The Associated Students Campus Life Council met on Feb. 15 to discuss a white supremacist group’s fliers on campus, student food insecurity and upcoming spring events.
Hate Speech Fliers
Student Diversity Commission Chair Rachel Muntz White said she has seen fliers on campus from Identity Evropa, a white supremacy group.
“Whenever we get reports about that, we go out and check on a weekly basis and take down fliers that don’t meet the university policy,” Dean of Students Randy Timm said.
He said occasionally when people put up fliers, they vandalize the school by using a rubber cement to post them. When it happens, the school takes pictures and document it, he said.
He said students should not take fliers down.
“If there is a flier and you take it down, you venture into free speech issues, and we would rather take the heat than have you guys take it,” he said.
Timm said he did not find any of the white supremacist group’s fliers in the last two weeks.
“It is our job as leaders on campus to take a picture of it and tell someone and so we get it taken care of,” Facilities Committee Chair Patty Masengale said.
A.S. Vice President of University Affairs Chimezie Ebiriekwe said A.S. has received a resolution to condemn anti-Semitism. He said in seven weeks, after spring break, a decision will be made.
Food Insecurity
A.S. President Jamie Miller said there are about 80 students coming to the school’s food pantry a week. She said although the food is available to any student, she wants to find out how to reach students that really need it.
“We are doing this for students that truly need the help,” she said. “We will never question motives, but I would hate that one week we don’t have enough and students that need it don’t get it.”
Miller said food insecure students will be able to use CalFresh benefits at Trader Joe’s once the South Campus Plaza location opens.
Ebiriekwe said he has taken a pledge this semester to to have someone certified in administering the CalFresh application to help students.
“The application is so long that it discourages students from applying,” he said.
He also said he is training students to be food pantry volunteers.
Green Love Commission Representative Alessandra Cassey said she thinks the food pantry is a bandage for the underlying problem.
“We need to find out why people are food insecure,” she said. “The trend is continued because they don’t have the resources or knowledge to get out of that.”
Muntz said the number of food insecure students is rising partly due to the cost of tuition.
“There were a lot of students at the mobile food pantry,” she said. “I want to see us use A.S. to address that issue.”
External Relations Board Chair Dylan Colliflower said he agrees there should be resources, but he does not know that more programs will fix the problem.
“There is a lot of stuff that we have on campus,” he said. “Maybe it is our job to market the resources to students that need it.”
Muntz said there needs to be a way to centralize programming so departments can come together and put on massive programs.
“There are so many things happening you just don’t do anything,” she said.
Ebiriekwe said he and Miller attended the CSU Academic Summit Feb. 10 with Reginald Blaylock, vice president for student affairs at San Jose State.
He said CSU Academic Senate Conference the keynote speaker Diane Ravitch said that removing the Standardized Tests in K-12 will reduce the achievement gap.
Student Support Commission and Recreation and Wellness Commission
Student Support Commission Chair Joey Lucero said at their first meeting on Jan. 25, the commission discussed Counseling and Psychological Services’ new Bounce Back Retention Program.
He said they also discussed Your Voice Matters, and are planning to collaborate with the library to organize an open-house so students can learn about the resources the Malcolm A. Love Library has to offer.
Recreation and Wellness Commission Chair Chris Thomas said the Aztec Recreation Center has reached its highest record of membership.
Spring Events
Student Diversity Commission Chair Rachel Muntz said Spring Into Diversity has begun and will take place until Feb. 23.
Green Love Commission Chair Shelah Ott said GreenFest will be Feb. 26 to March 4.
She said the GreenFest Concert will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 3 at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre.
YG was announced as the headlining artist on Feb. 19.
Pre-sale tickets ended on Feb. 17, but general admission tickets are currently being sold for $15 on at the Viejas Arena Box Office.
Masengale said it is important to go to the box office and buy tickets with the people you want to sit with.
She said tickets are $25 for non-SDSU students, and SDSU students are allowed up to one guest.
Community Service Commission Chair Meghan Andrade said there will be a Community Service Fair 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7 on the Centennial Walkway.
