Special thanks to CalTV for filming and editing.  Check them out at caltv.org

Special thanks to CalTV for filming and editing.  Check them out at caltv.org

Read the full article at: http://www.dailycal.org/2012/04/04/faces-of-berkeley-jonathan-stein-the-next-student-regent/

Special thanks to CalTV for filming and editing! Check them out at caltv.org

Special Thanks to CalTV for filming and editing- find out more at caltv.org

“Surveying a student regent”                                                                                                                          By: Casey Given

It’s March 1, and as I ascend the steps of Eshleman Hall, I hear echos from the Day of Action protests rattling in my head. I have an appointment with UC Student Regent-Designate Jonathan Stein, one of the loudest voices in California’s movement to increase public funding to higher education. As I sit down with the man who will represent our systemwide student body on the Board of Regents next year, I figure such a tremendous responsibility deserves some hardhitting questions.

CASEY GIVEN: As student regent, you’re going to be representing all 222,000 UC students of different backgrounds, of different academic interests and with different needs. With such a diverse constituency, how are you going to prioritize your energy? What issues do you imagine yourself working towards?

JONATHAN STEIN: The number one agenda item for any student regent right now — it doesn’t matter what you came into the job prioritizing — it’s funding and its fees. So, taking part in the fight for greater state funding and against the privatization of public higher education. Taking part in organizing things like March 5th’s Day of Action at the Capitol. May 17 is another day of action in the capital. Taking part (in) other campaigns to raise revenue and so on …

The second thing is campus climate. Maybe some of your (readers) might not know what campus climate is. But campus climate is outreach. It’s retention. It’s restorative justice in our treatment of hate crimes and bias instances and microagressions. It’s all the things we do to make students of color and underrepresented students feel comfortable at the University of California.

CG: I’m sure as a law student you know that lawyers sometimes worry that certain policy solutions to campus climate or reducing hate can compromise First Amendment rights. How do you think we can address the microagressions on campus without violating students’ First Amendment rights? For example, like the Berkeley College Republicans’ right to hold an affirmative action bake sale.

JS: First Amendment rights are hugely essential and really important on a college campus where you want to encourage the free exchange of ideas. This is a place constructed so people get exposed to new ideas and to different ways of thinking.

That said, if you have certain actions taking place on campus that have the power to make other students feel unwelcome, then in effect you’re silencing voices and other people’s free speech.

So, what I would argue is not that you prohibit a bake sale, but that you make sure that the students who feel threatened by a bake sale have their own venues to speak out.

CG : I know that you and current Student Regent Alfredo Mireles, Jr. received some criticism after a Regents meeting last September. Neither of you spoke out when the regents were talking about a scenario in which tuition would be increased to $22,000. As the next student regent, do you plan to be more vocal during meetings?

JS : It’s customary for the student regent-designate not to speak at their first meeting — sort of take a back seat and listen and observe and try to learn as much as you can. That was the role I was trying to play. I realized very quickly that I’m not particularly comfortable holding my tongue, and I’ve spoken at every regents meeting since then …

Specifically regarding that September meeting and the multiyear plan to raise tuition, Alfredo and I were very active behind the scenes fighting against that and lobbying regents individually — working with administrators to make sure that they knew how frustrated students were.

I think the combination of student organizing from a variety of different communities plus the student regents working behind the scenes effectively tabled that multiyear plan.

CG : The last question I have is regarding students who think they are just one cog in the machine. I often hear from students who sympathize with the movement for higher education, but feel they can’t be involved because of the academic demands of college. What would you say to these students?

JS : There is no magic bullet. You can’t tell someone who is fundamentally uncomfortable at a protest that they need to go hit Sproul and occupy a tent. Simultaneously, you can’t tell someone who’s more comfortable holding a sign and rallying that they need to go put on a suit and go lobby the regents. You just can’t.

My response to this question is that students need to do whatever it is that motivates them, whatever gets them out of their seat … Just do it!

The UC Student Regents are attending the SLC to encourage lobbying for higher-education related issues in the state legislature. They also work to give opportunities for students to gain lobbying experience, and directly promote a discussion about public higher education.

Description: “Trying to push your issue to the UC Board of Regents? Planning to speak in front of the Regents, or want to get backstage access to the Regents? Maybe even planning to become a Student Regent? Come learn about the ins and outs of working the room during a Board of Regents meeting, pushing forward your agenda and issues, and how to gain important wins on long-term student campaigns. The Student Regents will be talking about their experiences and their mistakes serving on the Board, and hopefully how future generations can build upon that work.”

Student Regent-Designate, Jonathan Stein will also be presenting a second workshop entitled California Is Broken: How We Got Here, How We Fix It.

Description: “The UC budget crisis is a product of the state budget crisis. Why is California dealing so poorly with the economic downturn? Why are we cutting tens of billions of dollars from public services, like higher education, when other states don’t? Our state government is fundamentally broken. Come find out why and how the state can be fixed, through things like initiative reform, term-limit reform, budget reform and tax reform.”

The Student Regents work to represent the UC student body and seek to create a united student body throughout all UC campuses. Students interested in the office of UC Regent are encouraged to visit the Student Regent website at ucstudentregent.com. All students are urged to get involved and voice their questions and concerns by visiting the website, asking questions directly to Regent-Designate Stein, following the Regent Twitter @UCStudentRegent and subscribing to the Student Regent-Designate Facebook page.