Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief
Once per month, the ASWOU Representative Assembly meets to discuss and collaborate on ways to improve inclusivity on campus. The most recent meeting took place on March 1.
The board, which consists of a representatives from a myriad of different areas on campus — Abby’s House, MECHa and MSU, amongst others — was founded in 2015, with current ASWOU president Jessica Freeman as founder of the legislation.
“When I was writing legislation to create ARA, our goal was to create a board where ASWOU could work with clubs and organizations on a more personal level,” said Freeman. “We wanted every club and organization to be heard equally, regardless of their size.”
The primary concern of the most recent meeting was Diversity Week, which is scheduled to take place the week of May 14.
According to Ailyn Angel, Student Multicultural Board Chair for ARA and Director of Multicultural Advocacy for ASWOU, events for the week will consist of “a movie screening, a talent show, and different panels.” She added that, “As of right now, things aren’t set in stone, but we are working on finalizing an outline of the week soon.”
Also on the ARA agenda was further discussion of building more multicultural spaces on campus for clubs: “This space would be similar to how MSU has their own space, but for clubs like MEChA, Unidos, and BSU,” said Angel. “In attempts to achieve these goals, clubs are drafting letters to the administration describing what they want this space to entail. We are also outreaching for participants for diversity week to have panels, safe zones, and performances.”
Though the assembly is comprised of different organizations on campus, the meetings are open to all students. However, Angel noted that, “they must have permission for speaking privileges … and do not have voting rights. Despite this, I encourage students to come and give their input on these conversations, especially if you are interested in putting on an event for diversity week or being a part of ASWOU next year or being a club representative.”
Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu
