selection process is held behind closed doors. The CSU, however, says that the selection of the president has transparency because, in some way, all stakeholders are represented. “The transparency, first and foremost, comes out of the fact that the trustees themselves are dually appointed, both nominated and confirmed, representatives of the public interests of the State of California,” CSU Spokesman Erik Fallis said. “Secondarily the advisory committee is selected by the stakeholder groups
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directly so that they provide a direct channel to the selection process.” Ultimately the faculty members acknowledged their own lack of authority in selecting the president but said they still believe they can have an influence on its outcome through these town hall forums. “Look, I don’t think I have much of a chance of truly winning the presidency,” Pounds said. “We just don’t want to see another president that [the CSU] parachute in without our consent.” There will be a second town hall forum held by communications professor and two-term CSU trustee Craig Smith, College of Business Administration professor Mary Celsi, Pounds and Carraway at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Fine Arts building 1 Room 206. Future forums will not be held during any classes, according to Lane.
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