The Union’s First Year
January 22, 2015
On January 22, 2015 we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. The Union officially opened its doors on January 22, 2014 to “Welcome Home” all Aztecs.
The 206,000 square foot, LEED Platinum Union is all student fee funded and receives no State funding or support. Students voted in favor of a fee increase in order to replace the former Aztec Center, which had served the campus for over 43 years and was the first permanent student union in the CSU system.
The Union was under construction for over three years. During construction, several events that were held in Aztec Center had to be relocated to other venues. Since opening, the Union has become home once again for many annual events such as, Aztec Nights, New Student Orientation, SDSU Leadership Summit, High School Conferences, Career Fairs, Kyoto Laureate Symposium, Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon, Cesar Chavez Luncheon, department Commencement ceremonies and University Convocation.
For the first time in many years, the annual Monty’s was held in Montezuma Hall. A gala to celebrate and thank those who helped The Campaign for SDSU reach and exceed their $500 million fundraising goal. Generous gifts such as those given by Conrad Prebys and Lee and Frank Goldberg were part of The Campaign for SDSU, which the building and the courtyard are named respectively.
In 2014, the Union received the Overall Sustainable Design award by the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference and was nominated for an Orchid Design award through the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
Sustainable features of the Union include:
- Solar Panels (contributes energy savings for the Union and the campus)
- Rainwater Collection Tanks (collects rainwater used for landscape irrigation)
- Stormceptors (prevents pollutants from entering the storm drain)
- Radiant Flooring (hot or cold water run through coils underneath concrete slab floors)
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood products
- Operable Windows
- Natural Daylight
Listed below are a few “fun facts” about the Union’s first year:
- Over 10,580 reservation transactions and over 6,320 meetings and events have been held
- Over 50,000 shakes have been served at Shakesmart
- Oggi’s Pizza Express has used 17,350 lbs. of flour, 11,400 lbs. of cheese and 4,810 lbs. of chicken since opening in May 2014
- Starbucks has served over 18,500 grande, iced coffees, 17,627 bagels and over 17,000 customers requested for soy milk, since opening in February 2014
- 13,000 pounds of guacamole and 21,000 pounds of chicken have been served at Chipotle since opening in March 2014
- Over 22,000 Scantrons sold, over 16,140 liters of waters sold, and over 243,000 customers served at the Aztec Market
- 529,160 bowling pins have fallen and 20,076 pairs of shoes have been worn at Aztec Lanes.
Staff Awards
A.S. Staff Recognition
Performance Awards
Exemplary full- and part-time employees are recognized each semester for their dedication to A.S. and their work. In Fall 2014, A.S. recognized the following employees:
Aztec Recreation
- Christian Aguilar
- Jeffrey Geoghegan
- Brandi Abercrombie
- Corry Vogel
- Jenny Shrank
- Daniel Hawksley
- Jared Kleber
SDSU Children’s Center
- Megan Hoterek
- Jessica Kantor
- Helen Martinez
- Lee Ann Chavez
A.S. Accounting
- Fran Hasterok
Viejas Arena
- Bruce Tustison
- Martin Fernandez
- Mark Eberlein
- Natalie Bertalotto
- Miguel Gaspar
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union
- Adam Armolea
A.S. Graphics
- Lyubov Horne
Part-time Student Scholarships
A.S. awards three $300 scholarships each semester to part-time student employees based on academic performance, contributions to the SDSU and San Diego communities, financial need and length of employment. For fall 2014, A.S. awarded the following students with scholarships:
- Taylor Carpenter - Aztec Recreation
- Forest Brodsky - Aztec Recreation
- Lorena Michel – SDSU Children's Center
Run for an A.S. Office
Elections 2015
ATTENTION STUDENTS!
Associated Students General Elections are March 16 – March 19, 2015, and YOU can be a candidate! Applications for leadership positions become available on Friday, January 23 and there are many leadership roles to choose from.
ELECTED SEATS
A.S. Board of Directors:
- President (1 SEAT)
- Executive Vice President (1 SEAT)
- Vice President of External Relations (1 SEAT)
- Vice President of Financial Affairs (1SEAT)
- Vice President of University Affairs (1 SEAT)
A.S. Campus Life Council:
- Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union Board Representative (1 SEAT)
- Campus Community Commission Representative (1 SEAT)
- Community Service Commission Representative (1 SEAT)
- Recreation and Wellness Commission Representative (1 SEAT)
- Sustainability Commission Representative (1 SEAT)
- Student Diversity Commission Representative (1 SEAT)
- Student Support Commission Representative (1 SEAT)
- Student at Large Campus Representative (2 SEATS)
A.S. University Council:
- College of Arts and Letters Representative (3 SEATS)
- College of Business Representative (4 SEATS)
- College of Education Representative (1 SEAT)
- College of Engineering Representative (2 SEATS)
- College of Health and Human Services Representative (3 SEATS)
- College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Representative (3 SEATS)
- College of Sciences Representative (4 SEATS)
- Undeclared/Unclassified Studies Representative (1 SEAT)
- Graduate Student Association President (1 SEAT)
For more details, visit the Associated Students elections website
Use the winter break to think about running and keep in mind that the Elections Code prohibits you from announcing your candidacy in any public way prior to the designated campaign period. If you have any questions, please contact the A.S. Office, on the third floor of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, by phone at 619-594-6555 or via email to aselections@mail.sdsu.edu.
