Editor,
It’s funny how some of ASUNM Sen. Sean Mallory’s quotes in “ASUNM resolution cites Athletics’ accomplishments” echoes words in an Albuquerque Journal op-ed signed by President David Schmidly – both published Friday.
I’m glad that Mallory took my advice that ASUNM should chime in on UNM Athletics. What he missed is what I had to say to ASUNM President Monika Roberts at a Feb. 3 public meeting. I said that ASUNM, at minimum, should take a poll of its constituents before it takes a position. This was after Faculty Senate President Doug Fields noted that the 931 voters that participated in the last ASUNM election represented a relatively small percentage of the total undergraduate student body. These
conversations were recorded not only by the UNM administration, but three Daily Lobo reporters.
Put bluntly, ASUNM needs to check with its constituents before launching into a resolution that may or may not represent their views – and should improve on its convenient-for-some-but-not-for-others election-station voting process. (By contrast, all GPSA members get an e-mail with a link every day of our elections and must log in so they can only vote once.)
In the article, Mallory is quoted as saying that the GPSA’s “special election focuses on a few specific instances that happened a while ago.”
A while ago? UNM head football coach Mike Locksley allegedly choked and punched J.B Gerald on Sept.20. The pursuant media stonewalling lasted through the end of November (when the media seemed to give up trying to get answers from this public institution). Documents that were admittedly intentionally destroyed by Athletics’ staff may be germane to a current civil law suit. What’s “recent?”
This reminds me of something that happened eons ago – ancient history by some reckoning.
Last spring, shortly after the Faculty Senate and GPSA voted “no confidence” in Schmidly and Regent Jamie Koch, the ASUNM Senate tried to pass a resolution of confidence in both men. When undergraduates got wind, they were up in arms (figuratively) and made enough phone calls to ASUNM senators to stop the resolution from being heard by the entire body.
Is history repeating itself? If one were to read the comments attached to Friday’s Daily Lobo article, one would have to say that ASUNM senators should prepare to once again hear from a mob of angry, misrepresented undergraduate students – if it already hasn’t begun.
Danny Hernandez
Graduate Professional Student Association council chair
