ACT is a slate on campus dedicated to making student government work for students. ACT is an organization which empowers the students of UC Davis to integrate their ideas into action creating a safe environment in which they can pursue their goals. It provides an access point for UC Davis students to get in contact with their associated student body (ASUCD) so they can directly impact the decisions that are made involving them. ACT provides alternative avenues for students to get involved in which keeps the campus more connected within ASUCD. ACT was created by UC Davis students Gianni Rosas-Maxemin and Kevin Faro in 2009 when both students (Kevin being a former LEAD member and Gianni an EAC commissioner) learned that too many people disagreed with LEAD because of their monopoly within ASUCD and felt more comfortable to vote for an independent or not at all. However, it is much more difficult to win as an independent rather than running on a large powerful party, such as LEAD. To help remedy this problem, ACT was established to provide a level playing field within ASUCD and to help elect the best candidates. ACT ran 3 candidates in the Winter election of 2009 and elected one of them, Justin Gold with the most votes any senator received. ACT also helped elect independent Kevin Massoudi for senate and Joe Chatham and Chris Dietrich for the executive ticket. For more information, go to http://www.ucACT.com
ACT is a new political organization that is devoted to working for you. The student. We pride ourselves on action and living up to our promises and our responsibilities. So come ACT and see what we are all about.
Purpose ACT believes in a quality of life for the UC Davis community that is respectful of its people, its environment, and its future generations.
We want to ACT EVERY DAY
—to empower the students of UC Davis to work towards achieving their goals and ambitions;
—by creating a safe campus that fosters educational opportunity and innovation,
—by integrating our diverse community of cultures and minds,
—by creating transparency between ASUCD and the student body;
—to create opportunities for student ideas to foster beyond the classroom;
—to make UC Davis a sustainable campus to act as a national model for the environmental movement;
—to prepare UC Davis students for what lies ahead…
ACT.
ACT provides a friendly environment for you to come share your ideas, learn more about student government, and have fun. ACT serves as a forum in which you can experiment with turning theories you learn about in the classroom into practice in the real world. ACT provides a gathering point for you to meet with others who can help you act on your idea in order to create a positive change for the community. ACT also provides an access point to ASUCD which you can take advantage of to become involved in your student government and community. ACT advocates for resources to help empower you and your ideas and hopes that you take advantage of them.
Our entire goal is to help you act on your ideas. The first step is often the hardest, so we are providing free food and entertainment to help you complete step one by providing a forum for you to talk to your peers and get help. Come be that voice in the room that changes the room, the campus, the state, the nation, and the world!
Check out our new video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCGxRMK-at8&feature=channel_page
2009-01-20 23:41:50 ACT is pretty cool, they seek input from a lot of different people and don't kick people out of their meetings. Definitely check them out. —GregWebb
2009-01-21 19:57:16 Why is this necessary? Why is any slate necessary? I am always partial to independent senate candidates because I don't understand why a college campus needs political parties. We all want the same thing, right? Why do I need a "political organization" to work toward my goals and ambitions? Why do we need yet another slate to "integrate our diverse community of cultures and minds"? Aren't there more productive means to these ends? —OscarSabino
- The central organization is valuable when the majority of candidates cannot effectively navigate student government alone. ACT and LEAD serve as support groups in a way but I agree that the historical context of slates is bad for students as a whole. ACT strives to be different but we know the limitations. That said, our meetings are open to the pubic and LEAD meetings are not. GregWebb
2009-01-23 15:30:10 The above video is now private. A few noteworthy pieces about it in the Aggie. ACT receives criticism for video interviews, article. There was a Letter to the Editor about misrepresentation from the CoHo manager feeling she was tricked into it and how the video wasn't removed. This was followed by another Letter to the Ed apology from "Co-founder of ACT, Gianni Rosas-Maxemin" with the video being marked as private now. —ES
- 2009-01-24 13:52:59 Honestly, I think Miss Reff should've been more careful about allowing her image to be used. In any case, the motivation of Senator Schwartz is fear of competition and students definitely deserve better than a one-party student government. I'm sick and tired of these minor controversies holding more weight than the unethical instances of actual elected and appointed officials in ASUCD. The extortion of ASUCD funds to a non-UCD student is IMO more of a threat to the student body than some video. —GregWebb
