I wonder how long this took.

The following Resolution, SB 104, as amended in committee, was authored by Mr. Nahabet and was co-sponsored by Mr. Smelko, Ms. Hussain, Ms. Ro, Mr. Moghtader, and Ms. Dhar:

SB 104, In Support of the Cal Football Team

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CAL FOOTBALL TEAM

WHEREAS, UC Berkeley currently has the greatest football team in recent campus history; and

WHEREAS, the California Golden Bears record thus far is 4 wins and 2 loss; and

WHEREAS, the California Golden Bears will continue to defeat their opponents, including the UCLA this weekend; and

WHEREAS, the ASUC has a responsibility to support its athletic teams on behalf of the student body; and

WHEREAS, the ASUC also has a responsibility to present an example of responsibility and sportsmanship; and

WHEREAS, GO BEARS!

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the ASUC Senate shout “GO BEARS!” upon approval of this bill in the general Senate meeting.

Ms. Oatfield said she pulled the bill from the Consent Calendar. She read the following:

—————

Begin Statement by Ms. Oatfield

I’m afraid that many of you will be more skeptical of me as a politician and as a person after I make this statement, but I feel like the words I’m about to speak are words that haven’t been spoken other than in hushed whispers behind closed doors. But I think they very much need to be said out loud, and publicly.

Before I came to Berkeley I saw images of the Free Speech Movement; I watched a documentary entitled “Berkeley in the 60’s” and saw masses of students actively engaging in pressing political issues of the day.

Now that I’m at Berkeley, I see masses of students passively walk to class everyday and I see masses of students and community members attending football games at the Stadium down the street from my house on Saturdays during the fall.

On game days, rowdy drunk people flood the streets near my home and the streets are littered with plastic red cups for days afterwards. I often wish that we could channel all the energy that students put into attending football games and cheering at them into standing up for civil rights and community service.

My mother grew up in Europe where sports teams and universities are very separate entities, and the culture of college football is still to this day a very strange concept for her, though she’s been living in America for nearly 30 years now. Though I was born in the US, this culture of college football is strange to me as well; I don’t understand why sports take on such a high level of priority in the academic world here. As a good friend of mine pointed out, the California Golden Bear was practically driven extinct by Europeans who slaughtered them. At the same time, the Europeans slaughtered and committed genocide against the indigenous peoples of this land; the mascot of an extinct bear is similar in tone and cultural content to mascots such as the Cleveland “Indians” and Washington “Redskins”.

The football stadium itself reminds me all too much of a Roman coliseum. These aggressive and disrespectful elements of Cal football culture distress me. I’m proud to be a UC Berkeley student not because of our football team but because of our outstanding academic programs and our legacy of promoting civil rights and environmental justice.

This bill calls for the ASUC Senate to shout Go Bears! I do not believe in shouting this statement. If the bill passes, I will not comply with it in a peaceful act of civil disobedience, with all due respect to the sponsors of this bill and their positive intent.

End statement by Ms. Oatfield

—————

Ms. Hussain said that with all due respect to previous speakers, she was a huge supporter of Cal football and a huge civil rights activism in her own right. She didn’t think the two were mutually exclusive. She understood people might be perplexed about why college football was the way it was in general, but it served not only as a wonderful pastime for those who enjoy the game, but also allowed people to show pride. The University can be known as a great academic institution as well as a great sports institution.

A motion to call the question was made and seconded by Ms. Raffi and Mr. Tran and passed with no objection.

A roll call vote was requested.

Roll call was taken on the motion to approve SB 104, as amended in committee:

YES

Sheila Chen
Tara Raffi
Sarah Cho
Claudia Rodriguez
Meghana Dhar
Lyell Sakaue
Mary June Flores
Kifah Shah
Saira Hussain
Will Smelko
John Moghtader
Lisa Tran
Eddie Nahabet
Tu Tran
Tommy Owens
Obiamaka Ude

NO

Christina Oatfield

ABSTAIN

Oscar Mairena

A motion to close the rolls was made by Ms. Shah and was seconded and passed with no objection.

THE MOTION TO APPROVE SB 104, AS AMENDED IN COMMITTEE, PASSED 16-1-1, RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CAL FOOTBALL TEAM. Voting comments were heard. The Senate did a “Go Bears!”

Doesn’t the ASUC have more important things to spend 6 1/2 hour-long meetings on? Like resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance?