EVENT CENTER VOTE 2014

Graphic illustration By anthony nathan

VOTE 1 THE STATE HORNET

In fall 2014, The State Hornet researched a student referendum vote concerning a proposed event center and $219 per semester fee and reached out to the campus community on how this vote will affect Sacramento State. To inform the student population about the upcoming vote, editors and reporters have shared the information found in this guide. Students will find objective factual information about the student referendum vote, how the proposed event center will affect them now if it passes and how it will affect Sac State students in the future. The following pages are our findings.

Shall the university move forward with the construction and operation of a pro-posed event center? The proposed facility will be a modern, multi-use facility that will provide space for increased programming such as: educational or ca-reer-related sessions, ceremonies, community lectures, special events, athletic or recreational programming and entertainment. It will be located at the south end of campus in the space currently occupied by parking lot 6, between the University Union and Parking Structure III.

The fee would be implemented as follows:- The proposed fee of up to $219 per semester would include planning, design, construction, programming and long-term maintenance costs; fee to begin Fall 2015.

- Every academic year the fee will be increased to reflect inflation, not to ex-ceed the Bay Area Consumer Price Index (CPI).

-Student Fee Advisory Committee

Student Referendum

Editorial BoardEditor - Kellie McCownVisual Managing Editor- Anthony NathanWriters- Jake Abbott, Matthew Malone, Kellie McCownResearch- Jake Abbott, Matthew Malone,Kellie McCownCopy Editing- Rachel Rosenbaum, Rian Edington

Graphics- Anthony NathanPhotos- Sarah Hines, Eric LeljaPage Design- Anthony NathanEditor in Chief- Kayla Nick-KearneyAdviser- Timi Poeppelman

artist renderinG provided By communication studies 158

The above map, from the Feb. 2014 Sac State Draft Master Plan, shows the proposed location of the event center (middle, pink) with The Well (left) and the Union (top) in gray. The existing library is in red (top).

REMAINING THE SAMENEW CAMPUS AMENITIES

VOTE 2THE STATE HORNET

How much will the center cost and when will it be built?

The event center is projected to cost $125 million and begin construction in 2016 and be completed in 2018.

How will the event center and arena be paid for?The event center and arena will be funded through a Category II fee.

How much will the Category II fee be, and when will it take effect?

The fee will be $219 per semester and will be put into effect fall 2015.What is a Category II fee?A Category II Fee is a campus mandatory fee that must be paid to enroll in or attend the university.

Is $219 a set dollar amount for the fee?The fee will increase annually. The increase will be an average of 1.5% to 2% annually, depending on inflation.

Who will be able to use the facility?

The event center will be open to all enrolled students at Sacramento State.

What will the event center be used for?The center will be used to house musical attractions, potential TED Talks and commencement ceremonies. There is also a proposed three-story event center that will house more restaurant choices for students and more spaces for studying.

Where will the event center be located?The event center will be located in place of Parking Lot 6 across from The Well.

What is the Bay Area Consumer Price Index (CPI)?The CPI is a measurement that reflects inflation in both the Sacramento and Bay Areas.

Where can I vote?Voting will take place from Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. to Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. Students can cast their vote online through a link provided in their SacLink accounts. Polling places will also be provided to students at the University Union.

Information provided in this FAQ came from the communication studies 158 class Campaign President Tyler Smith and the Student Fee Advisory Committee.

VOTE 3 THE STATE HORNET

Sacramento State is at a crossroads between continuing as a dynamic university and falling behind other academic institutions.Students involved on campus perform better in both academics and life. The event center would enrich the education of Sac State students by expanding on-campus opportunities for involvement. As the only mid-sized venue in Sacramento, the center would transform our campus into a hub for both student and community life. This will build bonds that lead to strong professional networks with both current students and alumni. A new student center would create much-needed space on campus for student organizations that enhance the academic experience, such as Greek, cultural groups, athletics and more. Events at the center would provide all students with accessible opportunities to enrich our education by bringing TED Talks, political candidates and conferences to campus. This will elevate the stature of our university and will provide a valuable edge in a competitive job market to past and present students. With a 5,000-seat arena, we can finally host graduation on our own campus. This is a historic moment for Sac State. Vote “Yes” for the event center to invest in our education by building the campus we deserve.