- 2009-01-24 18:56:29 As a co-worker of Hannah's she thought she was helping a student for a class project. She was angry that she had been lied to and exploited for political gain. I'm very concerned with your commentary on this issue as an Aggie Reporter also agreed to do this video even though Aggie employees can't be aligned within ASUCD. That's how people lose jobs Greg, I think that the evidence that ACT mislead students is obvious (as noted in the recent Aggie article, "However, after it became apparent that at least one other student, a reporter for The California Aggie, posed for the video without being informed it was for an ASUCD organization, Rosas-Maxemin chose to take the video down completely"). If ACT hadn't done anything wrong why did Gianni take down the video? —JackZwald
- 2009-01-24 19:23:03 My commentary is that the embezzlement of ASUCD funds to a non-UCD student is worse than actions done out of poor judgement. I think controversies such as this and campaigning in the dorms are reprehensible, although I believe that the act of betraying the public trust as an elected official is worse. Don't put words in my mouth. —GregWebb
- 2009-01-24 21:19:04 You said that Hannah Reff wasn't careful enough and said nothing about ACT. I just wanted to know that you agreed with me that what ACT did was, in your own words, reprehensible. —JackZwald
Edwin, [in response to an edit comment (see page info)] The Aggie got it wrong, per usual. The slate designation does not even exist according to SPAC. All groups can reserve rooms and can obtain CFC funding. The only reason this is relevant is because for a long period of time LEAD was not a registered student organization, meaning they could not reserve rooms, etc. If you just do a blank search of spac orgs here you can see that ACT is registered as a political group and a service one. But there is nothing official about slates, as it is a purely asucd designation, as defined in the bylaws as such: "A “Slate” is any group of candidates and/or Tickets who run together under a common name or common slogan." (401B). However, by that definition, we can consider ACT a slate, but they are also allowed to consider themselves simply a student group running a slate which is also coincidentally named ACT. On the flipside, this level of mental gymnastics would require us to create a new page like "ACT/Student Organization" and I don't even want to go there. -M.
- Max, the Aggie didn't get it wrong, Gianni got it wrong: "The slate designation entitles them to on-campus meeting space and SPAC funds, Rosas-Maxemin said." —OS
2009-01-24 22:50:21 I support healthy competition. I don't support dishonesty. Do I support Senator Schwartz's candidacy? Yes. Did that motivate me to criticize ACT's below-ground methods? No. Why should I have to be careful of how I look when I'm at work? My responsibility there is not to read fine print for shady political campaigns; it's to provide sanitary, well-made food to thousands of hungry people a day. I appreciate Senator Schwartz's alerting me to the issue, but I wrote the emails to the ACT leadership, and I penned the press release sent to the Aggie, KDVS, and AGTV. To imply that I acted solely on Rebecca's behalf is insulting. Not only do I think for myself, I speak for myself, too! It's amazing what women with brains in their heads and feet in their shoes are capable of in this day and age. —HannahReff
2009-01-29 16:59:55 Do most UC campuses have a slate system like Davis? —ThanhVu
Has slates: ASUC, ASUCSB, ASUCLA, ASUCSB, ASUCD
No slates: ASUCR, ASUCM, ASUCI, ASUCSF, UCSC SUA
It's an even split. Though they're typically called parties at other schools. —BrentLaabs
2009-02-25 17:59:00 To respond to your question senator Zwald, we took down the video to remove the 2 people that complained. We immediately put the video back up, contacted the people that left their information with us, and let everyone know that they can ask to remove themselves from the video like we did for Reff. I found out from the two people videotaping that there was no misleading information. Moreover, I was not even apart of the taping crew (Justin G. and Kevin F.) even though Reff used this to further manipulate and give credit to her story. I reviewed the video footage of Reff prior to having the picture posted and she was happier than a clam. So whatever happened between that time and the point Schwartz contacted her is beyond me. Not a single person was lied to or told that it was for a "political science project" (like Reff chooses to pretend) rather that it was used for a political project. To this day I do not know the exact intention of this attack by Hannah, but I do know this: someone I knew, discussed bringing ACT down by using Hannah Reff's fictional story to sabotage my organization. Unlike Reff, the second person that had issues with the video was much more cooperative and genuine. She said that she was unaware of the video having any affiliation with ASUCD and said that their was a "vague" understanding of its use. I understand that some people will always disagree simply because they can, however, I beg you to see both sides before jumping to conclusions.
