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ASCSU senate funds campus initiatives, increases transparency

Laila Shekarchian, Staff Reporter

March 16, 2025

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

Yoseline Rivera, an Associated Students of Colorado State University senator representing El Centro, speaks about the importance of Cultural Resource Centers and DEIA principles Feb. 19. “Now I’m fighting to keep my CRC alive,” she said. “We demand that CSU takes immediate steps to preserve these events and programs, ensuring that the invaluable work students have put in is not discarded.”

The Associated Students of Colorado State University Senate discussed and voted on multiple pieces of legislation during the 23rd session of the 54th senate.

Items on this week’s agenda included funding of the Lavender Cabinet and Cultural Resource Center graduation celebrations, along with making CSU a recovery-friendly workplace and budget transparency.

Following the swearing-in of new senators and associates and gallery input, an additional member of the Student Fee Review Board was ratified. Each department from The Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation then gave presentations regarding their respective work, analytics and the funding provided by ASCSU compared to other Colorado universities.

During reports, during which the executive, judicial and legislative branches provide updates on their respective work and initiatives, Director of Public Relations Joseph Godshall informed students that House Bill 25-1090 passed the House and will be heard in Senate committees. ASCSU representatives testified at the Colorado State Capitol in favor of the bill, which aims for rent transparency and prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay “junk fees” in addition to rent.

Supreme Court Justice Morgan Wright also delivered a supreme court opinion regarding time frames mentioned in the ASCSU Constitution. The court ruled that, rather than a strict 168-hour period, the word “week” refers to any time on the seventh day after a bill’s initial reading. Furthermore, the court ruled that “day” is not strictly defined as 24 hours, as the constitution differentiates hours from days.

Moving into old business, senate confirmed Bill #5411, “Funding the Lavender Cabinet,” allocating $7,000 from the Senate Discretionary Fund to the Lavender Cabinet for the 2025 spring semester. Located in the Pride Resource Center, the cabinet provides all CSU students with gender-affirming garments, hygiene products and harm-reduction tools.

Multiple students voiced their support for the bill during gallery input. Matthew Stachniak read a letter from the women and gender care clinic at the CSU Health Network in support of the Lavender Cabinet.

“Many of our students lack the financial resources, insurance coverage and family support for items available at the Lavender Cabinet,” Stachniak said. “We strongly support the Pride Center and all the work they do on our campus. Additional funding from ASCSU to help keep the Lavender Cabinet stocked is an excellent commitment to LGBTQ students. It shows them the university and its students are here to support them.”

Moving into new business, senate introduced Bill #5412, “El Centro SOMOS Latinx/é Graduation.”

The legislation aims to allocate $4,978.80 from the Senate Discretionary Fund to support graduation celebrations hosted by CSU’s Cultural Resource Centers. $2,478.80 of the funds will be allocated toward funding El Centro’s celebration for graduating students, and $2,500 will be divided among the Pride Center and the Academic Advancement Center to fund their celebrations.

The legislation was approved by unanimous consent and sent to the budgetary affairs, internal affairs and diversity, equity and inclusion committees for further review.

Resolution #5411, “Calling Upon the University Policy Office to Sign the CRFW Letter of Intent, Making CSU a Recovery Friendly Workplace,” was also proposed.

The resolution calls on the University Policy Office to sign a letter of intent provided by the Colorado Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative that would make CSU a supportive environment for employees in recovery or impacted by substance use.

The resolution was approved by unanimous consent and sent to internal affairs and university affairs for further review.

Lastly, Lex #5418, “Budget Sunshine Act,” was introduced. The lex aims to alter the ASCSU Constitution, senate bylaws and executive job descriptions to increase public access to ASCSU finances and encourage public input when developing the budget.

The lex was passed by unanimous consent and sent to the budgetary affairs and DEI committees for further review.

ASCSU Senate will reconvene March 26, after spring break.

Reach Laila Shekarchian at news@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.

About the Contributor

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a second-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is one of two photo directors for the 2024-25 school year. Despite growing up in Renton, Washington, Mckinzie knew she wanted to go to Colorado State University since middle school. She had only ever been to Colorado twice, but she visited campus once, and that was all it took. At first, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins that Mckinzie was familiar with. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer to get back into a similar environment. Mckinzie was first introduced to photography by her grandfather, who has been a photographer most of his life. After he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school, she began to take any assignment she could for her high school paper to improve her skills. Of all the memories made in her first year at CSU, most of the interesting ones came from The Collegian. One Halloween drag show assignment, a lot of mentorship and a few months of practice later, Mckinzie found herself being offered the position of photo director for the next academic school year. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to continue learning and growing during her time as one of the photo directors.

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