Thursday, August 30, 2007
Five minutes with some official
The Daily Cal interviews an "Academic Affairs Official." I don't know which one.
The picture is not online, but it was one of those "on a balcony with my domain in the background" ones. I don't have anything especially important to say about it.
The Daily Californian: Can you describe your position and why you choose to run for it?
Curtis Lee: The Academic Affairs Vice President's office is tasked with working with the administration very closely and one of my main job descriptions is the appointment of student representatives to campus-wide committees ... and really representing the student voice at an administrative level ... Another thing is providing academic programs and services for students to make sure (that in) their time at Cal they have the resources they need to be successful. It looks like we caught another article in the middle of the editing process, though this one even went to print with the parentheticals. And who knows how he answered about why he chose to run for the position.
DC: Back to Lower Sproul, who do you think should be responsible for paying for the project, the university or the students?
CL: I think the university has an obligation to put some money up for the project ... The students need to put some money forth too just so that we have a seat at the table and ... we are taken seriously by the university, but (at) the same time it should not all be on the students' back. Lower Sproul needs to be an issue that we partner together (so that) we have the programs... and the facilities on Lower Sproul that we as students need to be able to succeed at Berkeley ... because if we are all fighting for what we want and aren't willing to make concessions, then this project is never going to happen. I like that result. Everyone, fight for what you want and don't be willing to make concessions! I'd prefer that over the university raping us with a fee increase we get nothing in return for... which, I believe, Curtis Lee advocated last year.
DC: What do you think about the BP deal and how do you think this and tobacco-funded research affects academic freedom and students?
CL: My policy department I have asked to put together an info session and invite someone from the administrative side and talk about the BP deal from their view and also have someone else maybe from the graduate assembly who is very opposed (to the proposal) ... and after that working with the administration to make sure that we are very aware of the issue of academic freedom and that there are dangers of the privatization of research and that we as students ... are knowledgeable about the issue. Oh, man, did the editors phone it in for this interview. I don't think there's anything really lost if these interviews are conducted in writing, either. It would certainly be more readable than this quasi-quote of some guy talking, perhaps without a completely coherent flow.
But let's hear it for that plan: some guy from that one side and some guy maybe from that one organization on the other side, and then work to be aware of stuff so that folks are knowledgeable. Is that a fair summary?
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