On Friday, March 22, the Associated Student Government assembled for their weekly board meeting, discussing the new “Student Engagement” bylaws and a student petition to address the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Israel.

During the meeting’s allotted time for public comments, Robin Isherwood, a student at City College, appeared on Zoom at the board meeting. Isherwood used their allotted three minutes to present a petition for the ASG to pass a resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine and Israel, and to end the blockade of Gaza.

“We are extremely concerned about the devastating humanitarian crisis currently devolving in the Gaza strip,” Isherwood read from the petition’s mission statement. “We wish to use the voice of this state institution to exert pressure on our federal government to put a stop to this crisis.”

This is the second time Isherwood has presented the petition to the ASG, the first time on March 8. As of Friday, March 22, the petition had 85 student signatures in favor of the sentiment. 

“I’m speaking to my advisors on the best way to address [the petition], and the best way to support our students – their voices and their needs,” said ASG President Elizabeth Wilmer. “This is a very important issue, and a very sad one, it’s something that we want to be there for our students about.”

Centering around the same topic, the Students for Justice in Palestine club is set to begin soon, and sent a message out to students via their pipeline email. The club planned to be officially chartered at this meeting, but no representative was present.

In other news regarding clubs, the board granted $400 to both the Badminton club and the Pre-Veterinary club, totaling $800 in club grants during the meeting.

Including these two grants, the ASG has given out a total of $2,766.22 to clubs who have made grant requests during the spring 2024 semester so far. The form to receive a club grant is available on the ASG website, under the header labeled “clubs.”

Additionally, the board unanimously approved a new bylaw, drafted by Student Advocate Elena Fuentes, titled Article XIII – Student Engagement. In brief, this bylaw was established to require the ASG to conduct “bi-monthly campus feedback surveys,” and “town hall meetings,” to strengthen communication between the ASG and City College students.

“That’s kind of the function of ASG – we’re supposed to be the link between the student body and the administration,” Fuentes remarked. “The purpose of the surveys is not to just inform our agenda, but also to inform administrators on what they could do to better approach and solve student issues.”

Fuentes went on to state that the new bylaw also functioned to keep future ASG boards accountable for communicating with the students of City College, to more efficiently address their needs and concerns. The ASG elects new members every semester, therefore these bylaws are a way for past and future boards to maintain consistency in their governing. While the representatives change, the bylaws remain cemented.

In other news, the ASG is preparing for three significant events in April: the “On Campus Student Life Event” on Tuesday, April 2, tentatively, the Blood Drive on Tuesday, April 9, and the City College Olympics on Saturday, April 13.

The re-establishment of the Prayer Room is also still underway; its furnishings have recently been transported from the ASG meeting room to their new home in the Learning Resources Center.

The board’s next meeting will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 5.