Recapping UA student goverment’s 2022-23 year

BY KATE EWING @mariakewing

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona spent the 2022-23 academic year passing five new resolutions, doling out funds for club initiatives and involving itself publicly in several political and administrative issues on campus. This is a look back at some of the major highlights and moments in student government.

Resolutions

According to ASUA own Year In Review Report, the Senate has also passed five resolutions this past year. These five include a resolution clarifying the use of senate funding, a campus-wide survey to be sent to the student body at the beginning of the year to determine areas of need or concern; two resolutions surrounding Sun Link fare free transit and a resolution outlining the UA Mall use requirements to make it more accessible.

ASUA President Patrick Robles said his time spent working on projects for the community when he was younger helped create connections with local government officials who aided in various ASUA executive and senate efforts present day.

“My roots are deep here in Tucson […] I worked with Mayor [Regina] Romero in high school to get a crosswalk installed,” Robles said. “It’s surreal to have those relationships come to fruition.”

Robles said one thing he would have liked to accomplish with ASUA this year was 24/7 library hours or a 24/7 study space for students.

“Once those lights start flickering at 11:50 it’s quite frustrating,” Robles said. He said he hopes that becomes a reality so students can have a quiet and safe space available to them for studying purposes.

Budget and funding

Robles said the “$560,000 give or take” ASUA budget comes directly from revenue obtained from a MLU deal with the UA Bookstore where they receive a percentage of sales and student service fees from programs.

Separate from the $250,000 approved by the ASUA appropriations board to fund various club projects this year, organizations that were unable to receive funding through those avenues would pitch to ASUA Senate to cover costs of things like club trips, T-shirts, tabling materials, etc.

ASUA Senate funded requests from

Student Health Advocacy Committee; the Women and Gender Resource Center, Feminists Organized to Resist, Create, and Empower, University of Arizona Emergency Medical Services and more, amounting to $20,000 dispersed across organizations during the year.

Sun link fare free transit

The Tucson Sun Link had initially announced it would return to a fee based system in January 2023 for its services. In response, ASUA created the #WhyIRide campaign and joined a larger conversation about how to serve the Tucson community with access to public transit at no cost to riders.

Throughout the year, ASUA members created the two aforementioned fare free transit resolutions, spoke to government officials, created and disseminated surveys to the UA student community and met with UA administration about assisting in funding the cost to keep Sun Link services free. The #WhyIRide campaign was successful in extending fare free transit until this June.

SNAP Benefits

SNAP benefits are set to be discontinued nationally on May 11. ASUA met with Gov. Katie Hobbs in March to discuss possibilities for keeping these benefits secured for students past this date.

“Fare free transit, that’s how you get to school. SNAP benefits, that’s how you get your food,” Robles said. “It is incumbent that the incoming executives pick up these initiatives while coming up with their own.”

Spring Fling 2023 canceled

Four years have passed since the last Spring Fling was been put on at the UA for students and the Tucson community. ASUA put out a statement on Nov. 18, 2022, letting students know that Spring Fling was canceled again.

The reasons for the cancellation cited were “our student government has been significantly understaffed, navigating internal challenges, and actively rebuilding our infrastructure so it will better serve the student body in the future.”

ASUA added in this statement its members are dedicated to putting on Spring Fling in spring 2024 for its 50th anniversary.

Political involvement

Members of ASUA became active participants in political movements this year as Tucson was rocked by high tensions surrounding abortion care, living costs and food insecurity for students, and various safety concerns on the UA campus.

Following the Oct. 5 shooting in the hydrology department where professor Thomas Meixner was killed, ASUA served on the General Faculty Committee on Safety for All to offer input for how a safer campus environment could be achieved at the UA. According to the ASUA year in review report this involved “co-authoring their interim safety report, defending its’ criticisms by our administration, and calling on President Robbins to create a safer campus.”

ASUA also sponsored $10,000 for students to be able to receive grief/emergency counseling at the UA’s Counseling & Psychological Services after the shooting.

Members of ASUA also served on a meal plan committee where they advocated for fee-waivers and a reduction of cost for mandatory meal plans for incoming freshmen.

“Your student government successfully fought to ensure that the cost could be reduced for students experiencing financial hardship and that waivers would be available for students who cannot afford the cost,” the ASUA Year In Review Report stated.

Most recently, ASUA released a statement condemning the UA administration for allowing an anti-abortion display on the UA Mall from April 12 to April 13, sponsored by the College Republicans club.

“It takes a village to accomplish what we did this last year,” Robles said.

ASUA Elections

ASUA candidates had a more competitive race for executive officer and senate positions this year compared to last. Robles went unopposed the year he ran for ASUA president, but this year Alyssa Sanchez secured the role for the 2023-24 academic year after competing against four other people. There were 1,582 votes casted in the 2023 ASUA general election altogether.

Honorable mentions

Administrative Vice President Lauren White, who oversaw programs and services, helped work on a spotlight series that was posted to social media showcasing the work and events being done within organizations like WEB, SafeRide, Pride Alliance and more.

Executive Vice President Nico NieriLang was in charge of overseeing the ASUA Senate and ASUA recognized clubs. During his role in office he put on the first inaugural club talent show where “any ASUA approved club could compete.”

Coming in first place at the talent show was the UA Folklorico group Miztontli, who received the $500 prize and $100 off the 2023-24 club registration fee.

2022-23 YEAR IN REVIEW | PHOTO SHOWCASE