In response to “Playing party politics interferes with ASA reform” (by Dan Desrochers, Oct 4):
What Mark Naufel doesn’t state is that he, as an ASA Director, fully supported ASA and its push for Proposition 204 at ASA board meetings in June and August. In ASA’s June 2012 meeting, the minutes state “Mark N. loves the retreat. Woo!” In addition to telling Katy Murray that he was committed to ASA until changing his mind a week later, he told student leaders around the state days and hours before his decision that he supported ASA. It’s hard to know what Mark thinks or supports.
— Zachary Brooks
PhD student, ASA director and GPSC president
Wow Mr. Brooks … You must be so tough talking bad about someone from the safety of your computer just because they’ve decided to stand up to the problems that your organization has caused.
Despite my desire to absolutely castrate you verbally on your own school’s newspaper and then send pictures of it to all my friends here in Tempe, I’m not going to do that. This is because I have basic respect and class, which apparently you do not, so instead I will present logic and facts and let everyone else decide what’s right here.
You may attack Mark, but that doesn’t change the fact that you and your organization have stolen millions of dollars from students at the state colleges in Arizona under the guise of student representation for the past 14 years. Understand that ASU has only put up with it to this point because ASA had the decency to mask themselves as a bipartisan non-profit until last year. Yes, I am referring to that time when your predecessors decided to “donate” well over $100,000 of student’s money to prop 204, which is widely considered to be a partisan initiative.
Now irregardless of the unethical manner in which this “vote” occurred, and wow was it unethical, I’m still pretty sure most people would agree that becoming one of the largest monetary contributors to a partisan proposition makes your organization fairly partisan.
Now you’re probably sitting there saying, “Well, students can ask for a refund from the association if they don’t like it,” and you would be right in matter of technicality. Let’s be honest though, nobody would waste the time it takes to get a refund for two measly dollars. This is why the scheme is so ingenious. Take a small amount from a large group of people, and you’ll have all the money you need without any argument from the people you’re taking it from.
However, the problem here is that, at its core, this fight has never been about money. It’s about ethics, honesty and principal, or the lack thereof. It’s a wonder that it took our student reps this long to resign from the organization. Does it seem odd to you that Mark was not the only one from our school that resigned from your organization? Mark was just the tipping point, but, in reality, this has been a long time coming.
The ASA’s failure to adequately address the concerns of the opposing side, i.e. ASU, and your predecessor’s willingness to disregard basic decorum and ethics of a representative group made this outcome inevitable. So, when you sit there from you electronic pulpit throwing out harsh claims to try and make yourself feel better for participating in an organization that misrepresents and steals, just realize that the world sees this organization for what it really is — a joke.
Last note, “PhD student” is not a title, it’s just pretentious. Then again it does not surprise me though, so enjoy your arrogance while the rest of us laugh.
Oh, and if you have any contact with Robyn Nebrich, tell her that the root of this debacle lies squarely with her.
— ASU Conservative
