Milca Elvira Chacon
AS GAC ending their biweekly meeting on Oct. 20
Associated Students’ Government Affairs Committee released a message regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The statement recognized and empathized with those affected by the ongoing conflict, provided links with information on the issue and highlighted GAC’s support for student’s First Amendment rights.
It also called on the campus community to continue seeking peace and respect among each other during this time.
AS President Autumn Alaniz-Wiggins drafted and presented the statement during GAC’s biweekly meeting on Oct. 20.
While drafting a statement, Alaniz-Wiggins struggled to articulate a proper announcement because of the lack of Palestinian and Muslim presence in Chico.
Alaniz-Wigginz emphasized the necessity of clubs like Calmena on campus. She said it was a former Chico State club carried out by Middle Eastern international students that ended around two years ago.
“When things like this happen, there’s not a lot of counterweight to like, really figure out how the students are feeling because they’re super invisible on campus, which is unfortunate,” Analiz-Wiggins said. “And so even drafting this I don’t really have anybody to go to but Hillel because we don’t have a Calmena, I can only rely on like myself and my network to kind of draft up language.”
Additionally, Alaniz-Wiggins and Chico State’s Chief Diversity Officer Joseph Morales reviewed the statement with Chico State’s Jewish Hillel President Gil Klein-Cohen.
While Hillel didn’t officially endorse the message, Klein-Cohen is thankful the organization’s thoughts and opinions were sought before the statement’s publication.
“Speaking personally, and not on behalf of Hillel, I appreciate that the committee’s message encourages deeper analysis of the facts and historical perspectives. Civil dialogue and shared understanding are vital even in times of intense conflict abroad,” Klein-Cohen said.
Following the revisions, the GAC released the statement to the AS website and posted it on Instagram.
“I also appreciate that the statement condemns violence on both sides and wish that there was added recognition that Israel has the right and duty to defend itself from future Hamas terrorism. It is heartbreaking that civilian deaths and injuries are the inevitable result of the war Hamas has started,” Klein-Cohen said. “My heart is with the civilians in Gaza living through hell without remorse from Israel or Hamas. For their sake and for everyone in Israel and Palestine I hope for peace.”
Since Alaniz-Wiggins is double-majoring in multicultural gender studies and sociology, advocacy is important to her in moments like these.
“When I joined student government, having been director of social justice and equity last year, I didn’t want to just be complacent and no matter what type of event came up, I wanted to be like, hey, Chico State has a chance to be at the forefront of these issues,” Alaniz-Wiggins said.
Milca Elvira Chacon can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com.