According to CSU, Sacramento’s Strategic Plan that is “supposed to guide all aspects of work for the next several years,” to “Enhance Student Learning and Success” is number one on that chart. This top priority is meant to increase the graduation rates and close the achievement gap amongst underrepresented minority students. What is problematic is that at number five on this Strategic Plan stands “Engage students in a Comprehensive University Experience,” which building a student event center is mentioned under this goal. The goal of this section is not problematic by itself, but rather becomes troubling when the first four goals are skipped and new economic burden is placed on the students instead of tying to enhance student learning and success. Moreover, by simply proposing this student event center it is quite clear that education, the main reason an individual attends an institution for higher education, is placed on the back burner while the social aspect of university life is put at number one.

By providing opportunities for involvement, the event center will forge a valuable university experience that the classroom alone cannot provide. This leads to better outcomes for both current students and graduates.Students who participate on campus through extracurricular activities have a 6- year graduation rate of 73 percent. The nonparticipant rate is barely half: only 38 percent. Involved students also have significantly higher rates of retention and perform better after graduation.There is nothing that could contribute more to quality education for all stu-dents than building the center. Let us create a better campus by providing enriching academic and personal opportunities. Vote “yes.”

The “crossroad” the communication class speaks about is one they have made up to keep the students believing we must have something we do not need. The new Kings stadium along with the convention center already exists to host events. What we students need is more: classes, full-time instructors, and a better quality education. Education is a major factor as to how competitive you will be on the job market and how com-petent you will be in your job position. Do you really think that mentioning you have new student event center on your resume would land you a job?

Statements & RebuttalsSQE* Statement Coms 158 Statement

SQE* Rebuttal

Coms 158 Rebuttal

*Students for Quality Education

Statements and rebuttals supplied by Students for Quality Education and coms studies 158 campaign members Tyler Smith, Joe Stoddard, Elyssa Seals and Melissa Barger.

VOTE 4THE STATE HORNET

With only 125 seats avail-able, over 200 students packed into Folsom Hall Thursday to hear the Sacramento State Debate Team, in partnership with the Public Debate Associ-ation, discuss the event center vote.

The students debating were assigned a stance and given a week to research supporting evidence. Each side had 16 minutes to state its arguments and six minutes for cross-ex-amination.

The affirmative side focused on the financial opportunities, the university’s prestige and the potential for an increase in community involvement.

The negative side’s debate was centered around student fees, the benefits of a com-muter campus and the overall lack of information available to students regarding the build-ing.

Nick Cerneka, a junior or-ganizational communication major, opened the debate for the affirmative side and spoke about the employment oppor-tunities the event center would provide students.

“The University Union em-ploys about 100 students,” Cerneka said. “If The Well em-

ploys 170 students, a three-story facility with a 5,000 seat arena will employ far more.”

He also said the event cen-ter would increase community involvement.

“The new student center will be built with the objective of bringing the campus and the community together and to help promote a healthier life-style,” Cerneka said. “Having superior on-campus amenities is key to recruiting efforts.”

The first debater to speak on behalf of the negative side was Mariano Gomez, a senior organizational communication major.

“It’s $219 per semester to fund a new $125 million are-na on campus,” Gomez said. “The problem with that is, ac-cording to the [Sacramento] Bee, we are already in the low tens for the highest fees in the whole CSU system. But if it passes, we are going down to number six.”

Sac State is currently ranked number 15 in the CSU system for highest tuition and manda-tory campus fees, according to a release by the Chancel-lor’s Office. If the event cen-ter vote passes, the university would be ranked sixth in rela-tion to this year’s numbers, but doesn’t reflect the potential student fee increases on the

other campuses. “There should be an alterna-

tive way to pay for this event center,” Gomez said. “The students shouldn’t have to pay for it.”

