Many people know him as that guy who says, "Vote for Kenroy!" by the escalator. People listened. Many people do know him though, for who he is and his values. What might it mean that he will be your new USG President?
I first met Kenroy in the fall of 2006 when I first came to CCNY, and it was in the NYPIRG office. My first impression was that this guy had no self consciousness at all and an unforgettable sense of humor. Because we were both in NYPIRG I know his deep knowledge on everything about TAP, financial aid and tuition, as well as everything else that they work on like the environment- but he also interned for the state assembly in Albany for a semester so he's been there to lobby for lower tuition and he's been there getting to know people from the inside, which could come to our advantage eventually.
He was the first person I've ever heard say "Oslat," as in, "I'm working for Oslat!" A while later I realized he and then others were talking about OSLLD, formerly known as Finley, now the Office of Student Life and Leadership Development. This is good experience for a president to have had, because he knows everything about OSLLD. Historically USG has had a sometimes adverse relationship with OSLLD so perhaps this will restore harmony with them.
He is a Political Science major. Mostly he talks about politics/current events, and whatever internship or project he has at the moment. He has been running for some time and now he is a senior, super experienced, president and I should say, when I met him in NYPIRG, someone else was there. Our current, CAC president, Irene Castro was there.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Come to DC
The 4th free bus is nearly filled so it's your last chance to register for that bus, to join the Climate Rally/march/concert in DC on April 25th, Sunday. http://action.earthday.net/t/10584/signUp.jsp?key=5015
Just ask me if you want to know more, ShannonAyala@Rocketmail.com or 516-458-6966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMKPh4RW0no
Everything's Going to be Okay on E-Day?
SER, CSA & CCNY Green are all sharing the NAC Plaza on Earth Day, which means a concert/rally, a pot painting festival and something caribbean will all be going on. I haven't able to get all the details yet...
Monday, April 12, 2010
Destined Conflict!
On April 22nd, 1969, City College students participated in the latter part of the perhaps 15-20 year Civil Rights movement by fighting for an affirmative action policy that would open the school to students from all sorts of neighborhoods, that grew up in all sorts of conditions, people of color. I think this says something about the people that were able to get in with closed admissions but still wanted to open it, about their world view, and this story should be told to children.
Exactly one revolution around the sun later, April 22nd, 1970 was the first nationwide Earth Day. 20 million Americans participated in rallies from coast to coast. They were protesting all sorts of pollution, commercial development and loss of wildlife. Over the years Earth Day became more soft core but what with Ozone loss, in 1990, 200 million people globally participated in events on Earth Day. Now it's about Climate Change and this is where it gets messed up with City College.
The first CCNY Earth Day was 2008, during club hours. CCNY Green was brand new and I went to one meeting of the Student Engagement Committee with Jason Self and Nkem Stanley. I had a NYPIRG table at our Earth Day and so did Green Planet Society. In 2009, the committee tripled, and we made Earth Week (WE ACT @ CCNY was around too). April 22nd was a Wednesday so we did it on Thursday instead. We made Wednesday Green Political Action Day or something and left that time open for the first Walk Out commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Strike for Open Admissions.
This year is the most deadly, destined year, the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day because it falls on a Thursday and therefore CCNY Earth Day and the Education Rally are same time, same place!
For a while I knew about this but it was resolved because ED wasn't starting until 2 and the concert/speak-out/rally was at 12. But CCNY Green, being out of the loop even though I tried to keep everyone in the loop, pushed it back into club hours. I went to SER about this and they said that that actually, their concert is 12-2 and they are walking out at 2. So it's a huge mess.
My agenda is to go to the rally, whenever it is and then do some action with the Amp Up Environmental Student Network in the subways during rush hour. Then Sunday go to the Earth Day Climate Rally. BTW, the bus is free on April 25th to DC but you have to register this week. Please register right away, http://action.earthday.org/campaigns/drive-campus-action.
Exactly one revolution around the sun later, April 22nd, 1970 was the first nationwide Earth Day. 20 million Americans participated in rallies from coast to coast. They were protesting all sorts of pollution, commercial development and loss of wildlife. Over the years Earth Day became more soft core but what with Ozone loss, in 1990, 200 million people globally participated in events on Earth Day. Now it's about Climate Change and this is where it gets messed up with City College.
The first CCNY Earth Day was 2008, during club hours. CCNY Green was brand new and I went to one meeting of the Student Engagement Committee with Jason Self and Nkem Stanley. I had a NYPIRG table at our Earth Day and so did Green Planet Society. In 2009, the committee tripled, and we made Earth Week (WE ACT @ CCNY was around too). April 22nd was a Wednesday so we did it on Thursday instead. We made Wednesday Green Political Action Day or something and left that time open for the first Walk Out commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Strike for Open Admissions.
This year is the most deadly, destined year, the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day because it falls on a Thursday and therefore CCNY Earth Day and the Education Rally are same time, same place!
