Many students are currently concerned about the campus’ ability to cater to the diverse needs of special students. The types of concerns range from special diets to special transportation needs and affect students from all backgrounds. I’m currently looking into needs of students who fall under a more diverse category of needs and I’m actually pretty excited about getting the opportunity to help them. The following issues are a few of those which several of my constituents have expressed interests in:
- Several of my constituents have food allergies and other dietary stipulations such as being gluten intolerant, vegan, lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, or only able to eat Ital approved foods. After several discussions we have agreed that the benefits of providing an organic place for them to eat from safely in the future on campus would greatly assist a broader variety of students with their various needs, while allowing the other students an opportunity to eat healthier as well.
- Many other students face issues concerning transportation around town who aren’t allowed to or can’t afford to bring a vehicle to school. We are looking into the feasibility of offering more eco-friendly alternative energy transportation options for them, including working towards allowing long boarding on campus and along with a few other more “unique” options.
- A substantial number of gay/lesbian/bisexually affiliated students have also expressed a deep concern for their own safety and civil rights. They have all mentioned their opposition to the way a few key members of SGA handled the recent crime on campus and are worried about their future and their representation on campus. I’m planning on working to resolve these issues and to find a way to ensure that these types of disagreements among our Student Government Association and the student body are avoided in the future. There’s no reason these students should be discriminated against or feel unsafe or unaccepted. If there’s one thing we need to maintain on campus it’s the feeling of being a family with members from all walks of life, and I aim to keep us together.
All of these issues involve a very diverse group of students from around campus, and I hope to uphold my duty as a Senator by representing each of their voices, especially since they’re often the ones unheard. For example, the copies of paper labeling the female and male bathrooms on campus include the braille label for their respective rooms, which is a step in the right direction; however it’s not rocket science to know that a blind person can’t actually read it if it’s just printed on the paper. Individuals who face these types of unnecessary inconveniences already ought to be better catered to in order ease their troubles – and it’s our responsibility to be the people to take those interests to heart. I hope to make a lot of progress in the near future in all of these projects and more, and I plan on continuing my pursuit to provide a voice for those who haven’t been heard before or who need to be heard a little “louder.”
Greeting Mountaineers,
