November 2019 ECSU Newsletter

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NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER What Emerson doesn’t want you to know, in your inbox monthly

We open this newsletter with an acknowledgement that the Emerson campus resides on land belonging to the Massachusett tribe.

Boston was not "founded by undocumented immigrants in 1630" as the Paramount marquee displayed this summer claims. We are a nation founded by colonizers. This acknowledgement matters every month of the year, but we want to spotlight it now especially because we are approaching Thanksgiving. Take a moment this month to study the real story of the first thanksgiving.

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ECSU FEATURES • ECSU FEATURES • ECSU FEATURES Food Insecurity On Campus by Anonymous

"LET THEM EAT CAKE" -LEE PELTON, PROBABLY

During my first semester at Emerson, I rarely saw my friends eat. At first, I chalked this up to our differing schedules. The idea that they were doing the work of a fulltime student and a part-time worker on an empty stomach never crossed my mind. I assumed that the college would never deliberately let students go hungry.

I later learned that with the cost of rent, a T-pass, textbooks, and rising tuition on their plate, they didn't have money left to feed themselves. Food insecurity, or the lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active life, is all too common on college campuses. But what Emer$on considers sufficient programs to decrease food insecurity on campus is insulting.

Emer$on lists the following programs under its website’s "Food Access Initiatives" tab: the food pantry, the Food Cam, the Student Assistance Fund, the Food for Thought program, and Off-Campus Student Support. The list sounds long, but it is anything but substantial.

Of the five items on the list, the food pantry and the student access fund are the only two that deserve the label “food access initiative.” The Food for Thought program only gives students one free meal per semester, and its contingent upon the student having enough free time during the day to invite a professor to lunch. Similarly, Off Campus Student Support gives off-campus students one meal swipe per semester.

Maybe Emer$on doesn't know this, but students need to eat more than one meal a semester. Some experts even recommend three meals a day. And the Food Cam, located in the p-row lobby, is a place where students can drop off leftovers for others to take. While I support reducing food waste, I don't count waiting for students to drop off leftover pizza and half-empty salsa jars as a dependable source of nutrition.

While these programs are nice for the college to have, they do not combat food insecurity because they do not provide access to consistent, dependable meals.

Both the food pantry and student access fund attempt to do this, but they aren’t perfect. The Emer$on food pantry, established in 2017, runs on a take-what-you-need system. It is stocked with just non-perishables, meaning food insecure students still struggle to access fruits and vegetables. Additionally, its inventory isn’t enough to meet student demand. My friends who use the food pantry take less than they need to feed themselves for a week because doing so would clear out the shelves. The student assistance fund tries to bridge this gap, offering aid such as grocery store gift cards and even free meal plans.This is a great program, but requiring students to apply further alienates low-income students and forces them to take an extra step they may not have the time and energy to take.

Additionally, neither of these programs are well advertised. Sure, there are posters scattered across campus- but nowhere near as many as admin puts up advertising their next guest speaker. Why aren’t flyers about food access passed out to freshman

at orientation? Why isn’t information about food access emailed to all students in Emer$on’s classic email blasts? Why isn’t there a poster by the dining hall entrance and the Max advertising that students can get a free meal plan? Providing these direly needed resources but not promoting them is irresponsible, and it puts students in danger.

In a broader sense, do you think the board of trustees dedicates as much meeting time to planning to end campus food insecurity as they do to planning Emer$on’s next real estate opportunity? Do you think they consider that students cannot afford to eat before they vote to increase tuition yet again?

I believe in a college where all students get sufficient, affordable meal plans. A college that treats food access like the priority it is. A college that doesn't knowingly put students in danger with growing tuition increases. I believe in this, and I'm ready to fight for it.

by Griffin Fisher

A 2019 CALL FOR A STUDENT UNION To the Students reading this: As exemplified by the recent scandal revealing bribery to gain access to prestigious universities, the people who control our colleges and universities care more about making the most money possible than young people’s education. Higher Education sets its ideals upon values of exploration, seeking knowledge, and expression.

