Jacob Chang, a third-year in psychology and political science, and Anna Valerius, a third-year in political science, were sworn in as the new Undergraduate Student Government president and vice president Tuesday night, looking to bridge student and administration relationships. Credit: Courtesy of Jacob Chang
Jacob Chang was sworn in as Undergraduate Student Government president and Anna Valerius as vice president Tuesday night in hopes of creating a more direct communication between students and Ohio State’s administration for the next year.
Chang, a third-year in political science and psychology, and Valerius, a third-year in political science, said in an interview with The Lantern their administration will prioritize initiatives to support Ohio State’s Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American students, advocate for the university to not renew its contract with Wendy’s until it joins the Fair Food Program, encourage hybrid classes for major requirement courses for fall semester and ensure the university keeps students safe during the pandemic.
“During this campaign, Anna and I made a commitment of mobilizing the Undergraduate Student Government to help students pave their paths here at OSU, and this year, we’re hoping to do just that,” Chang said at inauguration.
Focus groups
Chang said he and Valerius have already met with Randy Smith, vice provost for academic programs for the Office of Academic Affairs, to discuss the creation of focus groups for administrators and students to communicate directly without having to use USG as an intermediary.
Valerius said they are reaching out to any student who might want to join the groups.
“Giving that direct connection and where students feel like they don’t have to go through USG, or they don’t have to set up individual meetings where it’s on them to voice concern, where their voices are being valued and given that space and the respect of, ‘Here’s a space where we’re going to talk about this’ and then setting agendas and figure out what we’re going to be doing moving forward,” Valerius said.
Chang said there were two focus groups in February, organized by former USG President Roaya Higazi and Vice President Caleb Hineman.
Helping the APIDA community
Chang said he and Valerius are working with the Office of Institutional Equity to better support Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American students. They are ensuring that the equity report — a way for students to report incidents of anti-Asian sentiment — is easily accessible for students as well as providing education for those who would like to fill out a report. Chang said students are often unsure of what is considered a microaggression or hate crime because they are not taught what they are.
Chang said they are also advocating for in-language reporting — students reporting anti-Asian sentiment and incidents in their first language — so students can better understand what equity means and what social identity protections they have.
Valerius said this initiative holds the university community accountable for following through on their action items and reducing harm.
“This is extremely crucial because it creates a form of accountability for students who perpetrate hate and harm towards specifically the Asian community that we have seen heightened currently,” Valerius said.
Chang said he and Valerius will meet with Keesha Mitchell, interim associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity, to show the action items they have created as well as to other university departments to see how they can help protect the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community.
Not renewing Wendy’s contract with Ohio State
Valerius said USG passed a resolution March 10 urging the university to not renew the lease for the Wendy’s in Doan Hall until the fast-food chain joins the Fair Food Program, a partnership of food retailers and farmers to ensure fair wages and humane working conditions on participating farms.
According to the resolution, if the university does not renew its contract, it will send a message that Wendy’s behavior will not be tolerated, and Ohio State will do business with social-responsible companies with values that align with those of the university.
The university’s contract with Wendy’s ends June 30, and Valerius said she and Chang plan to share their advocacy with as many students as they can so the discussion gets bigger.
“We want to make sure that students know about that; this is something that we as a community are a part of and that students have a weight to be able to pull and be able to say, ‘Hey, this is a problem, we need to address this,’” Valerius said.
Hybrid classes for the fall and ensuring student safety
In a March 23 speech, Bruce McPheron, Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost, said university departments will offer at least 75 percent of their core classes in person.
However, Chang said students have reached out expressing concern and fear with moving back to in-person classes due to being immunocompromised.
Chang said he and Valerius have already discussed with Smith, the Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Distance Education and eLearning and Office of International Affairs to create hybrid classes for major requirement courses to ensure students who feel uncomfortable attending class in person or are taking courses at home or abroad have the option to watch the recorded lecture online.
“If I want to take a day off to take care of my mental health, I can go back and watch it. I do not have to go back to on campus while worried about catching COVID,” Chang said.
The university is putting together a small group to work on the best approach for this initiative, Chang said.Valerius said the university needs to move forward with COVID-19 safety measures in place that are not fully contingent on vaccinations.
Valerius said she and Chang will continue to advocate for many of the initiatives of the last administration, such as the LGBTQ center, holding the university accountable for the renaming of Bricker Hall and cutting ties with Columbus Police to put more funding into self-defense training and off-campus safety kits.
Valerius said they have spoken with University Police Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt to reevaluate how the university communicates to the community, such as what students can expect to see when they receive Buckeye Alerts.
Higazi acknowledged in her speech at the inauguration the several initiatives under her administration — including the pass/no pass grading system and establishing USG’s Black Caucus.
She said she has known Chang since she served with him on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. As the first Black woman to serve as USG president, she acknowledged the challenges he might face as the first international student to serve in the role.
“I know it can feel isolating with the pressure of the world on your shoulders, but just remember everything you need is already within you,” Higazi, a fourth-year in city and regional planning, said at the inauguration. “Our stories, our experiences and our challenges are what drives our leadership, and there’s never any shame in that you’ve gotten this far because students see themselves and what you have to offer.”
