This week, ESC was efficient! Due to absences, ESC met for a mere twenty minutes and ran through a few brief updates. ESC Bureau Chief Lori Luo reports.

Policy Updates
Due to the absence of Student Body President Alina Ying, Vice President of Policy Estevan Mesa filled in to run the meeting.

He briefed ESC on his meeting with Vice President of Campus Services Scott Wright that aimed to make textbooks more affordable. The meeting clarified that the tuition we pay is “socialized” such that the price is the same for everyone and independent from variables such as the number of classes taken. One avenue that could be possible to make textbooks cheaper is to source them from one supplier or source. However, that solution creates issues regarding students who would prefer to either buy their books from an upperclass student or find their textbooks online. Next week, President Ying, the CCSC President and Vice President of Policy, and he will go meet with Barnes and Nobles to see if they can help.

Mesa also talked to Wright about expanding the hours of the public safety shuttle that runs to Carlton Arms as some students would like to see the hours extended. Wright was open to the idea and to trial it for a few months. Wright would also like feedback specifically from someone who lives in Carlton Arms to suggest the extension hours that would be helpful. Vice President of Communications Adheli Gonzalez mentioned that she may know students who could help.

Mesa briefly also touched upon the results of the digital vote for supporting Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which most representatives voted on and passed. ESC sent out an email yesterday supporting IPD and shared a statement.

Mental Health Task Force Committees were also brought up by Mesa, who reported that he wants to have someone come to ESC and talk about resources available to students on campus. He emphasized that the most important job of ESC as student representatives and leaders is to share useful knowledge with the people, to understand possible resources, and simply spreading the word.

Sustainability Representative Ade Balogun elaborated on the mental health committees, specifically focusing on the JED Steering committees. They are affiliated with Live Well Learn Well, and there are fourteen different committees that each focus on different facets of the main mission to address mental health. For example, one committee focuses on social connectedness and ensuring that there are spaces for students to connect socially outside of a structured environment. Other committees focus on policy issues. Balogun ended by saying that JED Steering committees were a great way to get involved with mental health advocacy on campus.

Miscellaneous Updates

• Juliet Sampson, from the Class of 2023, has been appointed Student Health and Wellness Representative.
• Homecoming is this weekend! ESC (as well as the other student councils) will be passing out ice cream and rally towels at College Walk.
• ESC will be selling tickets to the Six Flags Fright Fest (October 25th at 3 PM) this Sunday at 1 PM on the Lerner ramps. Tickets will be sold for $10.
• International Students Representative Katherine Liu has gotten in touch with ZeroSpace about collaborating with them for the SEAS Gala that she is planning.

ESC unanimously voting to adjourn via Wikimedia