Instead, modern universities exist as job preparatory programs. Extended, unpaid internships to build enough experience to hopefully leverage a job once leaving.

While providing hours of work and sinking tens of thousands of dollars (our own or a banks) into the school, the school takes our money and decides where they would like to use it.

Frankly, I am sick of being buried under a mountain of debt. I am sick of watching the people I care about lose the education they worked so hard for because of another bout of tuition raises. I am sick of seeing the most passionate students I know make the choice between taking more hours at their job, or losing their access to Emerson altogether. I am sick of watching friends not eat for days because they can’t afford food and a T pass. Enough is enough.

We need an organization that pushes fearlessly against the administration until it is understood that they are pushing people out, and putting people in danger. We need an organization that doesn’t stop at one issue, but is a place for any issue to be

discussed and demanded. We need an organization whose goal is for systematic change in the way our education is structured. We need an organization that hears the needs of students and acts on it. We need an organization that is organized by students, for students, and nothing else.

We are students for the expansion of rights for students. We are students for racial justice in higher education. We are students for justice for all people on the gender spectrum. We are students for the end of exploitation of students. We are students for equitable treatment of staff and faculty. We are students for the end of the injustice of graduate students’ exploited labor. We are students for the cooperative ownership of education. We are the Emerson College Student Union.

To the education profiteers reading this: Emerson College’s motto is “Expression necessary to Evolution.” This is us taking control of the evolution of this institution. This is us telling you what we need. You can ignore us for now, but not for long. We will scream, rally, sit-in, protest, scheme, and rattle our cage until you hear us. You will curse our expression. That will not stop us.

Only Evolution will.

EMER$ON NEWS • EMER$ON NEWS • EMER$ON NEWS Spring semester T-passes for sale until 12/12/19

CAN'T AFFORD A T-PASS? CONTACT STUDENT SUCCESS If you're having trouble covering the cost of next semester's T-pass, contact Emer$on's Office of Student Success. They can potentially cover the cost for you. You can also visit them in-person at their office, located on the 2nd floor of P-row.

While you're there, why not ask them about getting a free meal plan?

Get to know and get involved with S3!

A MESSAGE FROM STUDENTS SUPPORTING SURVIVORS Hi there! We are the folks from Students Supporting Survivors, a new non-SGA

recognized Student Organization on Campus, dedicated to ending sexual violence on campus! We formed in response to the crisis around this issue that occured at the end of last school year, because of the survivors who bravely came forward with their stories and to continue the work that many students and orgs on campus had already started. Our mission is: 1. To educate students with up to date information about Emerson’s sexual misconduct policy/history.

2. To provide resources for survivors that are comprehensive, intersectional, compassionate and empowering.

Insisting that Emerson follow it’s existing policy and procedures, and advocate for new ones when necessary.

3. To advocate on behalf of survivors, being led by the needs of survivors first.

4. To encourage a support system within the student body.

5. To reach out to activists doing similar grassroots work at other colleges.

And we have a couple of announcements!

We are having an opening meeting on November 11th at 8:00pm in the Beard Room, we would love for y'all to be there. We'll be talking about what we've been up to, taking questions, and having a discussion about art in social justice/healing. We might even have some arts and crafts to do while we talk!

We understand that some of the content we are discussing might be triggering to some people, so we put no pressure or obligation for anyone to come.

However, if getting involved in our work sounds interesting to you, or you want to know more about us, check out the FB event.

We are creating a Zine this semester and submissions are open right now! We are accepting short stories, poetry, photography, visual art, and QR codes for music/film. You can submit through our google form. If you have any questions you can email us.

We are working on creating a packet of information about Emerson's Title IX/Sexual misconduct policies and procedures, to have information in plain language about what they are, how they are supposed to work, and what actually happens. We need help doing research, so if that sounds something you'd be interested in or you know someone who'd be interested, send us an email.

And finally follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with our work!

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Emerson College Student Union Fight for a better Emerson.

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