ASI Decision 2013

ASI Elections closed yesterday with a whopping 6,500 student voters participating!

A new record that breaks the 2007 election season of 1,000 cast votes– because let’s face it, no one really votes in ASI elections.

However since 2007, many have learned the power of student government at the collegiate level, especially in the CSU system.

Every election has more than just ASI positions on the line. Many new propositions are placed on the ballots that directly affect student tuition. For instance, the building of the now popular Student Recreation and Wellness Center was once proposed in an election and has become a widely used student facility.

Current ASI President John Haberstroh and ASI Vice President Jonathon Bolin have been under a critical eye from students and other ASI leaders. However, little evidence has shown that they have done anything detrimental to student life.

Current ASI Vice President Jon Bolin

Senior history major Jon Bolin has been notorious for speaking up about bias student articles in The Daily 49er, to people’s dislike.

However much is to be said of the work Bolin and Haberstroh have done for the CSULB community.

One of their most celebrated acts is taking a pay cut to fund scholarships for students. Many students do not know that some officers in ASI receive stipends for their expenses each semester in office. And now Haberstroh and Bolin have reallocated that money back to the students.

Yesterday, thanks to the duo, we had a very successful Farmer’s Market on campus put together by ASI. Students bought many healthy alternatives to the greasy food in the University Student Union.

“What a great day! The farmers' market went amazing! Almost everything was SOLD OUT by the end! I knew the student's would love a Farmers' Market and I'm glad it was such a big success!” said Bolin on Facebook.

The Haberstroh-Bolin team is going up for a second term against many other candidates, one being ASI Chief-of-Staff Jorge Soriano.

Soriano is on the same ticket as Agatha Gucyski and Deshe Gully – also known as #TeamJAD.  Soriano ran last year against Haberstroh for ASI President but lost with a close race.

      

For the most part, Haberstroh-Bolin have thrown out innovative ideas to help campus improve. Their tag line is “Re-elect John & Jon: Too many ideas and reforms for one year!”

They have proposed a 24-hour study facility which will be lodged in the Soroptimist House on Beach Dr. They want to bring Farmer’s Markets on campus and fix the shuttle system that is currently oversaturated.

Their opponents so far have only said they are open to student suggestions and claim that some of the Haberstroh-Bolin concepts are useless for the student population and will ultimately cost students more tuition hikes.

Thankfully, elections are now closed! Now the ballots will be tallied and the new ASI executive board will be announced shortly.

Remember, no matter who wins the election, as students we constitute the majority and have the power to voice our opinions. If we aren't part of the solution, we keep being part of the problem.

GO BEACH! :)

ELECTION RESULTS can be found here:

http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students/asi/documents/ASIElections2013results.pdf

PS: CSULB may become the first SMOKE-FREE campus now that the proposal passed! 

Credit Card Workshop @ The Beach

How's your FICO score this morning? Feeling very good about it?

Did you know that your credit score can change in the matter of hours?

You can leave your house with a 750 in the morning and have it drop to 689 by lunch time.

Yep!

Last Wednesday the Brothers of Phi Iota Alpha invited the CSULB community to a workshop entitled "Understanding Credit Reports and Scores". It was presented by the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Orange County.

Last year alone the CcCS of Orange County helped 198 families pay back an estimated $7 million in debt. They offer educational seminars, debt management plans, and tax services for very affordable prices.

Because they are a not-for-profit organization, all of their services are less than $35!


That's good news for 49ers!

The OCCS workshop gave us a lot of helpful tips when building and maintaining a good credit:

1. Obtain your credit score! Knowing your score is half the battle, and doing it for free is even better for us college students! Annual Credit Report Request Service allows everyone to see their score once a year with no charge. Log on to www.annualcreditreport.com to see how you're looking to lenders.

2. Improve credit worthiness! If you already have credit cards the best advice is the obvious one! PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME. Many people have trouble paying on time for various reasons, however if you build a good history with your lenders, they are more likely to waive the occasional late fee and even give you longer grace periods when emergencies occur. (I.E. if you lose your job or your lazy roommate didn't pay his half of the rent.)

Apply for new credit cards only as needed. It is recommended to only have a maximum of THREE credit cards AT A TIME. Manage them responsibly because bad credit history will haunt you for SEVEN YEARS.

3. Beware of Credit Card Scams! Many people run credit repair "services" that steal people's money in hopes of a better credit score. THIS IS FAKE. The only person that can fix your credit score is YOU. What is worst, you may run the risk of hefty fines and imprisonment if you're caught using a new CREDIT PROFILE NUMBER or FEDERAL EMPLOYER ID NUMBER. Jail time? No thanks!

Be sure to shred all "pre-approved" credit card mailers if you aren't interested. Many people are victims of IDENTITY THEFT because they do not properly destroy their personal information.

4. Closing all your credit card accounts isn't always the best thing! Keep the credit cards that you have the best history with. This can maintain your credit score healthy and accurate. Remember to keep in touch with your credit card company so you are knowledgeable about your interest rate and you understand the FINE PRINT.

5. Have no credit? GET SOME! It is advised that you begin building your credit history as soon as you have an income. Whether you get a job, financial aid or your parent's allowance, it is important to start doing yourself a favor! The Future You will thank you!

One way is through secure credit cards, Most banks have this available, just ask!

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! Take advantage of the resources on campus.

The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Orange County holds many workshops throughout the year. If you want to learn more please contact them:

1920 Old Tustin Ave
Santa Ana, Ca 92705
(714) 547-2227
www.cccsoc.org

CSULB & CSUF join forces for the kids

President Ommar Guerrero (Left) and
Brother Christian Aguilar (Right) put together
 Easter baskets to raffle off to the students 

Cal State Long Beach has a wide array of organizations that give back to our community, because who says all we do is party?!

 This week Delta Sigma Chi, a co-ed Latino Fraternity on campus, along with their Gamma chapter from Cal State Fullerton threw a children's event as part of their philanthropy week.

 Delta Sigma Chi donated much-needed school supplies to the children of Faylane Elementary School in Garden Grove, Calif

 Many of the students are of low-income, minority families in Orange County.

 Because of this, their after school program is vital to the school because many of the parents work til the early evening.

Faylane's after school program is part of the Boys and Girls' Club where students receive help on their homework, an afternoon snack and time to play with other students.

 "Boys and Girls Club and other after-school programs are important to these communities; the students stay involved in some type of after-school activity to stay productive and stay away from the streets and trouble," said senior accounting major Ommar Guerrero.

 On Monday, DSC organized a carnival event for the children of Faylane Elementary which consisted of traditional games and booths like pie eating contests, obstacle races, balloon popping contests, and a table for arts and crafts.

 "Are you guys going to come everyday," asked 5 year-old Guadalupe Morales, "because I love playing with you!"


 The event was closed with a big raffle of ten Easter baskets in the Faylane cafeteria where all the children were a little sad to say goodbye to the visitors from CSULB and CSUF.

 If you would like to donate any school supplies to the Boys and Girls Club for Delta Sigma Chi's Philantrophy Week, please email dscalpha87@gmail.com