Open letter to FAU Student Government
Student government alumni weigh in on SG and the UP.
Photo courtesy of SG
August 2, 2017
Editor’s note: Authors Boris Bastidas and Patricio Coicou worked in FAU Student Government’s Legislative Branch in 2012.
The following letter remains unedited and in its original form.
We believe that Student Government is like a microcosm of any local, regional/state or national government. A system that we believe has allowed the most willing and aspiring to not only get involved in a government system but to understand it, or so it seems. As alumni we feel a need to assert our views on a current but actually very old topic. FAU has allowed for Student Government to pick the Editor in Chief of the University Press for too long.
For years we have personally seen Student Government leaders engage in attempts to essentially punish the UP whether through their annual budget or through the blatant withholding of information. It has been the aggressive pursuit and passion of a many journalists that have kept the UP an award winning university outlet. Now we see a very blatant and most disturbing attempt to stifle the appointment of an Editor-in-Chief. On the one hand, we feel that it is of course paramount that the concept of the Freedom of the Press under the First Amendment as a principle, should be respected. Yet we almost laughingly admit that, well let’s face it, Student Government officials often fail to understand their own statues and constitution, nevermind the United States Constitution and it’s amendments or principles as aforementioned above.
FAU Administration should sever this particular connection between SG and the UP. We don’t see that as likely, but we see it as necessary. For as long as SG controls the UP’s funding, SG will continue to try and hold the UP “accountable.” But because the UP rightfully see’s their goal as being good and just journalists, they must hold SG accountable; well we think you get it. We obviously find this relationship quite ironic and can only laugh at it.
We hope that someway, somehow Student Media can still be funded by SG, but the UP already has a process that is already sufficient. The editor-in-chief to be is chosen by his/her peers and would have been part of the UP prior to the appointment. That means they would have already acquired the training necessary to run the UP and would have the nod from the student media director. While we know this is quite the far stretch, we still feel it would be somewhat of an upgrade over having the SG Senate approve the editor-in-chief. I think we can imagine the outrage we’d express if Donald Trump had the power to approve (or veto) the editor-in-chief of CNN.
At this point, we believe that the ship has sailed. Do not continue to allow Student Government to control the UP in this way. It is damaging to the University, to the Student Body, and yes, to Student Government itself.
Boris Bastidas, former House of Representatives Speaker
Patricio Coicou, former House of Representatives Parliamentarian
Paticio Coicou • Aug 25, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Let’s make some things clear hear. I have personally witnessed a blatant to mislead and withhold information from the University Press. These reporters are just doing their jobs when they ask for information or a lead. If you don’t give it to them they have every right to seek that information else where. Whether you like it or not a story is going to be released, it’s what they do. You have the advantage of molding that story because you are in SG and you are likely the first group of people they will seek out for quotes, leads, etc. in regards to politics and governance. With that being said the comment made by mr. Sims alone highlights this fact. Don’t get me wrong I am not in full, blind defense of the UP they get things wrong sometimes and we should call them out on it when it happens. But there is no doubt that this is SG’s fault. They asked him questions from a panel of SG senators (which shouldn’t have been the case in the first place) and when he gave answers that made them uncomfortable they decided that they would not approve him. In that instance an example was made out of him that you either fall in line or you get dropped. I’m not saying this was intentional but you have to look at the repercussions of an action against an outlet that covers them. Not to mention the constitutional violations. Mr. sims you have your head so far up your ass to realize what this actually means. so ridicule our punctuation all you’d like but I’d rather have poor punctuation on a damn letter to the editor than to claim “that there’s wrong on both sides” when clearly this instance was a one sided issue. Our voices were strong when we were in SG LGBT center’s existence is because of Boris Alone. I was the constitution Revision Commission chair, an associate justice, and parliamentarian. I was also on the quality enhancement plan committee that secured FAU’s reaccreditation and was a founding member of the Council of Scholarship and Inquiry, the same organization that founded the undergraduate research journal to which I am also a founding member. Boris and I stood on the shoulders of giants but also laid out and continued a legacy of strong leadership. our voices were bigger than you can possibly fathom. But we knew when it was time to step away. so question our voices all you want but we have accolades to call bullshit as well when you do. When we wrote this letter it was as position of concerned alumni that revere the medium that you currently using as privileged members of student government to slander us. remember that next time you do it again punk.
Clayton Cogi Sims • Aug 21, 2017 at 10:29 am
There’s a fundamental misunderstanding here that almost nobody in either the UP or SG has been able to address. Neither body makes any attempt to communicate effectively and consistently with the other, instead making a point to sever that communication in anger. UP is nearly as Greek as SG and both are substantially crippled in their abilities to understand anything, including one another. If you made an effort to speak to SG officers before writing indiscriminate and libelous articles, then maybe you’d have a stronger voice with SG and administration.
And as an aside: please do some real editing – the punctuation alone in this piece is atrocious.
Owl • Aug 7, 2017 at 9:04 pm
Just curious does Patricio Coicou or Boris Bastidas currently attend FAU? If not why would UP publish their letter? Does UP publish every letter a former student writes?
Ian Dunne • Aug 6, 2017 at 1:47 pm
I was involved in Student Government along with Patricio Coicou and Boris Bastidas. I served as the House Parliamentarian under Jaclyn Broudy. Like Patricio and Boris, I am also an alumni of SG. I agree with both of them along the lines of the relationship between Student Government and the University Press. I always find it odd that the UP is part of the university-wide budget process but I never gave it much of a thought till I saw this story. My hope is that FAU would be able to help the UP since freedom of the press is important. I feel like we don’t give the University Press enough credit for their hard work and dedication for providing the stories that the student body needed to hear despite the circumstances. I agree with Patricio and Boris that the UP should be a separate entity out the hands of Student Government. While I had the pleasure of serving a total of 4 years in the Boca Raton House of Representatives, I’m also open to the idea of change for the benefit of the parties involved.
Ashley • Aug 3, 2017 at 9:29 pm
The SG attempts to stifle any press that isn’t promoting them as the godsent angels. The art department felt this most recently and when we had the Upress on our side was it the only way we could finally get our voices heard. It is outrageous that FAU student government acts more like a trust fund-spoiled-teenager (could it be because it’s run by the sorority and fraternity members? Hmmm) and less like our fellow classmates. They seem to lack the empathy for the entire student body and only seek to fund their own personal objectives.