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The Undergraduate Student Government of Boston College, led by President Akosua Achampong and Executive Vice President Tt King, both MCAS ‘18, will be unfolding several impactful initiatives in the coming months.
“A lot of the slow work we did last semester is now turning into actual action, because advocacy work is very slow,” said King, who also acknowledged the groundwork laid by past UGBC administrations.
One initiative is that major bus stops will soon be heated, including Newton bus stops.
Additionally, King outlined a new initiative she expects to be implemented in the coming months, called Learning Intervention Techniques (LIT).
With the LIT program, seniors will be able to attend an informational session about Bystander Intervention techniques, identifying signs of addiction in friends, and throwing safe parties. Upon completion, they will receive $200 to purchase food for a party.
LIT is modeled after the Babson University PAL party fund. UGBC has worked in conjunction with Alcohol and Drug Education and the Alcohol Screening Prevention Initiative (ASAP) to make this program available at BC.
In response to the racially motivated incidents that came to light in the fall, a diversity module will be introduced for all BC students through DiversityEdu this summer.
King noted the significance of the racial incidents and responses on campus, which prompted a few thousand BC students, faculty, and community members to participate in the Silence Is STILL Violence march on Oct. 20.
“There was so much advocacy for supporting students of color on campus that was happening before [the Silence Is STILL Violence March], that when it happened, it was able to spur what we were already doing,” said King.
King and her team are also working on a Student Experience Survey, which will be conducted next year.
This effort ties into the team’s focus on advocacy and inclusion, and it will be the first time the university gathers widespread and significant data on queer students and students of color. King stressed the importance of queer student data collection as part of the legacy she hopes to leave.
“Our goal from the start has been that if we leave this campus and people feel like they can make a change and feel like they belong here, we’ve done what we’re supposed to do,” said King.
Her team will continue working on anti-racism efforts and advocacy for marginalized student populations in the coming semester.
As the current UGBC administration continues their efforts throughout the spring semester, candidates for next year’s UGBC President and Executive Vice President must announce their candidacy by Jan. 31. The first debate will be on Feb. 6, and a second debate will be held a week later. Elections will be take place Feb. 15.