For a while I knew about this but it was resolved because ED wasn't starting until 2 and the concert/speak-out/rally was at 12. But CCNY Green, being out of the loop even though I tried to keep everyone in the loop, pushed it back into club hours. I went to SER about this and they said that that actually, their concert is 12-2 and they are walking out at 2. So it's a huge mess.
My agenda is to go to the rally, whenever it is and then do some action with the Amp Up Environmental Student Network in the subways during rush hour. Then Sunday go to the Earth Day Climate Rally. BTW, the bus is free on April 25th to DC but you have to register this week. Please register right away, http://action.earthday.org/campaigns/drive-campus-action.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Gentrification
Those posters that said Gentrification CUNY, I went to that workshop. Maribal Sisters Community Center and Students for Educational Rights came together in NAC 1/211 to discuss a common cause, Gentrification, or, the G word.
The Maribal Center is on 142nd Street and Broadway. They are basically a tenant rights group. The workshop began with a session by Maribal, focusing on the Columbia U expansion, the scale of gentrification in Northern Manhataan and the actions they have taken. Next, SER spoke about G here at CUNY and what the students have done and are doing about it. Lastly, we all discussed questions and comments. Cort from SER translated.
A man from Maribal said some 80,000 people have been displaced in the last 20 years. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who I've discovered to be very active in the food and green movements, is part of the process to "beautify" Harlem from "river to river."
A woman testified that her landlord or other, had "racist ideas" that her and her family was "illiterate and things like that." She went to Maribal, who basically took care of the eviction situation. They have many stories of winning in court.
Margie from SER spoke alongside Ana. She explained that the school was mostly white until there was a strike in 69 and we obtained an open admissions policy. She described the process that pushes minorities out of school as "sneaky." Part of the sneakiness is the raising of standards for admissions.
Ana went on to say that the SATs are considerably racist. A professor Crane or Krane, spoke as an expert on the subject, saying that SATs predict your race and income, that both parts do not correlate with previous grades and (what made everyone gasp) was the items in which black and Latino students do well are removed from the tests. He also said, there has always been suspicion since women always did quite poor in comparison to men. Therefore, he said, as opposed to hoses and dogs, people of color are kept out by more subtle and sneaky tactics.
They elaborated that the price of tutors, Kaplan preparation, et cetera, are evidence of racism. Kachet, an attendee from League for a Revolutionary Party, said those considerations exist for the whole of the educational system. She alluded to all sorts of things, that neighborhoods have bad schools, there are private schools, parents may or may not be available to help their children, children have to take care of the family. These are all considerations in the discussion of remedial classes and open admissions. It is considerable because the school is capping admissions for the first time since way back (if not ever) and is raising admission standards.
Cort, a founding member of SER in 88, experienced a CCNY with a larger immigrant population. The drop out rates have been escalating and more out-of-state students, who pay higher tuition have been admitted. More things like, that students are forced to pay more to take more labs, were discussed.
We discussed the hotel supposedly being built on top of the Harlem landmark, Victoria Cinema 5 (originally a burlesque theatre), the Greek Collegiate Diner being closed and the Subconscious chain store appearing across the street.
A highschool student discussed how he feels, losing the student metro cards, talk of charter schools, maybe having to pay eventually for school. He came "from a country that is being destroyed by this country to this country," translated Cort.
An alumni said he was here in the SLAM days, (Student Liberation Action Movement). He explained that we won the fight to open admissions in 69, but the community, faculty and more students were involved. We lost, he said, when there was no community involved. (He also noted an upcoming Hunter action).
Margie said she feels not enough students get involved. 1st of all, if I may, they outnumbered the 350 climate rally in the education movement by about 4 times. Davey said something about our Edu movement that echoed my thoughts on the Climate Justice movement, that the students just don't feel it yet. In the community, gentrification is felt. A woman said, "We could talk about the [G] issues all night."
The Maribal Center is on 142nd Street and Broadway. They are basically a tenant rights group. The workshop began with a session by Maribal, focusing on the Columbia U expansion, the scale of gentrification in Northern Manhataan and the actions they have taken. Next, SER spoke about G here at CUNY and what the students have done and are doing about it. Lastly, we all discussed questions and comments. Cort from SER translated.
A man from Maribal said some 80,000 people have been displaced in the last 20 years. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who I've discovered to be very active in the food and green movements, is part of the process to "beautify" Harlem from "river to river."
A woman testified that her landlord or other, had "racist ideas" that her and her family was "illiterate and things like that." She went to Maribal, who basically took care of the eviction situation. They have many stories of winning in court.
Margie from SER spoke alongside Ana. She explained that the school was mostly white until there was a strike in 69 and we obtained an open admissions policy. She described the process that pushes minorities out of school as "sneaky." Part of the sneakiness is the raising of standards for admissions.
