HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/15/2005, COMM - (2) STUDENT GOVERNMENT
February 15, 2005
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Dear Mayor Romero-and the San Luis Obispo City Council,
On behalf of the student body at Cal Poly and the Associated Students' Incorporated, I
wanted to extend my sincere gratitude for the trust you displayed to the young people in this
community this past Thursday. After struggling for months trying to keep the community
unified,you voted to end the division. You understood that we were not arguing against the
validity of fines,but on the greater context of how students are perceived in this community.
Cal Poly students write me constantly on their desire for respect in the community,to be
treated as equals,and to not be taken advantage of. They get frustrated when they aren't
received positively in a community that they feel they are contributing to its success. This past
year was greeted with accusations that Cal Poly students were the problem. It is very clear
those accusations were wrong and Cal Poly students are responsible. You have shown that
you appreciate the student population and you recognize that Cal Poly students are not the
problem:
As we expressed to you this past Thursday,an extension of triple fines would have devastated
the relationship students had with the city. You realized that student's had been responsible
over Mardi Gras and that the negative messaging needed to stop.
Many times student's frustration stem from what the Student-Community Liaison Committee
tries to improve,positive public relations. Itis difficult for students to receive large scale
messaging from the community only when it appears negative. You and the council showed
by your actions last week that you were ready to put a stop to that negative messaging and
take a step towards progress.
Following is an excerpt of a message I sent to the entire student body this past Thursday:
"Today the city council voted down the option of extending triple fines until March 2"d due to
the leadership Cal Poly students took in maintaining safety and civility. After many fragile
months we have earned the respect as partners of this community. It is important that we
maintain this trust and respect not only this weekend,but into the future. Thank you to those
of you who took an active or passive part in abiding by the communities requests despite
strong messaging and overwhelming presence. We have proven that we do care about our
community and our role in it."
Thank you for standing up for students and most importantly, for your trust.
Sincerely, �A
AZ
Blake Bolton
ASI President
CALIFORNIAPOLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY SAN LUIS •: •e CALIFORNIA 93407805.756.1291 FAX 805.756.6166