Associated Student Inc. (ASI) held the first open senate meeting on Thursday to begin brainstorming ideas regarding how to get students more involved with the student government and feel more connected to the campus.
Multiple senators, including Lucy Lu, the senator of Collins College of Hospitality Management and Delilah Orta, senator of the Huntley College of Agriculture, expressed ways the different colleges would like to be involved on campus by assisting the Poly Pantry.
The Poly Pantry is an on-campus pantry providing food and necessities for all Cal Poly Pomona students year round.
“We want to help them with whatever they need,” Lu said. “We don’t only want to do this just this year but we would like to carry it on to next year and so on.”
Alexis Ramirez Ruiz, senator of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, shared that he is working on partnering with several vendors on campus to be a direct donation line of fruit supply to the Poly Pantry.
Multiple senators also discussed upcoming events happening throughout different departments, hoping to welcome students into campus life as well as connecting them with their student government.
Student engagement in ASI was one of the major topics discussed at the first open senate meeting.
(Anela Miki-Han | The Poly Post)
College of Engineering Senator Augustus Rodriguez spoke of the importance of ASI representation at these upcoming events.
“I’m hoping you guys [ASI members] come out … and show some friendly faces,” Rodriguez said. “Just to be there for all students … to know that student government is there for them.”
The meeting also included discussion about a report from the ASI Executive Director, Liz Roosa Millar, on new resources and activities on campus.
The Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex will now be offering outdoor gear rental including climbing shoes, harnesses and belay devices for rock climbing.
“You can actually rent anything to do on your own outdoor adventures and not have to purchase very expensive gear,” Millar said.
Millar also mentioned registration for intramural sports are open for flag football, basketball, bouldering, volleyball and soccer.
There are also open spots for kids between 3-5 years old in the Cal Poly Preschool Program at the Children’s Center.
Discussion of the annual Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival also brought up new changes in progress for the festival including a sunflower field and transforming the corn maze into a haunted maze at night.
ASI President Pasindu Senaratne concluded the meeting by discussing the ASI Bronco Associated Students Experience (BASE), a mentor-mentee program the student government is currently involved in.
BASE will be an opportunity for students to look into ASI by taking a tour through the different departments, attending a leadership class and attending multiple ASI panels.
Senaratne hopes BASE will lead more students into ASI.
“It’s kind of a funnel into ASI,” Senaratne said. “But also, not. We just want them to take a leadership role all across campus ideally.”