What’s up, Vandals! I hope everyone’s spring semester is progressing well.
ASUI has been preparing for our Winter Social for most of January and into February. It will be held on Feb. 19 from 6-8 p.m. in the ISUB. We’ll have free nachos for the first 500 people, a mechanical bull and several door prizes like a flat screen TV, an electric scooter and more.
You’ll also have the chance to check out clubs, resources and opportunities that the University of Idaho has to offer. It will be a fun night and a labor of love from ASUI, so be sure to come out!
Outside of the Winter Social, our student fee committee is wrapping up. As some of you may know, each of us pays student fees for amenities outside of academic tuition. This helps with things like facility fees to keep the ISUB, Bruce Pitman Center, P1FCU Kibbie Dome, Career Center, Vandal Entertainment and service breaks running.
The fees also pay for ASUI’s budget, which we use to create programming for students such as the Winter Social. In the student fee hearing, members of ASUI, GPSA (graduate students) and SBA (law students) decide if certain student fees should be implemented or raised.
This year, we had a handful of presentations on the budget. I will be writing my letter to President Scott Green on our recommendations this week. After Green reviews these, he then decides if it is good as is or if it needs edits before passing it on to the Idaho State Board of Education.
It’s a long, important process that helps us steer the direction UI is taking financially and from a programming perspective. If you have questions about the specifics or would like to know more about the process, feel free to reach out.
Outside of those two things, our Director of Safety, Health and Wellness, Emily Roberts, has been working in conjunction with GPSA to put up safety signs near the Lionel Hampton School of Music and AKL. I routinely have to dodge traffic there and I am sure many of you do as well, so we are excited to be working on this project.
Additionally, we are working on space allocations in the ISUB. If your organization is interested in having an official space in the ISUB, please check out the application on Engage. Our Director of Student Spaces, Udit Sipani, has been hard at work navigating the ISUB Board and we are excited for that process to begin.
Finally, we’ve had some good debates on the Senate floor in the last couple of weeks. Be sure to check out The Argonaut’s regular coverage of our meetings or even show up to a Senate meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the Clearwater/Whitewater Room. We love hearing from students.
As always, this is just a snippet of what ASUI is working on. Feel free to reach out if you have questions, concerns or just want to chat. Until next time, Go Vandals!
Martha Smith
ASUI President
Martha Smith can be reached at asui-president@uidaho.edu.