Genesis Burns, a senior criticism and public commu-nication major for the affirma-tive side, expressed the im-portance of further developing Sac State’s reputation.

“Our campus is continually being overlooked to host pres-tigious events,” Burns said. “We are in the capital, we have a great government program, yet when the Clintons came to talk they didn’t speak at our campus, they went to Davis. They chose to go to a school with an event center.”

Burns said by increasing Sac State’s prestige and the number of students attend-ing the school, the univer-sity would receive more state funding for educational ser-vices.

“Bottom line, the student event center is more valuable than the cost,” she said. “Sac-ramento State is at a cross-roads between continuing as a dynamic university or falling behind other academic institu-tions. And this event center

will make us more dynamic.” Brandon Garcia, a junior in-

ternational relations major for the opposition of the center, explained why students should embrace Sac State’s commut-er-school label.

“The reason commuter cam-puses are built in the first place is for people in Vacaville, so people in Elk Grove can have an accessible education here,” Garcia said. “Transfer stu-dents who don’t want to pay a lot of money come here cause we have a good program and it doesn’t cost a lot of money. That’s a good thing.”

Sac State has 26,648 en-rolled undergraduates this fall and 93.6 percent of those are categorized as commut-ers, meaning they do not live on campus. Of the 2,701 en-rolled in a graduate program, only four students are reported as “living on campus,” accord-ing to the University Factbook provided by the Office of Insti-tutional Research.

The last speaker for the op-position, junior communication studies major Joseph Lederer, reiterated the group’s main concern over the lack of infor-mation about the event center.

“Essentially, you’re signing

off a blank check,” Lederer said. “We aren’t necessar-ily against this arena, we are against this special election. Why would we vote for that if we don’t know what we are getting?”

William Hampton-Bruce, a sophomore government major, closed the debate for the affir-mative side discussing the po-tential impact an event center might have on the university and the community.

“We don’t have a rich history, we don’t have the diversity that allows students to come here and enjoy different major pro-grams,” Hampton-Bruce said. “By having that rich history, this becomes a destination campus. What this event cen-ter offers is not only a way for athletics to spur, but it’s a way in which we take pride in our campus.”

Students can participate in the vote Dec. 2- 3, sponsored by the Student Fee Advisory Committee. Voting will take place from Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. to Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. A voting link will be provided in students’ SacLink accounts and polling places will be provided at the Union. Results are expected to be reached by late Dec. 3.

Students debate event center voteBy Jacob Abbott@jakeabbott_csus

eric lelja - state hornet

eric lelja - state hornet

Students clap after hearing the Sacramento State Debate Team give its speeches in Folsom Hall on Thursday, November 20. The students listened to six members of the Debate Team and were allowed to ask questions following the debate.

Genisis Burns, a senior criticism and public communication major, presents her evidence for the affirmative side about the event center on Thursday, Nov. 20, in Folsom Hall. The debate was sponsored by the Public Debate Association and the Sacramento State Debate Team.

VOTE 5 THE STATE HORNET

ROAD TO CENTER2001

2013

2004

2010

2014 2016

ASI President Jason Bryant raised the possibility of a new referendum with University Union director. To hear the student voice, polls and open forums began to determine if there was an interest in a event center.

An ASI referendum measure proposing the construction of one struc-ture with three different center components: wellness, recreation and events. Out of the 4,378 students who voted, 2,415 approved a $72 million center that took six years to complete.

The Well, a multi-faceted health and fitness center, officially opens.

The event center was not built with The Well as it stated in the 2004 referendum, due to the recession and the rising costs of construction materials.

In 2013 a proposal was made to re-model The Well to include a down-graded event center that would seat about 3,500 people.

The process that provides the oppor-tunity for input and participation from students in decisions regarding fee increases and the use of those fees is known as the alternative consultation process.

The alternative consultation process was implemented; a process that provides the opportunity for input and participation in decisions regard-ing fee increases, to gauge the inter-est, needs and wants of Sac State students.

