Christina’s Holiday Message
Dear A.S. Family,
It seems like just a month ago that I was writing this holiday message — the year has gone fast! I do not want it to end without thanking each of you for your daily effort that makes A.S. the outstanding organization it is! I am so proud of our significant accomplishments this year and the positive impact we have on students’ lives, the entire campus, and the larger SDSU community. Our collaborative approach and commitment to the highest level of experience for hundreds of thousands of SDSU community members that enjoy the A.S. programs and facilities is something we can all be proud of. Your individual contribution is appreciated, and with so much controversy and emotion in our country this fall, I hope you feel the meaningful impact you make on educating students. To me, educating students is one of the most important things we can do to better our society as a whole.
I wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season, filled with everything that makes it magical and special!
With cheer and gratitude,
Christina
A.S. Fights Food Insecurity
Associated Students has started two pilot programs to assist SDSU students who are facing food insecurity. The USDA defines food insecurity as a state in which “consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.”
The A.S. Mobile Food Pantry provides nutritious food and food program referral services for SDSU students experiencing food insecurity. The Pantry provides students in need with a grocery bag filled with non-perishable food items, as well as, fresh fruits and vegetables. This service is available every Thursday at the A.S. Mobile Food Pantry booth at the SDSU Farmers’ Market from 10am to 3pm, on the North Library Walkway.
A.S. No Waste is a sustainability initiative designed to reduce food waste in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, while providing food to SDSU students facing food insecurity. To participate, follow @asNOwaste on Twitter & turn on push notifications to be alerted when extra food is available in the Union.
To learn more about these programs, visit as.sdsu.edu/foodinsecurity
FINALS!
Attention Student!
Finals are almost here. Do you need a place to study in the Union? Here are a few suggestions.
Student Lounge
Located on the first floor, the Student Lounge offers collaboration areas, varying seating options and writable surfaces. The Lounge will be open the following hours:
Open December 15 at 8am, close December 17 at 10pm
Open December 18 at 8am, close December 19 at 10pm
December 20 and 21, 7am to 10pm each day
Café Dining
Located on the first floor, adjacent to The Habit and Chipotle, Café Dining will be open the following hours:
Open December 15 at 8am, close December 17 at 10pm
Open December 18 at 8am, close December 19 at 10pm
December 20 and 21, 7am to 10pm each day
Harvey J. Goodfriend Lounge
This small, intimate study space is tucked away on the third floor of the Union and is open Monday-Wednesday, 8:00am to 10:00pm and Thursday-Saturday, 8:00am to 11:00pm.
Need a break from studying?
Join us for breakfast, study tips, contests and give-aways at Aztec Nights’ Midnight Study Break. This free event is on Thursday, December 15, 10pm to 1am, in Montezuma Hall, in the Union. This study break is open to all SDSU students with a valid Red ID.
Student Union Team Attends ACUI Regional
Last month the Aztec Student Union sent five full-time staff and four students to the Association of College Union International (ACUI) Region 1 Conference in Berkeley, California. Held on the UC Berkeley campus, their new and renovated student union facilities set the scene for an educational and impactful conference. The conference spanned three days and covered a wide range of topics including sustainability, facility management, programming, graphic design, operations and much more. ACUI Region 1 is comprised of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Australia and Guam creating a diverse delegation to learn from and network with.
For full-time staff, this conference is a great way to learn best practices, network with old colleagues, meet new ones and discover innovative approaches to tackle new obstacles. Full-time sessions included best practices handling food insecurities, being sustainable in the student union and identifying key industry trends. The students were able to connect with other students from around the region to better understand the wide range of methods of how to best run a successful student union. Student sessions included leadership, future employment planning, being a successful student supervisor and key learning objectives.
Overall, the conference was informative and fun. There were lots of ideas and takeaways to help further better Associated Students and the Aztec Student Union.
Submitted by Kyle Zive
15 Questions
Jensyn Verdon, Associate Teacher at SDSU Children's Center
1. What is your name and title?
My name is Jensyn Verdon and I am an associate teacher at the SDSU Children’s Center. I just graduated last May with my bachelors in Child and Family Development and now I am in the special education teaching credential program.
2. Which A.S. department do you work in?
My job is awesome! We get to watch and help children grow and develop during their early years. The best part is building relationships with each child and sharing special memories.
3. How long have you worked for A.S.?
This will be my fourth year working at the SDSU Children’s Center
4. What was the last movie you saw? Thumbs up or thumbs down?
The last movie I saw was “Finding Dory.” I would definitely give it a “thumbs up”! Just keep on swimming!
5. What is your favorite dessert?
My favorite dessert is probably an ice cream sundae — with hot fudge, sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry — from Baskin Robbins because they have my favorite flavor, which is Gold Medal Ribbon.
6. What city would you most like to visit or visit again?
I would like to go to Nashville, Tennessee. I technically have been there before, while my mom was pregnant with me, so it would be nice to go again to actually see everything. And I love country music!
7. Would you rather build a sandcastle or a snowman?
I would like to build a snowman because I have never actually built one before and would love an excuse to sing “Do you want to build a snowman” from the Disney movie “Frozen.” Plus living and being from San Diego, I have grown up always building sandcastles.
8. What is your favorite book?
Currently, my favorite book is called “Look Me in the Eye,” by John Elder Robinson. It is about the author’s life with Asperger’s. I like it because being a future special education teacher it is interesting to see life through the eyes of someone with a disability.
9. What is your favorite sports team or who is your favorite individual athlete?
My favorite sports team is definitely our SDSU Aztec baseball team and my favorite player on the team is Jordan Verdon. I may be a little bias though because he is my brother, but hey — he is actually a great player.
10. What do you want to be when you grow up?
When I grow up I want to be a wife, a mommy and a special education teacher.
11. What three things are always in your refrigerator?
Three things that are always in my refrigerator are cheese, yogurt and strawberries, because I really enjoy them and like to make sure I never run out.
12. If you could go back or forward in time, where would you go?
I would want to go forward in time, just to see if and how many kids I will have and what I ended up naming them, so I do not have to worry about that now in the present time.
13. When you visit the Zoo, which animal do you make sure you see?
I always make sure to go to the polar bears when I am at the zoo — even though they never seem to be out and about when I go.
14. What is one of your favorite things to do on the SDSU campus?
One of my favorite things to do while on campus if I have spare time, is to grab a coffee from the Big City Bagel cart, find a quiet, pretty place to sit and just relax or read.
15. What A.S. staff member has inspired/supported you the most? And how?
An A.S. staff member that has inspired me the most would be Mr. David [David Pena] at the SDSU Children’s Center. I have been working with him for almost 4 years and he is just so knowledgeable when it comes to the work we do and he is so wonderful with the children. It has been awesome to see him working on his Masters. He is always so eager to share his knowledge with us staff members to help us grow and learn as well. “Working with infants is AWESOME!” — Mr. David
Entertainment
at Viejas Arena
It is Basketball Season and here are the upcoming Aztec Women’s and Men’s home games:
AZTEC MEN’S BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 10th, 4:00pm
vs. Arizona State
Monday, December 12th, 7:00pm
vs. Alabama State
AZTEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday, December 9th, 12:00pm
vs. Michigan
Sunday, December 11th, 2:00pm
vs. UC Santa Barbara
Wednesday, December 28th, 6:30pm
vs. Biola
For game details and ticket information, visit goaztecs.com