Shu blasts Asian students group at election meeting

College senior John Shu interrupted a Students for Asian Affairs meeting Monday night to blast its election practices and constitution, prompting members to accuse Shu of trying to gain attention for himself. Members said Shu does not represent Asian students or their concerns at the University. Instead, they said, he ruins the reputation of Asian students. "He loves personal glory," SAA board member Jackson Pek said. "He is trying to destroy what we have worked very hard for. So much of the faculty respects us, and it is not fair to take that away." Shu, who is best known on campus for pushing the Oriental Studies Department to change its name, admitted during his 20-minute tirade that he may have been out of line, but said he was trying to work in the best interests of the group. Shu said he wanted to ensure that younger members of the organization were treated fairly by outgoing board members. At Monday night's meeting, SAA members were scheduled to hear speeches from candidates running for chairperson and vice chairperson of the group and then to vote. But Shu, who is not a member of SAA, insisted on criticizing the group's election process and its still un-ratified constitution. According to current SAA Chairperson Phan Lam, who was not at the meeting because of illness, Shu had asked her beforehand if he could "say a couple of encouraging words to the membership." But Lam said she told him he could not speak because he was not a member or involved in any way with SAA. "I said 'no' because he had not been a member. I refused to let him speak," Lam said. "I guess he could not take no for an answer." In the middle of the meeting, before the candidates gave their speeches, Shu "beseeched" the group to let him speak. When leaders refused to give him the floor, he left the room for a few minutes. But he returned and said, "I am extremely out of order but I refuse to sit down." After again discussing whether Shu should be able to speak, members voted to allow him to speak after the elections. Shu had wanted to speak before the votes were taken. "We are not here to listen to John Shu's speech," Eugene Chay, a candidate for vice chairperson, said in frustration. "Members came to vote." And current Vice Chairperson George Huang said he only allowed Shu to speak out of common courtesy. "I felt John Shu was out of order," Huang said. "According to parliamentary procedure a non-member has no right to [speak at] any meeting. He should raise his opinions in a proper manner with courtesy for other people." After the interruption, three candidates spoke about why they wanted to run for their positions. Wharton junior Rageev Chand and Wharton sophomore Norbert Hsu were candidates for chairperson. Chay was the only candidate for vice chairperson. Votes were cast but not counted. More votes were taken at a ballot box on Locust Walk yesterday afternoon. Results will be available after Thanksgiving Break. Once the votes were taken, Shu had his chance to speak. "I believe the general body is being screwed over," Shu began. He said he was speaking to the SAA as a concerned founding member. According to Shu, he co-founded the Asian Student Task Force in the fall of 1989 and SAA eventually grew out of the task force. But current SAA members said the organization is very different from the task force. According to Steve Fu, the board member for public relations, the task force was political while SAA is educational and cultural. Members also said Shu was not a co-founder but just an original member of the task force. In addition, Shu said he has not been a member of either organization for the past year and a half because he was the vice chairperson of the United Minorities Council and it would have been "morally" wrong to be involved with both. Shu's first complaint was that the election and nomination procedures are not fair to the general membership of SAA. Board members of SAA are allowed to narrow the field of candidates to two for chairperson and one for vice chairperson. The general body then can choose only between the two chairperson nominees and can approve the vice chairperson candidate. Shu said no one can run for a position "unless he or she is deemed worthy by the board." "If you don't pass the seal of approval you don't get anywhere," Shu said. "If you don't kiss ass you won't make it." Shu also called the procedures "reminiscent of Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany." But Fu said the board follows an interview process for chairpersons and directors of committees to ensure candidates are qualified, realize the time requirements of the job and are applying for the right job. Shu also claimed that Chand, who is South Asian, was only nominated as a token candidate because SAA has few members who are South Asian and the board needs to show their concern for South Asian students. But members and Chand disagreed. "His motion is unfounded," Chand said. "Candidate choices are on individual characteristics and qualifications." Finally, Shu said the SAA constitution has been submitted to the Student Activities Council for recognition without being approved by the general membership. "The constitution is very restrictive," Shu said. "You are being shafted and rotated around." But Huang said although the constitution has been submitted to SAC, members will vote to ratify it next month. In addition, he said, members have not seen the constitution because board members have not had enough time to make copies and show it to the general body. He said general members will see a copy of the constitution before it is approved.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.