Ana went on to say that the SATs are considerably racist. A professor Crane or Krane, spoke as an expert on the subject, saying that SATs predict your race and income, that both parts do not correlate with previous grades and (what made everyone gasp) was the items in which black and Latino students do well are removed from the tests. He also said, there has always been suspicion since women always did quite poor in comparison to men. Therefore, he said, as opposed to hoses and dogs, people of color are kept out by more subtle and sneaky tactics.
They elaborated that the price of tutors, Kaplan preparation, et cetera, are evidence of racism. Kachet, an attendee from League for a Revolutionary Party, said those considerations exist for the whole of the educational system. She alluded to all sorts of things, that neighborhoods have bad schools, there are private schools, parents may or may not be available to help their children, children have to take care of the family. These are all considerations in the discussion of remedial classes and open admissions. It is considerable because the school is capping admissions for the first time since way back (if not ever) and is raising admission standards.
Cort, a founding member of SER in 88, experienced a CCNY with a larger immigrant population. The drop out rates have been escalating and more out-of-state students, who pay higher tuition have been admitted. More things like, that students are forced to pay more to take more labs, were discussed.
We discussed the hotel supposedly being built on top of the Harlem landmark, Victoria Cinema 5 (originally a burlesque theatre), the Greek Collegiate Diner being closed and the Subconscious chain store appearing across the street.
A highschool student discussed how he feels, losing the student metro cards, talk of charter schools, maybe having to pay eventually for school. He came "from a country that is being destroyed by this country to this country," translated Cort.
An alumni said he was here in the SLAM days, (Student Liberation Action Movement). He explained that we won the fight to open admissions in 69, but the community, faculty and more students were involved. We lost, he said, when there was no community involved. (He also noted an upcoming Hunter action).
Margie said she feels not enough students get involved. 1st of all, if I may, they outnumbered the 350 climate rally in the education movement by about 4 times. Davey said something about our Edu movement that echoed my thoughts on the Climate Justice movement, that the students just don't feel it yet. In the community, gentrification is felt. A woman said, "We could talk about the [G] issues all night."
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Big Environmental Actions in April
There are 2 big actions that I know of, on Earth Day, April 22nd (way after the Education Rally) and in DC on April 25th.
There is now a big, official network of student environmental groups from around NYC called Amp Up. We had one summit, we have a Ning site, and we're going to be having forum events, et cetera. Right away, we're taking action. On Earth Day we're going to be in the subway doing something, but it's not all worked out yet. The point is, we don't want people feeling like Earth Day was all about consumerism, like it came off last year in the media. The original Earth Day was serious, it was a day of protest. We're bringing it back.
3 Days later free busses are going down to DC for a huge Climate Rally, policy neutral, organized by Earth Day Network. I've become their NYC Point Person, so I am the person to ask about it.
This is the DC registration page: http://action.earthday.net/t/10584/signUp.jsp?key=5024 .
Before you just launch out into any of this business with us, there are some educational things you can do first. On April 15th, Students for Environmental Justice is hosting Those Most Effected Part 1: Teach-In on Climate Justice. The room is TBA but it will be 12-2 at school.
Then on April 16-17 is Youth Summit on Climate Justice: Our People, Our Hoods, Our Future (www.uprose.org) I think at the Point in the Bronx.
Of course CCNY Green will have some informative things going on after the Education Rally at 2 but I don't know much about it. Students for Food Justice and City Ag Network might be participating in bringing folks to our student/community garden at Saint Luke's Church at some point and we might organize a Toxics and Treasures Tour around the neighborhood with WE ACT for Justice.
Friday, April 2, 2010
CCNY Site Hides the Good Stuff
If you click on About CCNY on the site, you'll read generic mission statement stuff. Click on history, and read a version of CCNY's history that I don't recommend, and I've read a few versions of it. The protests to open admissions, I could not find at all so of course the protests to stop tuition implementation, I could not find. But there is a tab called Share your Memories, and there is much better writing there. I haven't read them all, but this was a student here, who graduated in 1968. Check it out.
Ron Sternfels (Chem '68)
Where do I begin? My life at City College began the day after the Harlem riots in 1964. Baskerville was still the chemistry building and I remember one day when the bomb squad came to remove an old bottle of a chemical that had become unstable. One lab was being remodeled and beneath the wood floors was found 300 lbs of mercury. I remember taking swimming at 8:00 am in winter at the Wingate pool (bathing suits were forbidden) and then having to run to South Campus for my next class, stopping only to buy a pretzel from Raymond the Bagel Man. I remember the anti-war rallies, the fight to preserve free tuition, Ravi Shankar's weekly concerts and "House Plans" where I made the best friends I ever had. I remember Leadership Training and “T-Groups” that taught me so much about myself. I remember that my first semester fees were $23 total. Most of all I remember the education I received that was second to none and the respect I have had through my career when people find out I went to City College. I'm so proud that New York has preserved the the campus so that students in years to come can feel the presence of those who passed before them.
Posted: 2007-11-05 23:50:30
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