Oscar, my words were taken out of context. Note how there are no quotations. Moreover, a group cannot register as a "slate". If you search us under "political/action" within SPAC groups at UC Davis you will discover that, "ACT. Is an organization which empowers the students of UC Davis to integrate their ideas into action creating a safe environment in which they can pursue their goals. We will provide an access point for UC Davis students to get in contact with their ASUCD so they can directly impact the decisions that are made involving them." Simply put, we are getting our foot in the door to open more access points for other students into our campus' government. If you choose to remember any of this, remember that ACT is another avenue for students to get involved in which keeps them more connected with decisions that their money fuels in our government. I have learned that too many people disagree with LEAD because of their monopoly within ASUCD and feel more comfortable voting independent. However, it is much more difficult winning as an independent rather than running on a large powerful organization, such as LEAD. ACT was created to provide a level playing field within ASUCD and to help elect the best candidates, with the most recent results as an example.
Oscar, Jack and anyone that has questions I urge you to ask me in person. This use of internet banter is unprofessional and rather childish considering your questions/comments are better answered through me. If it would make you more comfortable, feel free to contact me via email.
Look out for surveys in the near future, I plan to personally hand them out and discover what students are thinking. They will be unbiased so you will be allowed to jot down anything you are thinking in regards to your campus. We are looking to get a hefty amount of student input so that we can make sure Senate understands the most important issues effecting us.
For more information, go to our website at www.ucACT.com
Love and respect,
"Making the world a better place" —Gianni
2009-02-26 02:41:42 Yes, bubbly and amiable Rebecca Schwartz is quite the malicious individual... Are you kidding me? Not only is she the antithesis of malicious, but Rebecca would never be so irrational to think that reporting ACT's problems with facts, introductions, and clarity in public forums to the Aggie would result in "bringing down" the organization. For what its worth (Why believe me? I'm just part of "the man," right?), calling Reff an out-right liar is just offensive. Having known Hannah for a number of years, she wouldn't compromise her integrity for a petty point of contention in an ASUCD election. She doesn't, nor should anyone, view ASUCD elections with that type of intensity. —AndrewBianchi
2009-02-26 02:58:52 No matter what I say you will be at split ends against anything in ACT's defense. Hannah Reff lied and chose to use my name for an unknown cause. I was not recording for any video tape (like she claims) about the students nor was anyone videotaping anything for the intentions she claimed that misled students. I personally have no time for people like Reff who lie and use the energy that my team uses to be imploded against us within false pretenses. —Gianni
2009-02-26 10:50:31 Let's split hairs here, Gianni. I don't know you. I've never met you. I ALSO didn't know the two young men who approached me about the video, and since you are the one who responded to my complaint about it, I made the silly assumption that one of them was you. My mistake, my apology.
I don't lie. Thanks for making that silly assumption. As to the "happier than a clam" comment, who doesn't like to have their picture taken? Some Native American tribes believe that pictures steal your soul; a friend of mine hasn't allowed herself to be photographed since the 90s. I, however, love attention (that's the redheaded middle child for you), and I was flattered at the time to be included in someone's political science project. —HannahReff
2009-02-26 11:37:19 I'm just reading their website. They talk about how a AAA-like service is needed for bikes. Come on guys, if you guys really cared about this at all, you'd know that such a thing already exists. —WilliamLewis
2009-02-27 08:17:28 Honestly, the video kerfluffle and the confused response to it (plus the fact that slates are dumb and we don't need any more of them) made me realllly skeptical of ACT. But after seeing the way LEAD has behaved in the past month (not pretty), and the quality of the candidates that ACT actually ran (very smart, polite, not politically obsessed), I have a much higher opinion of ACT now. I look forward to seeing what Justin Gold can get done in the Senate, and I also look forward to what ACT has to offer in the future. Hopefully it will be more along the lines of how they acted during the election and less similar to the video fiasco. —PeteWillits
2009-02-27 14:25:52 Thank you Pete and all of our supporters. I really do appreciate the positive energy. —Gianni
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