As the commissioner of A.S. Program Board and an active member for the last three years of A.S., I’d like to say the Weatherhuman needs to maybe open its eyes and realize that it needs to take its foot out of its mouth and get educated on the issues. Not to mention that the Weatherhuman also needs to take courses in weather reporting considering its forecasts have sucked all year.

A.S. Program Board, an A.S. entity, is a student-run organization dedicated to providing entertainment to the student body in forms of concerts, lectures and films, and support for student groups across campus. In case the Weatherhuman has had its head stuck up its ass the last few weeks, we will be putting on Del the Funky Homosapien – a sold-out show – on Oct. 10. Nov. 3, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic will be playing at the Events Center. Advanced screenings of films are free, and every Tuesday we screen recent films in the I.V. Theater.

Every year in the spring, A.S. Program Board puts on Extravaganza, a free concert/festival for the entire student body where bands such as De La Soul, The Pharcyde, Jack Johnson, The Roots, Run-DMC, Social Distortion, No Doubt, NOFX and more have played.

Other A.S. entities, such as Women’s Commission, S.C.O.R.E., Finance Board, Community Affairs Board, Shoreline Preservation Fund, Environmental Affairs Board and others, have been responsible for many events. These include the annual Take Back the Night, conferences such as Facing Race and the Women of Color Conference, community services and block parties in I.V. A.S. has also provided sponsorships for annual Culture Weeks, Fight Night, D’a de Los Muertos, and much more. A.S. also provides services such as A.S. Notetaking, our local radio station KCSB, the Bike Shop and many others.

The special election happened to prevent all of these events and services from being reduced or eliminated, and to continue making student life at UCSB worth it. Bad investments have nothing to do with our deficit; A.S. invested funds from reserves for 30 years in order for inflation and a fee hike not to bear on students’ backs.

As a student who first got involved with A.S. because of its effective outreach programs and now serves as the commissioner of A.S. Program Board three years later, I’d like to deliver a message to the Weatherhuman. Before you decide to give a forecast bashing organizations, do some real reporting and get your facts straight. The students in A.S. have given their time and commitment to providing these services and events for our campus and maybe for future reference you should stop wasting paper and do some research before you give a weather forecast. For the record, people know my name, considering you have printed it regularly for the last three years.

And for anyone interested in getting involved with Associated Students, you can contact the Main Office at 893-2566, and anyone interested in getting involved with A.S. Program Board, you can contact us at 893-3536 or visit us as www.as.ucsb.edu/aspb.

Eneri Rodriguez is a senior English/Chicano studies major and the commissioner for A.S. Program Board.