The Daily Campus is inviting senate candidates to write op-eds about campus issues important to their candidacy. Candidates who would like to write about their platform for the SMU student body can email [email protected] with their submissions and questions.
By: Isaac Owens Pierre
Ever since I’ve stepped foot on campus, I’ve noticed two glaring issues about student life at SMU. The first is a constant topic of conversation for underclassman: food. More specifically, dining hall food. The second issue is the lack of adequate accommodations for handicapped individuals on campus. If I am elected as Student Body Secretary for the 107th SMU Student Senate I promise that I will fight vigorously towards improving the quality of on-campus dining and addressing the lack of handicapped accommodations.
As a current SMU freshman, I fully understand that a lot of the complaints about on-campus dining are valid. Underclassmen are forced to select “The Works” dining plan. This means that we are paying at least $200 dollars per week- or almost $30 dollars per day- to dine on campus. For this reason, I believe that it is vital to improve the quality of on campus food.
We spend much more than other universities on dining, yet we have arguably lower-quality food than other campuses. To me, it seems completely ridiculous that students paying such a high premium are constantly complaining about limited food options that are often cold or undercooked. This issue is perfectly exemplified on the weekends, when there are little to no options and the only available food is unhealthy and not fresh. This forces students to spend their money dining off-campus on the weekends.
This problem isn’t just exclusive to weekends for many students. Students who participate in SMU summer and intersession programs are forced to pay for an expensive dining plan that provides the same quality of food as Arnold at 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday.
I will not stand for this. Food is vital for every aspect of a student’s health, and it is a serious shortcoming on the university’s part when students feel like their health isn’t being properly addressed. As your SMU Student Senator, I will tackle this issue.
Another issue that is perhaps less immediately apparent but no less vital is the university’s lack of handicapped accessibility.
Last semester, I volunteered at the Texas Ramp Project in addition to my Hilltop Scholar service hours. I spent countless hours assisting Dallasites who required a wheelchair ramp at their house but couldn’t afford the installation costs. Twice a month, I spent hours on sunny Saturday mornings alongside other volunteers building proper ramps for these brave citizens. It was incredibly humbling talking with these individuals. They gave me detailed accounts of their day-to-day experiences with activities that are simple for a person without disabilities, but for them are extremely stressful and challenging. For many, the mere act of entering their home was an immense challenge in itself, which broke my heart. I knew that something had to be done.
I was incredibly inspired by these individuals and feel an obligation to continue helping them. The more we spoke, the more I realized how much SMU lacks proper wheelchair ramps and accessibility options for individuals with handicaps. I believe that in order for SMU to be one of the best college campuses, it must have infrastructure that actively contributes to the well-being of every individual. Currently, that is not the reality for handicapped students at SMU.
One of my fundamental campaign promises is that I will help maximize the inclusivity of SMU. In order for SMU to cultivate a campus culture of inclusivity, it must be a campus where all Mustangs are valued. That is why I am so passionate about this issue. If we want SMU students who are handicapped to feel like they are valued, we must properly address this shortcoming and fix it for all current and future Mustangs.
My mentors often comment on how passionate and persistent I am. When I become interested in an issue, I fully commit myself to learning everything I can about it. Similarly, as soon as I am elected to the 107th SMU Student Senate, I will research and work tirelessly towards bringing forward legislation that will address these issues that are so central to student well-being at our university.
Isaac Owens Pierre was born and raised in Edina, Minnesota, and is currently pursuing a double major in finance and history. Besides SMU Student Senate he is heavily involved in the Hilltop Honors program, AKPsi, the Folsom Institute, and the Finance Club.
The Daily Campus welcomes opinion contributions from students, faculty and community members. Submissions should be no more than 1000 words and are subject to copy editing. Please email submissions to [email protected], and include a cell phone number and a short biography.
