COCA November 9th, 2010 Minutes

MEETING 11/9/10

In Attendance: Ashely, Jessica, Jasmine, Sarah, Martin, Cyree, Jeremy, Sam, Josh, Kalei

Cyree -> Emily Kalei -> Eliana, Kristina

Kalei: Here's my plan: 2 event requests, report backs from HH debriefing/ Community Council/5 College Gov't Team, meeting this friday with Carolyn, meeting times for rest of semester, facilitation presentation. Chris Thomas is here to present, as well.

Cierra and Chris Thomas enter.

REQUESTS Making Dumpling and Learning Chinese - Event to intro. C culture via discussion and food makin'. Submitted on the 7th, event on the 20th. $350 in food.

Cierra: They have had very successful events.

Kalei: But it's submitted 13, not 14 days.

Josh motions to deny event- not submitted in the perimeters of our process. Kalei seconds, mentions how this should eventually happen and can because it is not time sensitive. No blocks. Motion passes, event denied.

Chris: Sup, COCA? I'll be short and quick- the recent article in Omen made me want to investigate what kinds of anti-discriminatory means our Community Council and Government have in place?

Cyree notes that last semester the CC put an anti-discriminatory bylaw into effect that covers COCA as part of the Governance of Hampshire College.

Kalei mentions how Chris and she looked into introducing a COCA bylaw that is anti- discriminatory.

Chris notes COCA would not fund events for groups that would, for example, use violence to protest something- is talking about how we try to fund SUPPORT and not ATTACKS.

Cierra: Notes the difficulty in writing such a bylaw- SJP's anti-Israel stance, for example, is certainly the definition of "AGAINST" and we support them.

Chris: Border issues are a key topic on our campus- how do we support both sides of an argument positively?

Cyree mentions treatment of SOURCE groups, closed group funding issues- drawing that line in every day matters is confusing. I.E., is a closed group discriminatory?

Chris criticizes the college's toothless approach to reproach. Discusses how COCA sets a standard of events with our beliefs.

Wei enters.

Chris: Hampshire should be about taking responsibility for the stances that we take. Was surprised at the lack of anti-discriminatory legislation in the Community Council. Notes that while CC's laws are larger and longer lasting, they are harder to implement; but COCA's event by event approach might mean that it is a more effective office.

Cyree reads Section D, article 6 of the CC bylaws- the anti-discriminatory policy.

Chris sees it as not explicitly dealing with the issues he finds troublesom.

Josh notes that we haven't actually heard any actual proposal from Chris- i.e., what is actually being discussed.

Chris wants to see a bylaw that says COCA will not approve any event that is specifically leveled against another group.

Josh responds that the nature of COCA and its duties make such a specific bylaw a little redundant because the committee is all about appealing to and supporting a diverse community.

Kalei notes that this body changes frequently, and while this body is progressive and diverse we need to institute things for the future.

Chris wants to see structural support for anti-discriminatory measures.

Cyree wonders if there is a way to standardize that sort of measure committee by committee or indeed for the community at large. Our job is procedural one.

Jeremy: Did you mean that we judge event by event or a student group at large?

Chris: Event by event.

Jeremy: That's very difficult to judge event by event what is going to be harmful- it's vague and difficult to apply consistently.

Nora enters.

Chris: I'm asking COCA to take on more responsibility for your decisions- case by case evaluating what we endorse and deny on a larger philosophic level. I understand this won't be achieved over night, Hampshire is a contentious community.

Cierra recalls anti-Israel protests that deeply upset the Jewish community at Hampshire; that is going to come up again, probably, and a bylaw like this will complicate political events deeply.

Cyree notes the difference between Jews and Israelis, and comments on the political and ethnic separation between criticizing the groups. She observes that one group dispersing cultural information and that culture being offended as a legitimate ground for concern and complaint. She also notes that as a QIPAC signer her group was for years NOT ALLOWED TO RECIEVE FUNDING because it was a closed group. These examples are made to make it clear how thorough and airtight and comprehensive such measures would have to be- "a fist of legislation".

Faustino enters.

Martin: What about events that are clearly and obviously "anti" something as opposed to events that support things that are through its means "anti"? When will we start denying things based on individual political beliefs, not even about the event in question? I.E., is funding a neo-nazi who runs a baking club discriminatory?

Kalei notes past conversations about open/closed meetings that had to happen in a total vacuum of prior legislation, and the importance of legislation to hold us responsible- create a system where the students can hold us accountable as opposed to relying entirely on our own internal processes.

Chris mentions his intention to talk to other groups about these questions.

Cierra wonders how we think about this in the context of the SAF- every student pays it, how do we deal with denying paying students their money?

Chris leaves.

Kalei underscores the importance of understanding that this body changes.

Josh, Cierra, and Jeremy do a de-briefing of the Hampshire Halloween de-briefing meeting.

Kalei reports back about the Five College Governance Team- notes other student committees also feel pretty loathed on their respective campuses, and that their meetings are poorly attended, and that they are having trouble communicating to their campus- and they're way more loaded and less internet-active. So we're scrappy and cool. Side note: MoHo has a senate with reps from each hall! WOAH! Notes that their COCA equivalent is a student group with an application process outside of the government to do big events.

Jeremy reports back from the 5 College Consortium discussion- talking about a "how to" about marketing and advertising across the Five Colleges.

