The ASWSU Senate met Wednesday to discuss upcoming events, campus issues and resolutions.
Community Affairs Director Amina Hussein presented ASWSU with news surrounding community initiatives and student events.
“We have some very exciting news regarding community initiatives,” Hussein said. “Downtown Day aims to celebrate and spotlight local businesses, services and community resources of Pullman in partnership with ASWSU and also GPSA and other local organizations…[creating] an engaging event for people of all ages that attend while encouraging engagement with the local economy.”
Local businesses in downtown Pullman have experienced a decrease in customers due to the construction work on Main Street amidst Project Downtown Pullman. With the construction work completed, Hussein said Downtown Day aims to give local businesses a boost in customers.
“Businesses have been truly impacted by the downtown construction that has been going on but has finally ceased and the decrease in traffic in downtown stores,” she said. “This will be the opportunity for students, parents and other community members to be exposed to the different businesses Pullman has to offer.”
Downtown Day will take place from 1—4 p.m. on April 5.
Senator Abdelrahman Abdelrazek, a freshman delegate, also proposed several new resolutions to the senate, including one to give students a better understanding of what they are eating at the dining halls.
“There’s a lot of wine in many foods on campus in different dining halls,” he said. “It’s kind of overlooked.”
Abdelrazek said many people cannot have wine or alcohol for dietary, moral, personal or religious reasons.
Currently, the WSU dining website has a list of what stickers to look out for when eating on campus with dietary requirements. The site states if students are unsure about what is in the food, they should ask the chef or manager on duty.
“We label items that do not contain alcohol (from ingredients like vanilla extract, vinegar, and/or miso paste), pork, or a non-halal protein with a halal icon to make it easier for our customers to find halal options,” the website said.
Senator Isaac Velazquez, all-campus and engagement chair, proposed a new resolution to improve infrastructure around Flag Lane. If passed, the resolution would provide better infrastructure that may help with safety and accessibility issues, lighting for around the area and a shelter for when weather is bad.
“It’s been a little bit of a safety hazard. It’s also not the most accessible,” Velazquez said. “I’m proposing a resolution to improve infrastructure around Flag Lane.”
The bus stop at Flag Lane will be out of commission this semester due to ongoing construction, according to Starline. It has been replaced with the stop at Grimes Way, roughly 0.4 miles from Flag Lane.