A welcome from your student body president

On behalf of the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU), I would like to welcome students back to this wonderful place known as Pullman. I hope that all of you had a great summer with some great memories and are ready and excited to get back into the swing of things here at WSU.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of ASWSU, which also marks 100 years of official student representation at this great institution. This is a celebration that will be present in everything we do this year to promote the student experience here at WSU.

ASWSU has been working diligently this summer to get started on some projects and events to help make this year the best that WSU has ever seen. A few things will be present right as we begin this year. They include the new ASWSU Centennial Pathway, as well as the 24-hour extended library hours. Vice President LaKecia Farmer, our staff and I have also been working with the CUB and Dining Services to work to promote more healthy eating options on campus.

We spent a good deal of the summer reaching out to incoming students at all of the Alive! orientation sessions while also planning our Cougar Leadership Retreat and the Pac-12 Leadership Summit, which occurred Aug. 7 through Aug. 9. This great new event (now in its second year) brought the Pac-12 institutions together to share ideas, learn from each other how our campuses do things, and make connections that can benefit the WSU student body.

In meeting with various administrators over the summer, and by using the feedback we have received from students, we have been working to create a plan for the Old Bookie building that provides students with another space on campus. We have also been working on a plan to better protect student rights on campus.

Legislatively, ASWSU leaders have also been actively meeting with state legislators this summer to help build relationships that will be beneficial to WSU and its students. We have also been working with state organizations and WSU branch campuses to put together a plan for our lobbying efforts this upcoming legislative session.

ASWSU will be stepping up its philanthropic efforts this year with efforts including our Philanthropy of the Month program and the continuation of programs like the Cougs Give Back and the WSU Dance-A-Thon. ASWSU will also be continuing programs like Wazzu Wednesdays, Random Acts of ASWSU, 30 Days of Pullman and Restaurant Week.

The most important thing to know for this upcoming year is that ASWSU is here for you. ASWSU isn’t just me or the rest of our staff; it is the entire student body, and as an organization we are here to benefit WSU students. If there is ever anything that ASWSU can do for you or any concerns you might have about things happening here at our university, we encourage you to let us know. We serve you and work to make the student experience here at WSU the best that it can be, any way that we can. We act as the student voice to our faculty, administration and state government and will continue to work to better the WSU community. We are your student government.