On March 5, the Associated Students of Colorado State University hosted its second annual State of the Association Address in the Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center.
The event, modeled after the State of the Union Address, allowed ASCSU representatives to reflect on their achievements and initiatives under the current administration and look ahead to the future of the organization.
Those in attendance included CSU students, faculty and prominent community leaders including Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt, CSU President Amy Parsons and interim President of CSU Pueblo Rico Munn.
Before the event began, Parsons reflected on her past experience as a member of ASCSU and her admiration for current student leaders.
“I’m the president, but I’m also an ASCSU alum, so this was my happy place when I was a student,” Parsons said. “I really respect their leadership and what they’ve done for CSU, so especially for Nick DeSalvo, I want to hear what he’s got to say tonight.”
“We’re not just here to celebrate the work that we’ve done. We’re here to reflect on what it truly means to build and sustain something greater than ourselves. … At ASCSU, this work — this labor of love — is at the heart of our organization.” -Jorja Whyte, ASCSU director of basic needs
ASCSU Chief of Staff Jakye Nunley, who organized the event, emphasized the importance of unity among student leaders and opportunities to collaborate.
“I feel like it’s amazing to have that recognition and that shared happenstance of acknowledging that we all desire to do the same work and do it at the same frequency, at the same pace,” Nunley said. “I think it’ll work for a great future collaboration, and I’m really excited to see what comes of this.”
Throughout the event, several ASCSU representatives took the stage to share their thoughts, experiences and hopes for the organization.
Ava Wilkins, who directs the governmental affairs department, reflected on the challenges of advocacy and the responsibilities of student leaders.
“When I pledged to advocate, I don’t think I really understood what that would mean until now,” Wilkins said. “To me, this year has meant meeting with students as often as I can and truly listening to their perspectives. Sometimes they bring up issues that I think are political lightning rods that I’m a little nervous to tackle, but I have to know that they’re not political issues — they’re student issues.”
Munn took the opportunity to discuss the importance of leadership and the responsibility of those in power.
“I have a clear understanding of what is important to me, what I believe in and what I’m willing to risk, and I think those are incredibly important components of mission-driven leadership, that understanding of your purpose and that understanding of what you’re willing to risk,” Munn said.
Munn went on to acknowledge the current administration at CSU and its impact on students.
“What I can tell you here at CSU Fort Collins is that we are very fortunate to have a great model of that kind of leadership in our president, Amy Parsons,” Munn said. “Some of the efforts to build student support, to rally student spirit, all those things are about making this a place where people want to be.”
Jorja Whyte, the director of basic needs, gave a speech about the values of ASCSU and what drives the organization to continue its advocacy efforts.
“We’re not just here to celebrate the work that we’ve done,” Whyte said. “We’re here to reflect on what it truly means to build and sustain something greater than ourselves. … At ASCSU, this work — this labor of love — is at the heart of our organization.
She continued to discuss the initiatives and accomplishments of the current CSU administration, including the continuance of the ASCSU Pocket Pantries and organizing the first-ever basic needs summit to advocate for students in a renewed way.
“Love is the hours we spend shopping for food, stocking the Pocket Pantry, making sure that when a student walks through those doors, they find something that not just nourishes their body but their sense of belonging,” Whyte said. “Love is believing in our agency enough to create the state of Colorado’s first-ever higher education basic needs summit because we refuse to accept that housing insecurity and food insecurity are inevitable for our students.”
Whyte also called on future student leaders to continue to advocate for students and make palpable change.
“How will you make your love tangible, not just in the moments when it’s easy, but when it’s hard because change is not inevitable (and) progress is not automatic?” Whyte said. “It happens because people like you choose to show up to fight for something better and to believe that our actions, our choices, can shape the future of this campus and the lives of students who come after us if we are to build a better CSU, a better world.”
The night concluded with a speech from student body President Nick DeSalvo. During his remarks, DeSalvo reflected on the organization’s most notable accomplishments in the last year.
“From the last time I gave this speech, ASCSU has celebrated a number of monumental wins, including and certainly not limited to the first piece of ASCSU-centered legislation run at the Capitol in nearly a decade, the revival of impactful events like Grill the Buffs and RailJam that create lasting memories for students on this campus, saving Rams thousands in tuition dollars by our advocacy with the joint budget committee and the elimination of an ordinance that has plagued students and residents in the City of Fort Collins for decades, known as U+2,” DeSalvo said.
Looking ahead, DeSalvo encouraged student leaders to recognize their impact on campus and their responsibilities in shaping the future of ASCSU.
“Now, perhaps I’m breaking some conventions of a State of the Association speech, but I’m not going to assign any particular word to the condition of ASCSU,” DeSalvo said. “Instead, the condition of ASCSU is defined by each of us every single day with every single action we undertake as student leaders.”
Reach Laila Shekarchian at news@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.
