The Student Governing Association introduced a resolution to respond to the planned repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program Thursday evening.
The resolution, drafted by Stephen Kucera, graduate student in accounting and student support director, will provide information on DACA and the consequences of the program’s rollback. It will also recommend action to be taken by the United States Congress.
“What we’re trying to encourage the United State legislature to do is take action,” Kucera said. “We can’t officially ourselves say, ‘Hey, DACA is extended and there are protections for everybody.’ I’m sure if we could do that, we would be considering that legislation.”
Madai Rivera, academic and diversity coordinator, estimates that there are 40 K-State students who could be negatively affected by DACA’s rollback. The concerns of these students include deportation, the availability of on-campus employment and whether their scholarships will be taken away, Rivera said.
“Every person should be able to go to school and not have to be worried about being deported,” Kucera said.
Rivera felt similarly about the deportation of K-State students.
“As a campus, we should continue to stay together,” she said. “It’s our mission to welcome and provide opportunity for all.”
Gene Taylor, athletics director, was also present at the meeting, and touched on topics including K-State football’s Bill Snyder and the infamous “F*** KU” chant.
Taylor said that one of his biggest challenges coming into the position of athletics director in May was the question of Snyder’s health and his future at K-State, after news broke in February that Snyder had been diagnosed with throat cancer.
“If you had asked me back in May, and I said this to a few people, I would have told you I was concerned about how long he was going to be here,” Taylor said.
He now estimates that Snyder has at least another three or four years left in his tenure.
Taylor also expressed his opinion on the “F*** KU” chant, similar to what university president Richard Myers told the senate in last week’s meeting.
“We need to lose it,” Taylor said. “I know it’s a tradition, but there are some traditions that need to go.”
The senate also approved five new student senators: three for the College of Arts and Sciences, one for the College of Architecture, Planning and Design and one for the Graduate School. Four of the five senators were present to be sworn into the senate.
The Kansas State University Steel Bridge and Soils Judging teams received commendations for their performances in competitions during the month of April.
