There’s an e-mail zipping around the University of Hawai‘i Manoa campus with an unusual goal: Spam the governor.
Four English majors had the idea one day after class when they were talking about how they could participate in the faculty union’s efforts to secure raises for UH professors. The faculty could walk out as early as April 2 unless their union and the governor’s office can agree to a new contract.
Having little time because of their class schedules and jobs, Josh Heller, a senior majoring in Chinese and English, and three friends thought the quick-and-easy route to activism could come through their computers.
They drafted an e-mail to Gov. Ben Cayetano, signed it "A Concerned UH Student" and sent it to about 400 people, asking that they, in turn, send it to all of their friends. Heller hopes people will bombard the governor at his gov@gov.state.hi.us e-mail address.
"We wanted to make it easy for students," Heller said. "All they have to do is keep forwarding the e-mail."
The detailed e-mail, which started circulating around Valentine’s Day, asks the governor to reopen negotiations with the faculty union and avoid the embarrassment of a strike. In fact, the governor’s negotiators and the faculty union representatives have met since then with some offers and counterproposals.
"In 1994, you told the Ka Leo O Hawai‘i, the university’s newspaper, ‘As governor, I will cut anything and everything from state budget in order to provide sufficient funds for education,’ " the letter reads.
Heller hasn’t heard anything from the governor’s office, but said he doesn’t expect to. Kim Murakawa, the governor’s press secretary, said she hadn’t heard of any mass e-mail campaign.
But Heller said he’s sure that they’re being sent. The message has made its way to parents, faculty members, students living abroad and friends of UH students who attend other universities, Heller said. "It’s definitely circulating and still going," Heller said. "I’m sure it’s at least gone to a couple of thousand people."
Students — especially those like Heller with plans for graduation or summer school — are becoming more alarmed about the possibility of a strike interrupting their semester. "It would ruin a lot of people’s plans," he said.
There are other signs of student interest. SOS (Save Our Semester) buttons have started showing up on campus. And some students outside the last Board of Regents meeting shouted, "BOR, get off your ass, keep our teachers in the class." Many faculty members cringed at the language, but others were delighted to see any form of student activism on a campus not known for politically active undergraduates.
Let Jennifer Hiller know what’s going on at your college or university. You can reach her by phone, 525-8084, or e-mail jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.
[back to top] |
