Scandal sets ASF back
Campus Times
September 5, 1997
When an active University of La Verne student was caught embezzling
thousands of dollars from the Associated Student Federation (ASF) Forum's
coffers, the news broke at graduation, and the whispering was laced with
tantalizing shock. How could he? How was it kept so quiet? Where was the
money going?
What caused the problem? Was it bad bookwork? A slick scam artist? A
few things overlooked? That's part of the problem. But what about the loss
of respect and accountability?
It all begins with elections. ASF officers frequently run unopposed.
It is not a campaign because there is no competition. Members get into the
Forum and after a year, they work their way to a higher rank. The student
body then places its "vote" with that sole "candidate."
They do it without hearing any political promises, platforms, goals or fights
that the Forum members are willing to wage for the students. There is no
feeling of victory, thus no speech where the new officers face the students,
saying, "We will do what we promised, we will insure your student rights!"
Instead it is a quiet move into the office, meetings begin and another
year of ho-hum paper shuffling, meetings and party planning. No promises
to students, no gratitude for their votes, little determination to make
significant change. Students then have little or no respect for the sole
candidate and the candidate knows that.
So why not steal from the pot?
It is a sad conclusion to what begins at election time. And though students
are to blame for not stepping in and becoming the new peer politicians,
ASF could do some bending as well.
According to Article XIII Section 7 of the ASF Constitution, officers
must first be on the ASF Forum for one full year. Therefore, before energizing
and leading the Forum with some new blood, participants must first enter
as a smaller party and be exposed to the same old stuff. No wonder things
have not changed and complaints have not been met. By that point, the boiling
blood has cooled and we are again stuck with a "we-did-it-like-last-year"
mentality.
Since this was implemented in 1987, elections have frequently run unopposed.
In addition there have also been a few terms muddled with inappropriate
billing procedures and raised eyebrows, with students asking, "Where
was the money going?" We ask this same question today.
In April 1989, freshman Nikolaus Formanek challenged the rule, attempting
to run as a write-in candidate. At that time, there was only one person
running for the president position. He told the Campus Times, "The
candidates are nice people, but comparing their leadership experience with
mine, we run equal." Maybe they did, but the rule was enough to keep
Formanek out of the running. He was a student from Austria, but evidently
he understood more about U.S. democracy than his American counterparts.
In our own national government, presidential candidates do not have
to serve first in the Senate, the House or Judiciary. As part of our democratic
idealism, we stand by the right to allow our peers to choose who they feel
can best lead the nation, regardless of their standings in legislature,
specialty committees or task forces.
Perhaps opening officer positions to "outsiders" may not change
the lack of participation in ASF elections, but it is worth a try. New blood,
with fresh, invigorating ideas may be intimidating and jarring at first,
but students of this University can only hope for people who will lead our
student government and think more about advocacy, better quality of University
life and, most importantly, the need for respect.
Where was the money going? It went out of the student's hands, along
with the respect, accountability and energy of the past. That loss hurts
us the most.
