After a busy summer, the ASSU executives have set their sights on several projects for fall quarter, all with a focus on community building, health and wellness.
A recent product of the collaboration is the Leadership Development Program designed by ASSU executives Angelina Cardona ’11 and Kelsei Wharton ’12 and program co-coordinators Lina Hidalgo ’13 and Madeline Hawes ’13, deputy chair of the Senate.
The program combines the application process for students wishing to serve as Senate associates or executive fellows. Hawes, along with other several other senators, served as a Senate associate last year.
Increased publicity for the program could work to address a concern of Wharton’s since coming to Stanford.
“Some students know to get involved and are privy to opportunities and information,” Wharton said, describing what he called the “information gap” between students active in student groups and those less knowledgeable about Stanford resources.
The ASSU executive is pushing for the creation of a “Stanford 101” class, an initiative supported by Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Harry Elam, to better acquaint students with Stanford organizations and life.
The executive also created stickers listing campus resources for dorm staffs to distribute to residents at the beginning of fall quarter.
Over the summer, Cardona spearheaded the launch of the ASSU Pakistan flood relief effort, which is set to continue throughout the year. The executives partnered with UNCHR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, and named Asfandyar Ali Mir ’12 director of Pakistan flood relief. Cardona matched the first $500 raised over the summer from her executive salary. To date, the effort has raised $10,400.
Citing the long-term goals of the executive in an e-mail to The Daily, Cardona listed uniting the Stanford community for movements such as the Pakistan effort, ensuring the “long-term viability and credibility of the ASSU,” “shifting Stanford culture to prioritize health, wellness and balance,” and helping to end violence against women.
With this last goal in mind, Cardona attended the NCHERM Conference on Responding to Sexual Misconduct on College Campuses, a two-day conference on campus in July.
Cardona has been working with Nicole Baran, founder and director of the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness, to plan an anti-sexual misconduct and domestic abuse training. The ASSU will co-sponsor the Partnership to End Violence Against Women campus-wide survey in October.
“This is a very tangible and visible initiative that we hope will provide a lot of hard data as to what people believe and experience around sexual assault, relationship abuse and stalking,” Cardona said. “This information will better inform the resources we have for education, outreach and response on campus.”
Other executive efforts include continuing the ASSU Non-partisan Voter Registration Drive for midterm elections and convening an “Alternative Social Programming Board” to provide non-alcohol based social programming in Old Union on weekends.
The executives also plan to create “ASSU Executive Action Grants,” topic- and goal-specific grants for student groups, an idea originated by Ryan Peacock, chair of graduate issues in the executive cabinet.