During this Spring Quarter’s Welcome Week, the ASFC (Associated Students of Foothill College) Open House event took place on Thursday, April 11, in the lesser-known upper level of the Campus Center. Here, a majority of this school year’s senators presented their service projects to students in an attempt to drum up awareness for the following elections!

Akin to many students, I had no real prior knowledge of Foothill’s student government until I came across the Open House event during the first week of Spring Quarter 2024. Little did I know, but within the student government were a set of six Senator positions. Those holding the title are given the responsibilities of attending weekly meetings, representing student voices, and, most notably, heading a year-long project aimed at benefiting students and the greater Foothill community. The event offered free food for those who attended and had the current senators showcasing their projects through neatly designed posters. It was in this upper level of the campus center that ASFC position holders have their cubicles and offices to work from. In addition to this, a large flier wall stands proudly by the front door, with every flier and poster of Foothill services and upcoming events imaginable. Once again unbeknownst to me before attending the event, there is even an anonymous survey box (with a QR code linking to the online version) where students can voice feedback to the ASFC. As a student, if you ever have any inquiries about events and services, a good place to look is the ASFC located in Room 2000!

As for the projects themselves, I was truly impressed by the continued progression of how Foothill can serve its students better and more accurately! It just goes to show that Foothill’s students are the ones who can truly move the school forward, as they are closest to the true action. 6 senators served in the 2023-24 school year: Jerry Chen, Ricky Khan, Haley Moore, Niko Razavi, Bryce Seymour, and Melody Wang. I was lucky enough to catch four of the Senator’s projects, and witness their presentations.

ASFC Senator Ricky Nguyen (he/him) is a second-year student at Foothill that studies Computer Science, and his project centered around the food pantry that exists on campus. A fun fact about him is that he’s an International Student from Vietnam! Before Ricky’s project, the pantry only offered $50 Walgreens gift cards, which likely resulted from the lack of on-campus students due to the pandemic. However, intending to establish a fully operational food pantry, it now offers hygiene products, fresh produce, and other essential products. This could not have been accomplished without collaborations with the Bill Wilson Center (a housing service) and Second Harvest (a food bank). Within the first week of the food pantry’s reopening, 200 students had signed up and the pantry’s stock was depleted. Over 5,000 students have checked in to the food pantry after its reopening, a milestone achievement both for Ricky’s project and for Foothill in serving their students! Please click on the photo to review the poster board to learn more! 

As for ASFC Senator Haley Moore (she/her), she is a second-year student at Foothill, studying Political Science and Gender Studies. A fun fact about her is that her parents taught her both Mandarin and Spanish as a child, but, unfortunately, she no longer retains any of it! Considering both the substantial Queer student population and De Anza’s establishment of their own Pride Center in 2022, a community lounge serving students, all the while increasing queer students’ visibility and inclusivity, seemed like a no-brainer. Collaborating with the GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) and the Social Justice Club was key to the successful creation of this space. With the overall goal of creating a safe space for all students to be themselves, the need for an accessible space was key. However, this didn’t come without pushback as there was initially some location difficulty. The GSA requested an official student government room (similar to De Anza), which was at first denied, but were eventually granted the space. With the location secured a soft opening of the Pride Center is likely to take place at the end of Spring Quarter 2024, before an official Grand Opening in June 2025. This project is a milestone accomplishment for Foothill in serving its Queer students and their acceptance on campus, none of which could have been done without its students! 

ASFC Senator Niko Razavi (he/him) is a third-year student at Foothill, studying Film & Media Studies. A fun fact about him is that he graduated elementary school three times, as a result of moving around and all of his different primary schools ending at separate grade levels. The overall goal of Niko’s project was to increase the awareness of communal spaces and accessible lounges at Foothill. Reopening the Azumaya, located in the campus Bamboo Garden and Japanese Cultural Center, behind the 6500 building, was originally a side project but eventually turned into his main focus. Due to the pandemic and other undisclosed reasons, the Azumaya structure had been encased in a fenced cage. Working with Foothill President Whelan, Niko was not only able to have the cage removed, but also give the Azumaya a power wash to restore its condition. The history of the Azumaya runs deep for Foothill College, despite its mostly ambiguous presence on campus, having been built and gifted 1998 by the students from the International College of Arts, in Toyama, Japan. The overall purpose of the structure is to have a place of recluse for students, where you can find a peace of mind and quiet for meditative purposes. It’s also a wonderful place to hear Foothills resident birds sing! Make sure to go on a little adventure looking for the structure in our Bamboo Garden the next time you are by the 6500 building! 

Last, but most certainly not least, is ASFC Senator Melody Wang (she/her), a second-year student at Foothill who is studying Psychology. A fun fact about her is that she is an incredibly involved student! Not only a senator but also President of the Taiwanese Student Association, an International Student Ambassador, and a staff member at the WLC (Writing Learning Center) front desk. With the overall goal of creating a place to take a mental break from their studies and promote campus mental health resources, Melody decided to establish Relaxation Booths. In collaboration with the Mental Health & Wellness Center, the Learning Resource Center, and the WLC, there was a trial run of the relaxation booth in the library for painting rocks in order for students to destress during midterms. This turned out to be very successful and led Melody to establish a permanent activity table in the WLC, and she is now pushing for another one. Look out for the table in the WLC, where you can currently create a vision board using the provided magazines, and say hi to Melody if you get the chance!