WHAT A TIME TO BE A PILOT!
That is not just a play of words on the Drake and Future collaboration, it truly is an incredible time to be here on the Bluff. With the expansion of the campus infrastructure that includes the Beauchamp Wellness and Recreation Center, the renovated Pilot House, Lund Family Hall and with the addition of Associate Vice President Matt Rygg, Dean Xan Arch, Coach Carlin-Voigt, Coach Terry Porter and many other new faces, I can't think of a better time to call the Bluff home.
As the voice of the student body not only to administration, but to the greater Portland community, the newly elected executive board of ASUP is fully committed to serving the students. Our campaigns promised real, visible change and because of this, we truly understand the mandate to implement real, visible change.
In order to accomplish this, ASUP requires your honest and consistent feedback. If at anytime you feel your needs as a student are not being met, please do not hesitate to contact ASUP .
Over the summer, we were working hard to deliver on our guarantee of pursuing all of the different alternatives and solutions with regards to parking and more food options. Not only did President Rivera and I extensively negotiate with Kirk Mustain, the manager of UP’s Bon Apetit, a system that would meet the needs of both the company and the students, we also reached verbal agreements with several local food cart vendors in the Portland metropolitan area to make their way to the Bluff. The contracting process is in the works. The specific dates and times that they will be on campus will be available to the Pilot community in a matter of weeks. And, food was not the only thing on our minds this summer.
After meeting with Vice President of University Operations, Jim Ravelli, a plan has been implemented to begin moving vehicles of commuters and day parkers to the River Campus parking lot, thereby freeing up space on the main campus. With the shuttle system that President Rivera and I promised in our campaign on the horizon, we are optimistic that the days of circling around campus from Schoenfeldt to Waldschmidt looking for parking spaces are nearing a close.
We do, though, believe that it is in the best interest of the University to formulate an effective shuttle system to work for years to come. Therefore, various steps are being taken to make sure the transportation system works in an efficient manner before it is implemented in less than a month.
As for the other promises from our campaign, here is more good news. As a result of discussions with Duncan Strang, Karina Handeland, Jon Brooks and the rest of the Athletics Department, our promise of Lyft discounts to the UP community has been fulfilled with the ‘Lyft2UP’ promo code which offers members of the University a special discount.
With the fulfillment of our campaign promises well underway, we have begun looking at solving other issues in our community. Solutions such as the possibility of increasing hours in on-campus buildings during finals week along with collaborating with the Athletics Department on ways to increase support for our student-athletes.
Though we may like to believe we live on a utopian campus, we are cognizant that food and parking are not the only issues the campus faces. As evident last year by various student groups raising concerns about mental health, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability, to name a few.
There are a bevy of problems we face as a community. As President Rivera and I noted in our campaign, these issues will not be solved during one term in office and as such 2016-2017 ASUP executive board looks to collaborate with leading voices on our campus and beyond the Willamette to begin tackling these difficult issues that not only face our University, but the country as a whole.
Next month speaker John Akers and President Rivera will release more information about the ASUP Diversity Initiative: a wide-ranging plan with immediate steps that can be taken, as well as recommendations to begin tackling one of the most pressing issues facing our campus.
On behalf of the rest of the ASUP executive board, I would like to welcome back those who departed a few months ago, but as for the 965 new Pilots who just recently arrived, welcome. This is an extraordinary campus with even more extraordinary people and as such you’ve joined a community that will provide you with priceless moments that will endure for a lifetime. I believe that the adage of college being the best four years of your life may not be true on every campus, but it surely is here on the Bluff.
