In the midst of the excitement that comes with applying technology to the disability community, the true harm — ableism — is often overlooked.

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What does “special circumstances” mean, what are the requirements, and who determines eligibility? It seems like the definition has shifted, which makes some sense, but we are still unaware of what the new definition is.

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The ASSU is proud to continue our annual elections, despite the challenges that an entirely virtual environment poses.

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In the face of widespread community fear and anxiety, the ASSU has been tasked with work that the University should have proactively done: collecting stories to understand the diversity of students' situations, recognizing what new and exacerbated problems this update creates, and analyzing how to best respond.

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Yesterday, the Daily announced the Associated Students of Stanford University's (ASSU) work with the Student Affairs office regarding changes to the 5150 policy, which is in place to protect people’s mental health in emergency situations. This is a change many mental health advocates (including ASSU presidents and vice presidents) have been working toward for years.

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We are so excited to share that Chris Middleton (he/him) has been confirmed as the new vice president after voting in the Undergraduate Senate and Graduate Student Council. There is no doubt that his contributions to our work will be incredibly impactful, both within the ASSU and every community on campus.

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This past Tuesday was Voter Registration Day. Register to vote if you’re eligible. When elections roll around, be sure to vote if you can. Think about the people who will remember our past, while deciding the present and shaping the future. When you vote, vote for the people who will remember our heroes.

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There are only so many times I can write “We stand in solidarity” before it starts looking less meaningful. So right now, I’m not the ASSU Director of Communications. I’m just Cricket, writing to my Stanford family.

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I am calling on Stanford to make efforts to recognize the diversity of circumstances students are living in and to more deeply consider petitions to stay on campus in future quarters on a case-by-case basis.

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Cricket Bidleman sheds light on the importance of accessibility and community during the coming, uncertain months.

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I use “we” and “our” here, since I’m referring to the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) and Stanford Student Enterprises (SSE). The ASSU has existed since 1891, and that’s pretty amazing—we’re almost 130 years old! Since its foundation, the ASSU has spent its time influencing positive change on campus, and providing over $3 million in annual funding for student groups so that everyone can find communities they belong to. Fast forward to 1995—we became financially independent from the University and thus founded SSE. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of SSE’s founding and the ASSU’s financial independence, we’ve gone through some rebranding.

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