Letter to the Editor: FIU needs change and there is hope

Fellow Panthers:

I’m writing this letter to share a story of perseverance and hope for a better future for all students at FIU.

The election on Tuesday and Wednesday (which had previously been postponed) will be a defining moment in FIU history.

An outsider, AccessFIU, will make an unprecedented attempt to prove that although the odds are stacked against us, with the support of the student body we can overcome like we did two weeks ago.

When Devondra Shaw and myself were wrongly disqualified, we were told that it would be impossible to win, but we kept fighting and proved everyone wrong.

Six months ago, we founded AccessFIU with the goal of creating a Student Government that more reflected the diversity of FIU. As a result, Student Government’s goals would be those of the entire Student Body.

Together, we built a team of passionate and qualified candidates – each with genuine goals to improve the FIU experience.

Throughout this journey, we have learned so much and met amazing individuals with unique stories of triumph who have been marginalized.

FIU may be large, but there are many tight-knit communities within the student body who we have met along our journey.

Many of these students – students with disabilities, veterans, hungry students, students who live on campus, etc. – feel disconnected and silenced by the system.

With their support, we have been able to persevere.

However, the journey has only just begun.

After numerous presentations to student organizations, meetings with student leaders, meetings with University department directors and countless conversations with students over the last six months, AccessFIU has identified the needs of the students. They are as follows:

Representation that more accurately reflects the diversity of FIU, more resources for students who need financial assistance, access to safe and free transportation between campuses, throughout campus and throughout the surrounding community available all-week-long and more opportunities to study, intern and/or work on campus.

We know it’s a lot, but Access FIU is here to test the limits, because they haven’t been tested before. Together, we can break the ceiling of what Student Government can accomplish for its constituents.

This won’t be accomplished without your help, Panthers!

We are asking that you all go out and vote. Do your research. Select individuals who best represent you and who you believe will really make FIU worlds ahead.

In partnership,

Jose Sirven

Presidential Candidate

AccessFIU.com

 

DISCLAIMER: 

Letters to the Editor are not written by FIUSM Staff. They are submitted by readers of The Beacon and these views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovememphis/8161099567/in/photolist-draLze-pJdjg7-dsQxRY-3o9xqq-5B87uK-5zdtmm-8NT7wo-5zghpH-4tvCtW-5tdRKt-5zi8qH-iHG2gm-dCcUue-dCnMj2-6hjFtG-6w7Lxt-5zvZUq-8tfR9p-bAXQme-dLPdKQ-5xX9bL-dFTGvn-6Bga5R-diQ2Qk-6xE9GC-drj9Hi-a9jpZP-5qyjR7-5woCPF-5gtPBi-oZtCYN-drkxhP-diQ3Je-5o1ju1-8VECgF-72N62Y-vYrmj-8jp9K8-53HHmC-5AymzJ-73tY93-dQ7tQp-6oBHA3-8Rab5U-6rgYyg-4bk8t9-8xCUSN-rN18n-8ZcBF1-9LMXX5