The Associated Students Legislative Council unanimously took an official position denouncing porn parties at their meeting last night in the UCen.

The decision was made in response to companies like collegefuckfest.com, which sponsor parties in Isla Vista in the hopes of gaining footage for pornographic films. Off-campus Representative Courtney Weaver and Representative-at-Large Karen Cai co-authored the position paper denouncing the companies. The paper said the companies sponsoring the porn parties exploit the student body and other members of the Isla Vista community.

“They are making our community look really bad. I personally, and my constituents, feel really sad when you look at the front page of the Santa Barbara News-Press and they have a story about UCSB regaining its party school status after working so hard academically,” Weaver said.

Yumi Saiki, co-chair of the Women’s Commission, asked the council to approve the position during the public forum portion of the meeting.

“While we don’t think it is the only solution, we do think it is an important step,” Saiki said.

During the meeting, the council amended the position to include a component denouncing the companies for inadequately compensating individuals who had performed sexual acts on film for them.

“We’re not trying to attack students. We’re attacking the companies,” Weaver said. “People should be adequately compensated for this. I don’t consider a free T-shirt adequate compensation.”

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Michael Young and Dean of Students Yonie Harris spoke out against the parties in a campuswide e-mail. The Leg Council’s position was drafted in part due to requests by the administration and faculty, Cai said.

“I understand that we can’t physically stop the parties, but I think it’s important for us to take a stand, especially after the administration has asked us to,” Cai said.

The council will send letters to, among other parties, the mayor of Santa Barbara, the mayor of Goleta and Chancellor Yang to inform them of the council’s official position.

During the meeting, Associate Dean of Students Carolyn Buford addressed the council about Halloween. Buford said because Halloween falls on a Friday this year, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Dept. will be strengthening the police presence in I.V. on Halloween night and the following Saturday. There will be 100 police officers in I.V. that weekend, including 20 on horseback. There will also be sobriety checkpoints set up at the entrances to I.V., and portable floodlights will illuminate portions of Del Playa.

Leg council reps and A.S. executive officers discussed Tuesday’s election and thanked all of the members who had assisted in the voter registration drive. External Vice President Jewel Love was the first person of the night to mention the defeat of Proposition 54, and his statement was met with applause by the council. Love spoke about how the A.S.-sponsored campaign against the proposition not only reached UCSB students but also extended to the surrounding areas in Santa Barbara County.

“A lot of us are from communities where our sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers are not fortunate enough to attend an institute of higher education,” Love said. “It is our responsibility to bring this information to them.”