Kalei and Faustino report back on CC. Discussion of stipends.

Kalei outlines definition of taskforces- student volunteer groups who brainstorm and discuss specific issues, sort of mini-groups that present their deliberations to council. Kalei does one for Officer Accountability- making sure officers are acting in a manner that deserves stipends.

Chris (crc10) enters to talk about an SJP request he needs to clarify- were approved, needed more money- Homeless in Homelands.

Kalei: What was unclear was that with all the sources of money mentioned (theater board, et al) why you need money from COCA.

Chris explains that a lot of the non-COCA money went to renting a package of lights through Theater Board, which was particularly expensive because they are using the main stage and someone who does not go to Hampshire to run the tech/lights.

Kalei: Were the performer fees negotiable?

Chris: We already talked her down from her normal fee.

Josh: So explain how much more you need.

Chris: We got a thousand, we need $350 more.

Josh moves to clarify when it's happening and what resources have been dealt with

for that week. It's on the 18th; Faustino looks at the schedule. We're $1k under our budget for that week.

Kalei: Submit an additional funding request explaining this with an itemized budget. Sooner the better!

Chris leaves.

Kalei: Facilitation presentation from Cyree and Jeremy to come. Introduces reducing meetings to once a week for the rest of the semester- we accomplish most of our stuff within the first half hour of most meetings, and it's nonsensical to have four hours of meetings a week when funding requests have dried up and our funds are depleted as we move closer to the end of the year.

Jeremy agrees.

Cyree moves to hold the facilitation presentation to Thursday so more people can hear it. Jeremy agrees as well.

Sam voices concern that once a week meetings might be problematic; members who already only can come to one meeting a week.

Jan Term discussion; who will be here, how often should we meet, etc.

Sam motions to meet one hour twice a week, 7-8. Cyree seconds. Cierra blocks- once a week! As the semester goes on, it's going to be deplorably devoid of things to do and academic stress will increase. People will stop attending as a result of this. Josh: Two shorter meetings reduces the significance of meeting at all and will hurt attendance from both community and committee. Jeremy: I agree with Cierra, also the two-week barrier is going to make event requests totally halt soon enough. Cyree speaks for 2 meetings a week for the benefit of all committee members and for providing signers with an opportunity to come in. Kalei notes that Cierra is quitting her job and as such could now come to Thursday meetings. ALL IN FAVOR OF TWO ONE HOUR MEETINGS: Jessica, Ashley, Faustino, Cyree, Sam, Josh, Nora ALL OPPOSED TO TWO ONE HOUR MEETINGS: Sarah, Jeremy, Cierra, Kalei, Emily (via Cyree) ALL IN ABSTAINTION: Martin, Kristina, Eliana (those two were in proxy)

Motion fails. Cierra motions to meet once a week for two hours. Jeremy seconds. Kalei blocks- obviously everyone is not in agreement. ALL IN FAVOR OF ONE TWO HOUR MEETINGS: Eliana (via Kalei), Sarah, Kalei, Cierra, Emily (via Cyree), Jeremy, Eliana (via Kalei), Sam ALL OPPOSED: Cyree, Kristina, Faustino, Jessica, Ashley, Nora, Josh Motion fails.

Kalei motions that we don't meet this Thursday to see if it impacts our processes dramatically. Cyree seconds "that emotion". No blocks. Motion passes, no meeting this Thursday.

We return to events.

HAMPSHIRE CONFUSCIANS - Dumplings resubmitted. $358, November 23rd.

Jeremy motions to approve- we have the money, they resubmitted. Cyree seconds. Josh blocks- we're enthusiastic, lets make sure we check out each item to see if there's anything over the top. We examine the food request, it holds close to the $4/a head (80 people). Josh rescinds block. Motion passes for $358.

Wei's request: book tour- 90 minute talk/performance. We pended because he needed two other names and the performer cost was $1500. Wei responded via e- mail that they would do it for $1200 with no workshop. Josh Landes (typing) and Thom Sullivan are the two other names.

Request is for 1200 Cyree motions to approve for 1212 Sierra seconds Jeremy blocks - over budget for week Approvals: sierra, sam, kalei, nora, cyree, emily, faustino, britney, jessica, ashley, eliana, jeremy Opposed: kristina Abstentions: sarah

Jeremy: Tentatively approve SJP thing because we're not meeting Thursday, and then Kalei can respond to him individually when he gets back to us.

Faustino: I don't wanna be that guy, but can we do that?

Kalei recalls once approving the Experimental Music Collective in the same ambiguous way, last Spring Jam. We are not meeting Thursday, that's our problem, and we're ending the meeting early tonight, that's our problem.

Cyree: Is the question about timing, i.e. 14 days?

Kalei: No, it's that there are precious few meetings before their date.

Cyree makes it clear that for that week we are not over budget and what have you.

Jeremy motions to pre-emptively approve $350 for SJP. Kalei seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

Discussion of Queertillion and Queertillion outfits overtakes the committee.

Kalei: Last item of business!

Jasmine leaves room so we can vote on her membership.

Josh motions to approve jasmine. Ashley seconds. No blocks. Motion passes. Jasmine is now a voting member of COCA.

Josh motions to adjourn the meeting. Cyree seconds. No blocks. Motion passes, meeting is over.

Kalei mentions contract meeting Friday with Caroline for all returning COCA members.