After the alternative consultation pro-cess took place, President Gonzalez decided to hold a student referendum in 2014 for the proposed event center.

The Student Fee Advisory Committee was formed after President Gonzalez asked for a referendum that will increase student fees by $219 a semester to fund an event center in place of Parking Lot 6.

2017-18

Estimated completion of the event center.Construction is expected to begin in 2016 if the refer-

endum is approved by students, President Gonzalez and the CSU Board of Trustees.

In 2010 The Well, as Sacra-mento State knows it now, had its grand opening, minus one major component: an event center. On Dec. 2 and 3, students will be able to vote for an event center and the $219 per semester fee that would fund it.

Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez has the final decision to approve funding and construction of an event center. If he approves it, then a proposal will be present-ed to the CSU Board of Trustees for final approval. All CSU presi-dents have a strict protocol to fol-low when establishing new fees.

In order for a new fee to be im-plemented, an Alternative Consul-tation must take place; as stated in Executive Order 1054, a docu-ment outlining policies all CSUs must follow regarding fee imple-mentation.

Alternative consultation ensures that a diversity of students from all aspects of campus life have an opportunity to participate in deci-sions regarding fee increases and how those fees are used.

“There are two levels of Alter-native Consultation,” said Gina Curry, Student Fee Advisory Ad-ministration designee. “The first is the Student Advisory Fee Com-mittee [SAFC]. This committee is composed of students, faculty and staff. They are first to see the pro-posals. If they feel it doesn’t have merit, they don’t approve that it goes to referendum. If we feel it needs two levels of consultation, it goes to referendum.”

To get a sense of the student opinion about the proposed event center and student fee, the SAFC conducted an Alternative Consul-tation in 27 forums held on cam-pus in 2013, allowing students to voice concerns and praise, as well as ask questions.

The event center raised the most attention from students, ac-cording to Curry, who felt addi-tional consultation was necessary before a decision was made to move forward.

That attention is what pushed the committee, and Gonzalez, to decide the best way for students to voice their opinions would be through a vote.

“Being an issue that was that big and cost that much money, it was felt every student should have the opportunity to vote, [the event center] should not be alternative consultation. Students were vocal that Alternative Consultation was not democratic enough of a pro-cess. And that’s how we have the referendum we have now,” said Curry.

Gonzalez had the opportunity to approve the event center last year after the initial Alternative Consul-tation. However, Gonzalez and students felt not enough voices were heard and decided to move forward with a student referendum vote.

“President Gonzalez, who has the power to pass a fee for any capital project not protected by an education code, decided against instituting a new fee and new arena (event center) without a stu-dent referendum vote,” said Curry. “Ultimately, he (the president) still has the final decision.”

To promote the vote to the stu-dents, communication studies professor Tim Howard used the proposal as part of his communi-cation 158 class, which teaches public relations in an experiential learning environment.

“I just grabbed it,” said Howard. “Just going from the Alternative Consultation, I asked the class what they thought and if this was

something that they would advo-cate for. I presented it to the class, with some other ideas, and they all wanted to do this.”

The center will initially be an empty building before the univer-sity decides what activities will be housed. It will have 5,000 seats and open space for symposiums and conferences.

“What we are going to be ap-proving, is a shell,” said Tyler Smith, Campaign Director for coms 158. “There is going to be a polling process to see what stu-dents want [in the event center].”

Voting will take place from Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. to Dec 3 at 7 p.m. Stu-dents can cast their vote online through a link provided in their SacLink accounts. Polling places will also be provided to students at the University Union. Results from the vote are expected to be reached a couple of hours after voting ends.

VOTE 6THE STATE HORNET

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

$474.11

$464.81

$455.70

$446.76

$438.00

payments per year

$2,279.37TOTAL

Event center and fee vote scheduled for Dec. 2 and 3By Kellie McCown@kelliemccown200

As part of the event center proposal, a new mandatory Category II student fee would be created at Sacramento State, tak-ing effect fall 2015. It would start at $219 per semester and increase each academic year to reflect inflation, not to exceed the Bay Area Consumer Price Index.

