ASI President Jesus Andrade announced on March 21 that Director of Undeclared Shelby Ornellas resigned.

Ornellas has been absent from several ASI board meetings, according to attendance records.

Keeping his words minimal, Andrade said Ornellas resigned because of personal reasons that had nothing to do with her “academic standing.”

Ornellas has not responded to attempts to contact her.

Though Executive Vice President Curtis Grima was just recently appointed to the board, he said he respected Ornellas’ decision to leave.

“She felt ASI was an important commitment, but she had other commitments also going on. She wanted to make sure if she was part of ASI, she could fully commit herself,” Grima said.

Acknowledgement of Trustee Guzman’s support to the CSUCSU trustee Melinda Guzman was the only person against the 10 percent fee increase voting by the Trustees last month.

Executive Vice President Curtis Grima proposed a legislation acknowledging Guzman’s support of students.

“The Associated Students Board of Directors at Sacramento State acknowledges and appreciates trustee Guzman’s support and commitment to affordable higher education,” Grima said in a statement.

Grima said it is important to acknowledge supporters of the CSU.

“(Guzman) showed effort to support accessibility to the CSU. Hopefully other members of the CSU trustees will become motivated to not raise student fees,” Grima said.

He said he not only wanted to thank Guzman for her support, but to also let the other members of the Board of Trustees know that students of Sac State and across the CSU would like to gain its support and help fight for accessibility.

If passed, the legislation will be forwarded to Guzman and the CSU Board of Trustees.

In opposition to the student fee increase, Andrade calls for Sac State students on Monday, April 23 to join him and other board members to march from Sac State to the Capitol, where the Board of Trustees will lobby against the 10 percent fee increase.

Support of Campus Safety and Sexual Assault Awareness MonthExecutive Vice President Curtis Grima set forth his legislation that calls for student participation in upcoming events promoting campus safety and awareness during April’s Sexual assault Awareness Month.

The events he encourages students to attend are: “A Day Without Violence,” “Moving Screening: NO,” “Seventh Annual Sac State Women Take Back The Night,” “Crisis in Darfur,” “Denim Day,” and “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.”

“(Sexual assault Awareness Month) is important for students to be involved with and to participate in the events. The Women’s Resource Center provides a lot of great resources for students to become aware of sexual assault and campus safety,” Grima said.

Grima said his motivation behind producing his legislation was to educate students and for students to become aware of what the month of April will bring.

Open house to invite ASI alumniASI Executive Director Patricia Worley announced at the March 21 working board meeting that ASI will host an open-house where alumni will join current members as they showcase major projects that have been fulfilled on campus by ASI.

Some of the projects, Worley said, will stimulate conversation are the online Book Exchange, Recreation Wellness Project, Residential Housing Project and the Hornet Lounge.

“This is the opportunity to invite (ASI alumni) back and see how effective (current board members) have carried on the efforts that were once attempted in the past,” Worley said.

The event will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12.

Hornet Lounge grand opening celebrationDirector of Health and Human Services Gabby McGrath proposed to hold a grand opening celebration for the 24-hour Hornet Lounge, located in Sacramento State’s Academic Information Resource Center, at 11 p.m. on Monday, April 16 inside the lounge itself.

Some of many items ASI will need for the event are: pizzas from Round Table, bottles of soda, candy/snacks, cake and giveaways such as t-shirts and imprinted pencils.

Up to $1,000 will be withdrawn from Board Project Funds for the event.

Jacqueline Tualla can be reached at [email protected]