Associated students board of directors divided by ideological differences attempts to reunite
Students and faculty called for unity at the Associated Students Board of Directors meeting on March 6, following a heated discussion at their previous meeting between elected student officials.
“The current state of A.S. is neither productive nor safe and must change,” said Sophia Manavi, the student representative on the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees, at the beginning of public comment. “We need to ensure respectful, constructive dialogue free from judgment, prejudice or mockery directed at individuals based on their opinions, backgrounds or religious beliefs.”
At the board meeting on March 2, A.S. Director of Equity and Diversity Maliyah Ponce condemned Israeli and United States attacks on Iran. “I want to take this moment to acknowledge and condemn U.S.- and Israeli-backed attacks on Iran,” said Ponce during public comment.
“While I am not well-educated on Iranian politics, I am well-versed in U.S. imperialism and the global economy of it. This country's insatiable hunger for power and conquest have driven global destruction and war for centuries. Hear me when I say this, there is no bigger threat to humanity than white supremacy and imperialism,” said Ponce during the meeting.
Manavi responded to Ponce’s comment by saying, “Iran is the number one sponsor of terror, a terrorist regime, and they cannot have nuclear weapons. That’s why this wasn’t unprovoked.”
Later in the meeting, multiple members of the board questioned Manavi’s vote to lay off 57 classified — or non-academic jobs — and four management positions during the Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 3. The vote passed 4-3, with the student trustee being a fifth symbolic “yes” vote.
A.S. Director of Student Outreach Gabriel Sanchez directly addressed the student trustee’s vote, stating that it did not reflect the student body’s opinion. He repeatedly stated that the layoffs affect marginalized people the most.
According to Manavi, remarks throughout the meeting were targeted. “They attacked me because of what they know about who I am. Because they know I’m Jewish, there have been jokes about that,” she said.
The Corsair could not independently verify these claims, and Manavi would not provide examples.
Thomas Bui, associate dean for student life and the primary adviser of A.S., said he has not personally heard any conversation about Manavi’s religion or beliefs, but that it is not unusual for students to talk about each other. Global and local conflicts are also amplifying student anxiety, Bui said.
“The reality is, there are going to be times when they don’t agree. But if the environment is a place where they can actually air that out and say, ‘hey, wait a minute, I feel like we’re being a little bit disrespectful to each other and we need to address that.’ I actually think that’s a good thing," Bui added.
Tania Acosta, vice president of student success, stressed the importance of unity while SMC undergoes institutional changes stemming from its budget crisis.
“The institution is facing budgetary challenges, and then when you combine that with the geo-political instability, it's obviously more complicated. The challenge is as student leaders, you have a great responsibility … you represent everyone at the institution. And that means regardless of gender, race, religion, political background and ideology. It’s important that we continue to collaborate together and work together on unity,” Acosta said.
Despite their differences, the board unanimously passed three club proposals. Proposal 850, granting $8,698.32 to the SMC esports club; Proposal 847, granting $1,417 to the Inter-Club Council for the school’s Club Awareness event on March 26; and Proposal 848, granting $500 to the Communications and Media Studies Department for the screening of the “Far From Home” documentary.
During her report, Nahomy Rivas, director of activities apologized to Manavi and reiterated that the board has not been moving in unity.
She said each member has to remember what the mission of A.S. is and encouraged all members to revisit their constitution to remind themselves of their personal duties as A.S. board members.
“We promote creativity, collaboration and the free exchange of ideas in an open, caring community of leaders. We strive to equitably serve the student body and elevate students’ voices and concerns,” said Rivas, quoting the A.S. constitution.