Humans Of UH Hilo: UHHSA

Get to Know your Student Government

by Uʻi Barongan

UHHSA representatives hand out free food at a tabling eventLast semester’s Oh Hell Week, overseen by UHHSA president Hannah Blue. (photo by Lichen Forster)

This year has brought a lot of new changes to students and the university - students are back in class, new events and activities are available, and 2022 is on track to be a lively semester. Headquartered in Campus Center, UHHSA (the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Student Association) has been reaching out to students for their feedback on how to better the campus in the spring 2022 semester. For those unfamiliar with UHHSA, it is the campus’s student government focused on student advocacy, student involvement, and campus improvement. UHHSA as a whole acts as a connection between campus administrators (the University’s Chancellor, the Board of Regents, and the State Legislature) and students to provide a platform for student voice, funding, and collaboration.

One of UHHSA’s main positions is a Senator. The role of senators is to create bills, chair a senate committee, vote for bills on behalf of the welfare of students, aid in tabling for events, and establish open communication between students, organizations, and other universities. Members at UHHSA work by creating and passing bills regarding university policies, campus events, and lobbying to Hawaiʻi’s Legislative branch when bills are related to UH topics. Senators of specific colleges within UH Hilo are responsible for creating bills based on the needs of their colleges. In addition to enacting bills on behalf of colleges, UHHSA is able to fund different organizations and advocate for students voicing their concerns on campus through bills.

Rebekah MagersRebekah Magers, Photo by Kamalani Poepoe Senator at Large Rebekah Magers has been a student representative at UHHSA for a year now. Unlike college senators such as CANFRM and DKICP who act upon the needs of their individual colleges they oversee, Magers presides over multiple disciplines regarding groups of students and multiple colleges. In addition, she is responsible for creating and voting on bills with student’s best interests in mind.

This semester, UHHSA has a few major event-based bills they have passed. Senator Mager recalled the success of the Sustainability Speaker Series held earlier this year in January and February. “We had multiple speakers this spring, coordinated by UHHSA’s Sustainability Committee. The speakers were innovative business owners and organizations who are contributing to a more sustainable community on our island by closing the loop for food waste, recyclables, and agriculture.”

Senator Magers recommends that students try to attend Oh Hell Week an upcoming UHHSA event that traditionally coincides with the week before finals. At this event, students can get a free lunch, snacks, school supplies, and other goodies. In the past, UHHSA has hired local caterers such as Teapresso, Aloha Mondays, and Asami’s Kitchen to feed students free lunch when they come to the event to pick up their free studying supplies. This semester, UHHSA is continuing one of its bigger funding initiatives the Menstrual Equity Initiative. Senator Magers states, “it is a collaboration between UHHSA and the UH Hilo Women’s/LGBTQ+ Center led by President Blue and Senator-at-Large Dupre. These ladies have been working on it for a while, and it has been, so far, been the largest project and funding I have seen this school year.”

This initiative will support the results from a recent campus survey where students agreed that there was a need for free and accessible menstrual products. In the future, bathrooms on campus will soon be equipped with product dispensers that would supply students with pads and tampons at no cost, trash cans for period product disposal, and an initial free supply of pads, tampons, and trash can liners. A new bill UHHSA is looking at currently is one that would help students get back to their cars safely after dark. Senator Magers comments that UHHSA wants to “add sensored lighting in the parking lots so that students who stay to study after dark can have a lighted path.”

UHHSA also plans to raise new banners for the campus that feature real university students and umbrella stations around campus for students’ free use.

Aside from creating bills, UHHSA often provides funding for RISOs (Registered Independent Student Organisations) such as the History Club, through tabling supplies in the past. UHHSA also funds programs on campus such as last year’s free meal bags.

When asked about UHHSA’s role in collaborating with other campus organizations, Magers responded, “I think it would be great if other organizations and clubs came to us with their ideas this semester. We want to hear from them and give them the opportunity to carry out their mission and visions. I don’t think there is any project too big or too small.”

UHHSA is funded by student fees, so the organization encourages students to attend as many of the events as they can. Essentially, students can get their money back in giveaways, food, and advocacy services. Should students wish to weigh in on their use of student fees, there will be an Open Forum in March for students to give feedback to the UH Administrators.

Should any student wish to learn more about UHHSA or attend a meeting to see what UH Hilo’s student government is doing for the campus, students are welcome to attend weekly Senate meetings on Wednesdays at 6:30pm, hosted on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 450 616 7443

Passcode: #in5pired

UHHSA also has open positions. “We would love to have students apply or reach out to us to learn more,” Rebekah says. See the classifieds in this issue of Ke Kalahea to learn more about what UHHSA has open. If you are interested in UHHSA’s work, you can drop by during their office hours from 8am-4pm Monday-Friday in 203-A, or pick up an application at Campus Center. You can also email uhhsa@hawaii.edu.