By Mark Siquig
Alejandro Rojas-Ibanez from the College of Liberal Arts proposed Resolution 2023-11 during the Associated Students Inc. Senate meeting on Wednesday for all student leaders to participate in an Active Shooter Training.
The training is set to be a one-hour online course module to show ASI leaders what to do and what not to do during an active shooter emergency. Rojas-Ibanez pointed out the major issue of increased gun violence around the country and encouraged student leaders to be prepared for this type of situation.
“I feel like it should not even be debated. We already have Title IX trainings and mandatory trainings,” Rojas-Ibanez said. “It would be a great stepping stone moving forward with this on-going issue that’s not only impacting one school but impacting the whole country.”
This resolution would open a discussion as members of the senate responded to the proposition. Senator Stephanie Marquez from the College of Liberal Art expressed her opinions on the resolution.
“By making resolutions like this, isn’t it also not taking account of the mental health tolls of student leaders potentially by even just strongly encouraging it?” Marquez said. “I acknowledge that there are benefits but in the end we are student leaders, we are not hired by the school and this is a voluntary position.”
Rojas-Ibanez said the Active Shooter Training is a strongly encouraged course and it won’t be a recorded assignment for the student leaders. Marquez said the resolution being strongly encouraged put the pressure on her and future ASI members because if they don’t participate in the training, they would not be considered true leaders.
“In this type of situation we student leaders shouldn’t be taking this type of step,” Marquez said. “It should be academic center or maybe another part of the school and I don’t think ASI should be the leaders of this essentially. I don’t think we should be testing it on ASI leaders first but should be given to professors or people hired by the school.”
Rojas-Ibanez said this training will prepare students to be leaders in the most unprecedented times. The training is a free one-hour online module for the ASI members.
“It’s not like I’m making them put on a vest and go out there,” Rojas-Ibanez said. “It’s just something that will prepare us for any situation like that.”
