Associated
Students Newsletter

Dear A.S. Family,

Welcome to the new academic year! We’re excited to embark on another journey of supporting SDSU students and look forward to all that lies ahead this academic year.

This year, the A.S. executive officers are proud to introduce this year’s theme: "Be the Change You Want to SEA," emphasizing safety, equity and accessibility. This theme reflects A.S.’ commitment to promoting a safer, more equitable and accessible campus environment while focusing on three core pillars:

1. Safety: A.S. considers safety to be both physical and psychological. Student Leaders will aim to cultivate a safe campus community by enhancing relationships with campus partners and A.S. Safety Committee members, hosting a topical town hall, developing a student safety upstander training and more.
2. Equity: A.S. will continue to support equity by implementing policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. This will involve ongoing work on the A.S. Employee DEI plan and the A.S. Student Volunteer DEI plan, which aims to expand recruitment, retention and promote equity.
3. Accessibility: Student Leaders are also prioritizing accessibility by promoting and communicating all A.S. and campus resources to students. Given the numerous campus resources, it can be overwhelming and inaccessible to students attempting to locate information.

If you have ideas on how your department can incorporate these themes into your goals this year, please let the director of your department know. We always welcome ideas and are so proud that all of A.S. uses the student leaders’ goals to help guide work for the year. This is some of the magic that makes A.S. such an amazing student-led organization.

It is also important to note that given this year’s national election, A.S. remains committed to fostering constructive civic engagement through the Rock the Vote campaign, where there will be opportunities to attend events and register to vote by visiting on-campus tabling.

Your safety and well-being remain a top priority. Please review the A.S. Campus Safety Resource guide, which includes crime prevention and safety tips. Make sure to also download and use the SDSU Safe app, as it contains reporting tools, campus maps and other safety resources.

As A.S. continues to foster a culture of respect, compassion and care in the organization and across the university, together we can be the change we want to SEA on our campus. Thank you for all the work you do every day for students and the SDSU community, and thank you for your collaboration and continued dedication!

Kat and Christina

The A.S. Food Pantry started in 2016 as a Your Voice Matters initiative to address the growing need for affordable and accessible food on campus. Conveniently located in the Student Union, the A.S. Food Pantry offers free and nutritious groceries to all SDSU students that check in with their RedID.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the most popular and nutritious foods offered at the A.S. Food Pantry. We distributed over 38,000 pounds of fresh produce during the 2023-24 academic year. All of this produce comes from the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Their amazing food procurement team works with local growers, gleaners, food manufacturers and retailers to rescue and redistribute fruits and vegetables to more than 500 nonprofits in San Diego County.

The money raised through our annual Aztecs Rock Hunger campaign enables us to regularly purchase food at the San Diego Food Bank as a non-profit partner agency. We have two weekly shopping appointments at the San Diego Food Bank’s warehouse in Miramar, where we have 45 minutes to grab all the food we need, transfer it into storage bins, record and weigh it with Food Bank’s staff, load it into our truck and drive it back to the Union to get sorted.

The A.S. Food Pantry student staff are trained to discern between produce that has gone bad versus “ugly” produce that is still perfectly edible. We compost any nonedible produce and prepare the edible produce for distribution by sorting it into smaller food storage bins. Finding fridge space for 800+ pounds of produce is similar to playing tetris with the added challenge of accommodating each type’s ideal temperature, light sensitivity and ethylene production in order to keep everything as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

Students that visit the pantry are encouraged to complete an anonymous feedback survey at the end of each semester. This is a great opportunity for us to evaluate student food preferences, particularly in regards to the produce they would ideally like to see at the pantry. According to the most recent survey, the most popular varieties include apples, potatoes, bananas, cucumbers and onions. We aim to offer at least four different types of produce each day, and usually a combination of cooking staples and ready-to-eat varieties students can snack on.

Some of the more unique offerings we had at the pantry last year include persimmons, tomatillos and hen of the wood mushrooms, which look similar to acorns but taste similar to truffles. We have recipe ideas at the pantry to encourage students to incorporate unfamiliar fruits and veggies into their diet, as well as suggestions to prolong the shelf life of produce such as pickling carrots, cucumbers or peppers, blanching and freezing celery, green beans or broccoli and washing and freezing grapes, berries or melons.

If you would like to visit the A.S. Food Pantry, please do not hesitate to come on by during our operating hours!

Mohammad Hamed Rosooli

1. What is your name and title?

   Hello! My name is Mohammad Hamed Rasooli and my title is Accounts Receivable Technician.

2. Which A.S. department do you work in?

   I work in the Business Services Department where I manage incoming payments, process invoices, maintain financial records, resolve discrepancies and ensure the timely collection of outstanding invoices.

3. How long have you worked for A.S.?

   I started working with A.S. in May 2022, so two years and four months.

4. What do you like most about working for A.S.?

   What I like most about this position is the opportunity to collaborate with a network of highly educated and skilled people while continuously learning and growing in my field.

5. What was the last movie you saw? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

   The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Thumbs up!

6. If you had to move to another country, which one would you choose?

   I would pick Spain for its stunning landscapes and lively culture. With everything from beaches to mountains, there's a lot to discover and enjoy. Plus, as a big Real Madrid fan, I would get the chance to see matches at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

7. Do you prefer pens or pencils?

   Pencils: they’re super versatile, easy to erase and I can adjust the shading with different pressure levels.

8. Which famous person from history would you most like to meet?

   I would love to meet Rumi. His poetry about love and spirituality is incredibly moving. I’d be interested to hear his thoughts on love and how he found beauty in the world.

9. What is your favorite book?

   I love “Crime and Punishment” because it really makes me think. The story dives into the mind of a man who does something terrible and then struggles with his own feelings of guilt and confusion. It’s fascinating to see how he deals with his actions and tries to find a way to make things right.

10. If you could start a charity, what would it be for?

    If I could start a charity, it would focus on providing resources and support for homeless individuals.

11. There is a free, round-trip shuttle to Mars. The catch: it will take one year of your life to go, visit, and come back. Are you in?

    I'd definitely say yes to the free shuttle to Mars. Exploring another world and seeing Earth from space is just too exciting to pass up. I think it would give me a whole new perspective on life and how I see the world. Sure, a year is a big commitment, but the experience and the knowledge I'd gain would be worth it. I also believe that such an adventure could really change me, inspiring new goals and making me see things differently when I come back.

12. You have your own late night talk show, who do you invite as your first guest?

    If I had my own late-night talk show, I would invite Cristiano Ronaldo as my first guest.

13. “Most people don’t know that I…”

    …really enjoy traveling and experiencing new things. Exploring different cultures and trying new foods is something I’m passionate about.””

14. When you visit the Zoo, which animal do you make sure you see, and why?

    When I visit the zoo, I always make sure to see the flamingos. There's something mesmerizing about their social behavior and the way they gather in groups. Plus, they always add a splash of color to the zoo.

15. Would you rather speak all languages or be able to talk with animals?

    I’d choose to talk with animals. It would be incredible to understand their perspective and how they see the world. Being able to grasp their thoughts on humans and their environment could really deepen our connection with them and help us interact with them better.