Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Kassing leaves a campus where student activism is almost nonexistent, where a staff member for student government made two times more than professors and was fired for serving booze to minors, where an AS Advisor Richard Kelley and a University Vice President Varril "Aunt Polly" Phillips cannot seem to get one meeting of student government to follow open meeting law, and where there are five vice presidents for everything except academic services. His greatest legacy is impacting the nation's blood supply?? Wow, what an achievement!

Mr. Rowen,

You must have missed the numerous student protests and student initiated social justice movements occurring at SJSU because you have been too busy giving back to our student leaders by giving them constructive criticisms and being active in our student body.

Or, maybe you were just finding fault in everything that you see, therefore only being part of the problem by not offering solutions.

Don Kassing and I do not always agree, and based on that I can honestly say that this University is a better place BECAUSE he is our President. Student Involvement has skyrocketed since my tenure at SJSU began in 2004, and I see that as a direct correlation to President Kassing's collaborative nature and understanding that the members of the SJSU community are an investment, and deserve to be invested in. It is through his leadership which we have been the thankful recipients of numerous donations over the last three years, and have gained a more active alumni association. By spurring tradition and being the catalyst for a movement which makes SJSU feel like home, our student activism is recovering from the drop which it saw over the last 5 years. Students have formed SAHE, SQE, the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project, and Tuition Relief Now, just to name a few. Our students marched on the State Capital and are continuing to fight fee increases and budget cuts.

Veril Phillips has been the sponsor and catalyst for leadership development and student participation in multiple programs which aim at the core of civic engagement and is also to be congratulated for his work. Every AS Board meeting has followed the Gloria Romero Open Meeting Act of 2000, and I find your remarks to be disrespectful of an organization whose meetings you have been absent from all year. Also, the Vice President of Academic Affairs is Carmen Sigler - our Provost.

So while you may have influence over those who are misinformed, you do not have any bearing with those who ACTUALLY care for SJSU, because they know how far this school has come - and they will be the ones to drive it forward in the direction of greatness.