NYU’s Student Government Assembly presented updates to Swipe it Forward, discussed temporary student visas and more at its meeting on Thursday, November 3.
A student pulling out his NYU ID in the cafeteria. (Joshua Becker for WSN)
NYU’s Swipe it Forward program — a a food donation system that allows students to request free meals from selected cafeterias — has received 470 donations since the beginning of this semester, 457 of which have been used by students, according to President Ron Hall during the Student Government Assembly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 3. Hall said he discussed the possibility of adding online donations to the program with a senior NYU administrator.
“We see a clear need,” Hall said. “We have to be really persistent and consistent in how we collect donations before we can loosen the gas.”
During the meeting, the student government also adopted a statement in support of the NYU Law Immigrant Rights Project after members expressed concern about an NYU legal event hosted by the school’s Center for Public Interest Law that featured two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys. The statement was accepted in principle — the event was already canceled before the meeting of the student government after protests by students and teachers.
“We understand PILC’s desire to cater to all students who are interested in the public, which inherently entails state work,” the report says. “However, we urge NYU not to allow agents of an organization with a long history of oppression and violence to advertise on our campus. ICE has a history of racial profiling, retaliation against immigrant rights activists, disregard for the law, fabrication of evidence based on false “evidence,” confiscation and destruction of detainees’ documents and belongings, and senseless detention.”
Another resolution was passed in support Semiconductor Manufacturing and Science Beneficial Incentives Act of 2022, which provides $280 billion over 10 years for research. The statement praised the legal recognition of post-graduate researchers and support for scientific and technical education.
Student government then discussed writing to the US Consular Office about extending and renewing temporary visas for international students, with some arguing that the office did not have the resources to focus more on student visas. The letter, which was ultimately not accepted, implied wait times for nonimmigrant student visas of up to 400 days.
The letter was specifically addressed to Renee Bitter, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs at the bureau. Student government representative Maggie Knight opposed sending the letter, saying it should be addressed to Congress.
“This request comes from a really good place, but it can also do a lot of harm,” Knight said. “While I support that something needs to be done to reduce that wait time, I just want people to keep in mind that I don’t think this is the way to do it.”
SGA will hold a Networking Conference with the Student Veterans Association on Monday, November 7th for Military Appreciation Week, and a Town Hall with President Andrew Hamilton on Monday, November 14th.
Contact Yezen Saadah at [email protected]
