The sixth session of the Associated Students of Colorado State University senate started with the swearing in of new senators and associates. This included two new senators. 

After the swearing in, a guest speaker from the department of political science, Matthew Hitt, spoke about how the ASCSU senate can bridge divides and lead in a successful manner for the rest of the school year. 

Hitt also talked about election anxiety and how everyone is affected by the results of the national election. 

“Something big, major and emotional is going on,” Hitt said. “What we’ve seen is a collapse of social identity outside of politics onto politics.” 

Hitt said that people tend to solidify their political views at a college age and tend to stick with the same political party.

“I think it’s imperative we provide affordable and available housing to all students, regardless of income. I think getting rid of U+2 will allow (for) that.” -Senator Ehret Nottingham

“What this means is during an election it feels like that other political team is threatening not just your politics but who you are and your core values,” Hitt said.

Casey Key, a gallery member, provided some evidence for the COVID-19 Indigenous Students’ Travel Grant, which would be debated later on in the agenda. Key talked about how he was homeless after helping to teach 300 Indigenous students about physics during spring break. 

He said that once the event was over, there were still three days of break, and his dorm was not open. He said he couldn’t afford to drive home and back, so he had to sleep in his car and in a computer lab.

Key said he wasn’t able to work on a research project and got reported as homeless. Key said that made him upset considering how much he pays for tuition. 

He said he hoped the bill might help future Indigenous students in the same predicament. 

ASCSU Chief of Staff Jasper Sloss discussed U+2 updates and said there is a possible change this year. He said he hopes students would group up soon to show up at City Council meetings to show that it matters to students, and he encouraged the senators to get involved. 

The senate then moved on to the election and ratification of officers. Three positions were open for the Legislative Strategy Advisory Board. 

Senator Kyle Hill ran for one of the positions and said he wants to work on outreach and dedication to the will of the voters. Hill said that he wants to change the U+2 laws. 

“We were definitely cheated by Fort Collins to limit the size of the house to three persons,” Hill said. “Being told what to do shows disdain and distrust to college students.” 

Hill also said he wants to have better collaboration with the Fort Collins community and wants students to have a larger say in Fort Collins. 

“It’s our duty, as senators, to make sure every student stays safe here,” Hill said.

Senator Ehret Nottingham ran for one of the positions and said that he wants to be more involved in the City decisions. Nottingham said he wants to not only tackle issues such as U+2 but also problems such as food insecurity in Fort Collins. 

“I’m not a fan of U+2,” Nottingham said. “I think it’s imperative we provide affordable and available housing to all students regardless of income. I think getting rid of U+2 will allow (for) that. I think it’s our duty and basic sense of morality.” 

Nottingham said the only things he would never compromise on are issues of social justice and discrimination, but he said he is used to working with differing opinions. 

Associate Senator Isaiah Dennings ran for one of the positions and said he wants to work on connections and collaborations between colleges. He said he has stakes in a lot of different things and hopes to have more cohesion between colleges and with the larger Fort Collins community.

“Being on this board, I can add a lot of insights,” Dennings said. “I can help students feel more integrated within the Fort Collins community. You should feel just as much a CSU Ram as you do a Fort Collins citizen.” 

Senator Michael Townsend ran for one of the positions and said they want to help policy makers understand student positions on different issues, especially U+2. 

After deliberation, Nottingham, Dennings and Townsend were elected to the board.

As the senate session moved into its third hour, Senator Lizzy Osterhoudt introduced and answered questions about her COVID-19 Indigenous Travel Grant bill.

Ceci Taylor can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @cecelia_twt.