Assistant News Editor

  Associated Students Inc President Mariela Gomez gave an update on the plans for Commencement 2018.

  Gomez informed the commencement will consist of one undergraduate ceremony that will begin around 8 am.

  There will not be a limit to how many people students can bring; however, there will be priority tickets for the Soccer Stadium. The number of tickets per student is yet to be decided.

  The Icardo, Student Rec Center, and the Multi-purpose room in the Student Union are being considered as potential places as overflow options, and livestream the ceremony.

  Since students gave feedback that it was helpful, there will also be a Do’s and Don’ts video on the rules for commencement.

  All these plans are tentative and subject to change upon further consultation.

  Gomez also informed that during ASI’s executive board meeting they decided to do a letter writing campaign for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

  The proposed date is Oct. 23 from 11 am to 2 pm.

  There will be postcards that students can write their messages on.

  ASI’s objective is to get hundreds of letters and mail them to congressional leaders.

  “Imagine the impact that they [the letters] would make, if they go to their office and they see a bunch of letters on their desk, it would just make a big statement,” said Gomez.

  “We are really trying to put pressure on these people to help support DACA and the population of students.”

  University Police Department Chief Williamson also gave a report informing that parking lot A has been opened and students should not be parking in the gravel south of Kroll Way.

  Williamson also said UPD is working to catch the suspects who have been stealing bicycles from campus, especially the housing area.

  He said UPD has been providing free u-bolt locks for students who have bicycles on campus.

  He also gave a brief speech regarding the Vegas shooting on Oct. 1, 2017 and campus safety.

  He said that UPD is always working to provide the utmost level of safety for all events on CSU Bakersfield.

  “We don’t want to make this a fortress, this is a public university we still want people to enjoy it,” said Williamson.

  UPD will also be having the Zombie Halloween Hunt once again on Oct. 31.

  Alejandra Frausto director of student athlete relations for ASI said that staff have been suworking on a natural disaster project.

  Staff will be shipping blankets, backpacks, and clothes to areas recently affected by hurricanes.

  The project will take place on Oct. 29 and then again on Nov. 5.

  Athletes and ASI members are expected to volunteer in collecting blankets and other utilities community members donate.

  Dr. Jim Drnek associate vice president for student affairs, said to ASI that men’s basketball has already sold 900 season tickets.

  He also informed that this year’s book choice for the One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern project is, “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America.”