The ASWSU Senate voted on the co-chair position of Crimson Group, the Uncertified Senator position and the new Election Board Chair at this week’s meeting. 

Communication Director Cooper Howe and Deputy Communication Director Nicole Allison discussed their monthly update, including an increase in Instagram followers for the ASWSU social media account. Howe said the account started at 3,900 followers and jumped to 5,100 followers. 

An event coming up is the multicultural fundraiser dinner which is this Friday, Howe said. In addition, there is also Cougs vote tabling for National Voter Registration Day next Tuesday, Food Safety and Wellness Expo next week and Mental Health Awareness Week on the first week of October. 

Bryce Becker, Health and Safety Director, updated the senate on his efforts to get Narcan testing strips accessible on campus for students. Becker said the Whitman County Department of Health said they would pay for the Narcan strips. WSU Chief of Police, Gary Jenkins, supports the initiative that is designed to save the lives of WSU students.

After that, the Department of University Affairs discussed their responsibilities as a department as well as their intent to sit in committee meetings this semester. University Affairs Director Sophie Kirov said those committee meetings include the academic affairs, technology fee, sustainability task force and the COVID report. 

Antonio Fajardo, co-chair nominee for Crimson Group, gave a speech stating the future goals he has for ASWSU as co-chair of the Crimson Group. Fajardo served as co-chair last spring semester and discussed his other campus community involvements. 

“I’ve been involved with MECHA for the past three years and I am a member of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity incorporated and a member of election board committees for the past two years,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said the Crimson Group is a support advocacy group for undocumented students and allies on campus. They advocate on a local level as well as a national level for all immigrants across the United States and across the world. Crimson Group fundraised thousands of dollars over the years since becoming a registered student organization. 

Crimson Group also raised thousands of dollars since becoming a chartered student organization and all the money goes directly to undocumented communities, he said. They have been able to help with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival renewals and emergency funds. The emergency funds are for students who can’t afford rent or groceries for that specific time.

According to the American Immigration Council website, DACA is an administrative relief that protects eligible immigrants who came to the United States when they were children from deportation and work authorization. 

“DACA renewals are $495 every two years but you do have to get them in advance,” Fajardo said. “So with our DACA renewals, we have been able to support undocumented students financially in that matter as well.”

Fajardo was anonymously voted on and will now return as the co-chair of the Crimson Group. Following the Crimson co-chair vote, ASWSU President Luke Deschenes nominated Norma Fulwiler for the election board chair position. 

Fulwiler discussed her previous experience as part of the Student Council during her time at Silas High School in Tacoma Washington. Fulwiler said she held various positions that included freshmen representative, general treasurer and community service committee chair. 

“All these positions held different requirements in terms of commitment and leadership with an approach of incredible responsibility,” Fulwiler said. “In my time serving the Silas community, I have directed drives and charity events that directly work with the Tacoma Rescue Mission which is a nonprofit based in downtown Tacoma”

Fulwiler said the nonprofit helps serve the ever growing homeless population epidemic going on. She has worked with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society of America and local elementary schools with families that are on or below the poverty line.

“Because of the work that our Community Service Committee was able to do, we were able to raise thousands of dollars in both monetary donations and non-monetary goods,” Fulwiler said. 

Fulwiler was anonymously voted as the new election board chair and will now work with the ASWSU Election Board for election processes. 

The senators then considered Leo Wilson-Ramirez for the Uncertified Senator position. Wilson-Ramirez was previously a freshman delegate for ASWSU, where he served toward the end of last spring semester. He said he is a part of the Minority Association of Pre-health Students and MECHA.

Wilson-Ramirez said he also applied for the team leader position at Children of Aztlan Sharing Higher Education Organization, which is a leadership conference put on by MECHA. This conference encourages students of Latinx and Chicanx backgrounds to pursue higher education, according to the CASHE Conference website. 

The meeting concluded with three bills being passed authored by Pro Tempore Tania Henriques on the Senate floor. Each of the bills were updated acts to the ASWSU bylaws. 

ASWSU holds meetings at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday in CUB 204.