By Julia Berkman
Western’s Be LibeRAted movement is back and ready for action following a sleepy summer. New residents will expect receiving the fruits of their labors: better crisis and mental health training, more beneficial one-on-ones and more! Annie Gordon, current Associated Students VP for Student Life, weighed in on the what the new year means for the movement.
What plans do Be LibeRAted and the AS Board have for the upcoming year regarding negotiations with Residence admin?
Of course, the work will continue. I believe that we all have the best intentions to serve students and provide an incredible first year experience, and there is no university that does that perfectly.
Each year starts with a sense of “what can we do better?” This year is not differ- ent in that sense.
The work that was done last year was focused, and the AS Board will continue to hold that work accountable, and to continue to grow the work to match the needs of students.
My position is working very closely with res life admin to continue to work on these things, in addition to working very closely with students to make sure new concerns have a spot to be voiced. My hopes for this year are to continue to address the barriers holding us back from larger systemic shifts. Things like building accessibility, installing gender neutral facilities, etc.
How many members of the movement have graduated?
Last year we were fortunate enough to have so much support, from both students and professional staff, so it’s hard list those that have graduated. Naturally, each year there is a new Board, a new group of RAs, even new professional staff sometimes. So it’s hard to say, but like many student positions there is a lot of turnover.
I believe that this year will look a lot different than last year. Many of the items from the original list of demands have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed. My hopes for this year are to work to maintain very positive and strong relationships between students and professional staff to continue these conversations and to continue the work that was started, while also allowing space for any new concerns that might potentially arise, and I’m excited to say that this is already happening.
What are some of the things the RA’s have accomplished?
With the help of a lot of support, the RA movement accomplished many things. Some of which include: This year all RA’s will are being mental-health first aid certified. This is significant as a main concern last year was RA’s feeling con- cerned about making sure to best handle crises scenarios. Logistically, RAs are now paid more, received much more pay during fall training, and had more flexi- ble hours during fall training. The social identity wheel will not be used this year in social identity one on ones, and there has been a commitment to continuing positive and productive training around how to best serve in a trauma centered and equitable way.
New residents have bigger and brighter things to look forward to, but the RA’s still have a lot more work to do. You can visit their Facebook page to see updates on their current negotiations.