Sarah Storelli is the ASI President. Storelli, along with Kostas McDade and Nick Dindio, write the State of the Students column.
Due to community relations being one of my main platform points, we, your student representatives, felt the need to foster a more inclusive environment for the student residents of San Luis Obispo.
As ASI president, I chair the Student Community Liaison Committee (SCLC). This committee meets once a month and consists of 17 voting members which range from the mayor, chief of police, city supervisor, a County Board of Supervisors representative, Cal Poly’s vice president of Student Affairs, an Interfraternity Council representative, ASI secretary of community relations and representatives from Cuesta College.
The mission of SCLC is to serve as a mechanism for communication among Cal Poly, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo City and County and community organizations. Further, this committee enables these groups to work together to improve the quality of life for all of San Luis Obispo’s citizens. SCLC has now been in existence for almost 25 years, and every year it continues to improve by promoting a more collaborative environment. San Luis Obispo is one of the few cities to have such a committee where various constituencies can come together, discuss pertinent updates from each prospective area and resolve issues in a respectful manner.
In order to move the city in a forward direction, we felt it was time to launch a citywide campaign where each stakeholder would send the same consistent message regarding how to be a good neighbor and resident of San Luis Obispo. Through restructuring the SCLC’s website, conducted by Cal Poly seniors Gracy Wilkins and Alison Moore, the committee has been able to launch into part one of its campaigns. The website can be found under the “Be A Leader” tab on the ASI website, labeled SCLC or www.slosclc.org. Not only will you be able to find out ways to volunteer in our community, but you will also be able to look at the noise guidelines and services available for neighborhood crisis prevention. All of the links are presented in a simple way, making it easy to navigate and find what you want.
Since part one is complete, SCLC will continue to develop the next steps in its messaging campaign once the new ASI president takes office in June. By having this transition, it allows all of the materials to be ready for the incoming freshmen and their parents. Being a respectful citizen does not start once you move out of the dorms; it starts at the beginning of your college career as a San Luis Obispo resident.
Aside from the SCLC’s work on the campaign throughout the year, ASI Student Government has helped promote and provide more positive opportunities for students to engage in community building activities. In early October, we participated in SLO Night with Your Neighbors, which consisted of various block parties around San Luis Obispo to promote positive community relations. During winter quarter we revamped the website, making the information more easily accessible to students. For spring quarter, the secretary of Community Relations, Genoa Aleman, and the secretary of Greek Affairs, Jace Knight, are planning Community Game Day. The event will be held on April 10 at Meadow Park from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., to show that students care about the greater community of San Luis Obispo. Once again, even while the year is beginning to wrap up, we are making an effort to increase positive relations. Aside from bonding over board games, San Luis Obispo’s mayor Jan Marx will be at University Union (UU) Hour May 5 at the Student Government booth. We are hosting her so that you, the students, can ask her questions regarding city-student issues and offer her different ideas and input. Just like that, there is a direct way for you to voice your individual concerns and present direct feedback to Marx.
Yet all things considered, SCLC played a crucial role in maintaining positive and professional relationships throughout the ordinance discussions and other city-wide issues. Without this committee in place, we would not have a relationship based upon shared governance, and our opinions, as students of Cal Poly, would not be as valued and understood. It is our hope that after this year’s progress, SCLC will maintain consistent communication and consultation from all entities; the input is essential for not only the future success of the committee itself but also for the community at large.