A K LEO T H E
FRIDAY, JAN. 18 to TUESDAY JAN. 22, 2013 VOLUME 108 ISSUE 46
Serving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
V O I C E
Join The B.O.P! The Board of Publications is recruiting board members to help oversee Ka Leo & Hawaii Review
Apply Today!
808-956-7043 www.kaleo.org/jobs
www.kaleo.org
ASUH connects with state lawmakers
Richard Mizusawa and ASUH senators met representatives, including K .Mark Takai, on Wednesday at the State Capitol. KENT NISHIMURA KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
JENNIFER DELEON Contributing Writer Seven Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i senators and their president went to the State Capitol on Wednesday for the opening day of the Hawai‘i State Legislature. ASUH members were there to network and establish relationships with alumni and lawmakers, particularly the members of the Hawai‘i Senate Committee for Higher Education. “The past few years that I’ve been here, that relationship has not been as prevalent as it should have been,” said ASUH President
Richard Mizusawa, who has been with ASUH since fall 2010. They were able to connect with Rep. K . Mark Takai, a former ASUH president, who reaffirmed his concern that the university is no longer affordable for local families. The ASUH 100th Senate hopes the connections made on Wednesday will evolve into long-term relationships, which is critical to their intended plans for this semester.
L O B BY I N G No agenda has been set, but Mizusawa explained that collaborating with administration before instituting lobbying campaigns is
strategic. If the lobbying goals of ASUH and the administration overlap, he wants the two to approach lawmakers in the same way. “We want to be a cohesive unit,” he said. Securing meetings with administration is the biggest hurdle. The next meeting with university administration is about the biennial budget. ASUH will meet Wednesday with Vice Chancellor for Administration, Finance and Operations Kathy Cutshaw.
C R E AT I N G C O N V E R S AT I O N In addition to their plans for collaboration, ASUH also intends to revamp their internal procedures.
GET ITob.ile
Download the app
m
In a meeting Tuesday night, the ASUH External Affairs Committee moved to fi nalize plans for updating the ASUH website. They hope the website will increase transparency and invite students to voice their concerns. Draft legislations, meeting minutes and senators’ voting records will be more available and easier to find. Dwane Tegman, chair of the External Affairs Committee, stressed the importance of their timely publication. Information in previous semesters, he said, wouldn’t be published until a few days before meetings, making them irrelevant. However, an exact launch date for the website is not yet available.
Report
FRIDAY N: W: S: E:
15 - 30 f t. 15 -25 f t. 1- 3+ f t. 2- 5 f t.
While the website will be a means for ASUH to inform students, there may be another way for students to communicate with their senate. Town hall meetings, such as those held by Chancellor Tom Apple, are one option. The idea came on Tuesday from ASUH Sen. Jennifer Wong from the College of Arts and Sciences. The goal is to create a forum that is not intimidating for students to express their concerns to ASUH. “When it’s the chancellor, students might not want to say something,” Wong said. “We are the student government, and students will be more comfortable telling us their concerns.”
SATURDAY N: W: S: E:
20 - 30+ f t. 15-25+ f t. 1- 3+ f t. 2- 5 f t.
SUNDAY
N: W: S: E:
18-30+ f t. 10-18+ f t. 1- 3 f t. 2-5 f t.