Beginning in fall 2015 the overall cost of full time attendance will increase 6.6 percent in its first year.

The ultimate impact the fee has on any particular student will vary based on when and how long the student attends Sac State, and on inflation rates.

If a student enters Sac State in fall 2015 as a freshman and graduates five years later, during which time other fees and tuition remain at the 2014-15 levels and the event center fee rises by 2 percent annually, by graduation, the fee will have cost the student $2,279.36.

If the student attended Sac State full time, the fee will make up 6.4 percent of the $35,519.36 they paid in tuition and registration fees.

As the graphic to the right illustrates the annual increase over the next five years.

The event center fee would be more ex-pensive than any other fee, besides tuition. The next highest fee, for the University Union, is set at $214 per semester. It will account for 6 percent of the hypothetical student’s total fees and tuition.

By Matthew Malone@matthewmalone_1

VOTE 7 THE STATE HORNET

During President Alexander Gonzalez’s time at Sacramento State, the campus has seen the addition of the American River Courtyard, The Well, the introduction of cam-pus maps and a new university logo. On Dec. 2 and 3, students will have an oppor-tunity to vote and give Gonzalez another chance to add an addition to the campus landscape: an event center.

The event center, which was originally planned to be built with The Well, was cut from construction because of a lack of finances in 2006. Although there have been several other design possibilities, no further action was taken until the University Union approached Gonzalez in 2013.

“Last year the University Union approached me about expanding the Union and The Well,” said Gonzalez. “Part of the original Well included an event center.”

Although Gonzalez had the power to implement the fee and begin construction on a new event center, he said he had not effectively heard the voice of students at Sac State.

“The Union came and put everything on alternative consultation and brought the results. Both the board of the Union board and the Student Fee Advisory Committee recommended that I go ahead and implement the fee,” said Gonzalez.

After Gonzalez received the results, poor student participation and a lack of campus opinion convinced him the only way to know if the students were willing to pay for a new event center was by a referendum.

“I just didn’t feel comfortable with it,” said Gonzalez. “I discussed it with the chancel-lor; the process was clean. It doesn’t mean you have to get a majority, it just means

that you have to go through the process. Basically I just didn’t feel comfortable [imple-menting the fee]. The participation rate was so low. When I didn’t approve it last year, I just felt the students needed to weigh in and let it go either up or down.”

The president went back to the Student Fee Advisory Committee and told the mem-bers that he would not approve the fee until there was a student referendum vote.

To do this, the president and the SFAC approached campus organizations about advocating for the vote, including the communication studies 158 class, which is pro-moting the event center as part of a public relations experiential learning class.

“We had talked not only to Tim Howard’s class, but to the Union,” said Gonzalez. ”It was through development with Tim’s class to put it [the vote] back out. How do you send it out to students without them knowing what’s going on? That’s where Tim [Howard] and Tyler [Smith] and some of the other students said, ‘That will be a really good project for us.’”

Regardless of the referendum results, Gonzalez will have the power to implement the proposed $219 per semester fee, and present the proposal to the CSU Board of Trustees. However, he says that he is leaving the decision to the students.

“Every once in a while, I will go against the trend, but if I do that, it’s very seldom,” said Gonzalez. “If they [students] vote yes, then we will move forward. If they vote no, then it’s done.”

For students who do not want a new event center at Sac State and pay the per-semester fee, Gonzalez said the best way to prevent it from moving forward is to get out and vote.

“The students who are against the fee, the way you do it is to defeat it through the vote,” said Gonzalez. “For the students who want to see it happen, well, get out there and if it goes, it goes. Let democracy decide.”

By Kellie McCown@kelliemccown200

Gonzalez weighs in on referendumPresident Alexander Gonzalez speaks about the proposed event center on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Voting for the center will take place online Dec. 2 and 3.

sarah hines - state hornet