Referendum to take place at end of themonth
ByJessica ZiskoCity Editor
A loud cheer resonated through Aztec Center last night after theAssociated Students Council decided to put the Aztec controversy to astudent vote.
From Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, students will be able to say whetherthey want the Aztec nickname or the “Monty Montezuma” mascot to keepit’s home on campus, or hit the road.
“This effects every last one of us here, in either an emotionalstate, financial state, whatever,” San Diego State University studentAmy Cavanaugh said to the A.S. Council.
“It’s going to affect all of us. It needs to go to a studentvote.”
Student referenda are not binding. Results of the vote will notoverturn the Council’s Sept. 27 decision to eliminate the mascot, butwill serve as additional information when University PresidentStephen Weber makes the final decision.
Ron Williams, A.S. executive vice president, wrote the resolutionto put the issue to student vote. He said he was concerned studentsfelt they were not being heard.
“This resolution is not about the mascot,” he said. “Thisresolution is about whether or not A.S. as an organization is goingto fulfill its commitment to representative government and to defendstudent rights.”
In the past three days, more than 3,200 students on campus signedpetitions to put the issue to a student vote.
Williams said he feels A.S. gave students enough opportunities toexpress their opinions through three council meetings and a publicforum held Sept. 21. Nevertheless, he said he wants the Council to be”proactive, not reactive” and to make sure “all students’ voices areheard.”
The University Senate, made up of faculty and staff, will discussthe issue at its meeting next Tuesday.
The final decision is up to Weber.
Council member Rey Soto, who originally brought the issue up tothe Council Sept. 6, said only Native Americans can know how it feelsto see universities use their cultures as mascots, but said he is notopposed to a student vote.
“Those people that are non-Native really, truly don’t understand,”he said. “If they were to go and spend, maybe I’d say, a good threeyears on a third-world reservation here in the United States, thenthey may have a opinion worthwhile.”
Soto has received criticism from students because he is not ofAztec descent.
“I can’t say what it is to be Aztec,” he said. “I’m not Aztec. Ihave never claimed it. I don’t pursue that culture. I don’tunderstand it. I’ve never used it.”
However, Soto said he doesn’t think everyone fully understandswhat the Native American Student Alliance wanted. The issue isn’tabout just the campus mascot, he said. It’s about the use of NativeAmerican icons across the nation.
Only one council member out of 31 voted against having a studentreferendum, but many said they were upset that students felt theCouncil wasn’t representing them.
“Everything that A.S. does, no one is going to agree with 100percent,” said council member Casey Hansen said. “I really don’t likethe fact that every one of us has gotten flack from this in the pastweek from people who weren’t around. Three thousand people signedthat form, about 100 were here.
“If the students want to be more involved in what the(representatives) say, the students should be more involved in theircollege councils, the students should be more involved in theelections process.”
Council member Priscilla Ocen said the mascot issue should not bethe only thing prompting students to get involved.
“There are bigger things going on than just things here oncampus,” Ocen said.
Juan Aguilar, a television, film and new media junior, said hecouldn’t be happier about the student referendum.
“It does affect everyone here,” he said. “Even though they mightnot know anything about the Aztec culture, it is a part of them.”
Women’s studies and sociology senior Beatriz Salgado said she’sglad she will be able to vote to keep the mascot and nickname oncampus because it is an honor for her culture.
“People that were in favor of (NASA’s resolution) don’t even go tothis school, they’re not even Aztecs,” she said. “It’s not (a) NativeAmerican (issue) and if the Native Americans have any say in it,well, the students should also have a say in it.”