15 Questions
Dennis Thompson, ITS Student Technician
What is your name and title?
Dennis Thompson, ITS Student Technician
Which A.S. department do you work in?
ITS – The chances that I've fixed your computer are extremely high
How many years have you worked for A.S.?
1.5 years
If you won $5 million what would you do with it?
Probably invest $1M - $2M in long-term investments to be safe, give my maternal unit a few hundred G’s for being a good parent, give my sister some cashola, buy a Tesla Model S, buy myself a 5K iMac, I would probably start acquiring properties so I could rent them out and earn even more profit. When I’m old and wealthy I could die and donate my fortune to a series charities.
Which three people (living or dead) you would like to have dinner with? And why?
Genghis Khan because he was one of the greatest military minds in all of history. He conquered the most people and land out of any documented ruler in all of history (besides the British Empire). Abraham Lincoln would be another interesting individual to speak with because of the precarious state he was in as a president during the Civil War. The last individual would definitely have to be Lao Tzu if he ever really existed.
What city would you most like to visit or visit again? And why?
Seattle because of the food, weather, and vibe! I’m fine with having a vitamin D deficiency, gray skies, becoming a day walker, and having a month of decent weather. But real talk though, the Northern Cascades are amazing. Be sure to visit Leavenworth and Winthrop, WA.
What is your favorite ride at an amusement park? And why?
Little known fact: I'm not a huge fan of amusement parks. Too many people and roller coasters make me ill.
Would you rather build a sandcastle or a snowman? And why?
“Do you want to build a snowman?” Yes!
Who is your favorite singer / musician / musical group? And why?
That's like asking me to pick a favorite child! I mainly listen to classical (chamber, choral, orchestral, and band literature) music and metal – oh the dichotomy!
What do you want to be when you grow up? And why?
I’m not grown up yet? Poo… I want to write software that you will probably use at some point in your life.
What type of pets do you have and what are their names?
Nemo! He’s an orange tabby (that’s a varity of cat for you dog lovers) and he’s about 12 years old. I call him a lion sometimes because he’s so majestic.
Do you like to cook and what is your specialty?
I do like to cook! Making breakfast is probably my favorite thing to cook since it’s the most important meal of the day. I also make other food items like burgers, curry, chicken, steaks, etc… I like to think I’m culturally diverse when it comes to food stuffs.
What three things are always in your refrigerator? And why?
Yogurt, almond milk, and something savory! I tend to avoid eating sweet things so I need to balance sweetness with something savory.
If you could go back or forward in time, where would you go? And why?
Too many moments in history that I would like to experience. Among those include, but not limited to, Golden Age in Greece, Dark Ages, Renaissance, The Industrial Revolution, the height of the Ottoman Empire, the height of the Mongolian empire, etc…
“Most people don’t know that I like to…”
chop wood? I really enjoy chopping wood. It’s very therapeutic.
When you visit the Zoo, which animal do you make sure you see, and why?
Although I haven’t been the zoo in over a decade, I would like to see the red pandas. Adorable.
What was or is your favorite subject in school? And why?
Computer science because programming is fun!
If you could have a superhero power what would it be? And why?
I would want to be able to fly so I wouldn’t need a car. I would be able to bypass all the traffic whenever I want to go somewhere and I wouldn’t have to pay for GAS!
Calendar
January 2015
*Visit as.sdsu.edu/aztecunion for details
**Visit aztecnights.com for details
***Visit as.sdsu.edu for details
Mix It Up @ the Union*
Aztec Night: Movie Night In Chocolate Paradise**
Applications to Run for an A.S. Office Available***
National Handwriting Day – A day to reintroduce yourself to a pen or pencil and a piece of paper, by writing a note or letter to someone. January 23rd was chosen because it is the birthday of John Hancock, the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Aztec Night: Winter Wonderland**
Aztec Night: Barn Yard Bash**
Aztec Night: Movie Night**
Aztec Night: Welcome Back Madness**
Basketball Viewing Party*
Safety Reports Due
