Anna-Ruth for Senate: Davis Wiki Events Page

Vote Anna-Ruth #1 for ASUCD Senator Winter 2011

My name is Anna-Ruth Crittenden, and I am running for ASUCD Senate.

I am an independent candidate, and have been working to build my campaign by looking to various entities on campus such as the Multicultural Center, the Women’s Resource and Research center, and the cooperative student living communities. I have attended the 2 public forums concerning the tri-coops and the domes, and am aware of the challenges facing the residents, as well as student housing’s stance in the coming transitional phase.

As senator, I hope to alter the food system on campus by advocating for a student-run food cooperative on campus, that would provide the student body with the opportunity to be more intimately involved with their food. I am passionate about food sovereignty, and I believe that locally-sourced food that is ethically grown is very beneficial to communities. The opening of the new food pantry in lower freeborn indicates a significant need on campus to provide students with affordable (in this case free) food. I have been involved with Cofed (www.cofed.org), an organization which supports students with the resources they need, to open student-run cooperative cafes on campuses all over the nation. Through Cofed (Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive) I have participated in the following workshops: finances and accounting, grantwriting, media relations, fundraising, and concept design.

If elected as ASUCD Senator, I will work to promote healthy, dynamic communities. This includes working in coordination with such student organizations as Project Compost, which empowers students to take charge of their food waste, and turn it into vital nutrients for the soil.

We are living in extraordinary times, in which the reality of climate change is putting pressure on us to adapt to rapid changes. In order to ensure that healthy, dynamic communities continue, I am a strong advocate for the cooperative communities on campus, specifically the Tri-Coops and the Domes. As senator, I hope to open new channels of dialogue between these entities, the administration, and the surrounding Davis communities in order to ensure their longevity and continued support through ASUCD.

Lastly, as Senator I hope to support creative, experiential spaces on campus. This includes advocacy for AS Papers, Associated Students Providing Alternative Publications Equal Resources, which currently lacks the support it needs to thrive. I am a strong advocate for experiential learning, because it is a chance to put thoughts and passions generated in the classroom into actual hands-on work. I have volunteered at the Student Farm, which I believe is an invaluable resource on our campus, because it provides students with a unique yet critical chance to participate in our food systems here on campus. To me, supporting creative spaces on campus means acting in coordination with various creative campus entities such as the Craft Center, the Experimental College, Sickspits Poetry Collective, the Whole Earth Festival, the Technocultural Studies Department, and KDVS90.3fm freeform radio.

As an ASUCD Senator, I will bring a new voice to the Senate, and would be honored to serve the UC Davis student body in the above specified ways.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Davis Wiki Events Page

Public Forum on Food Harvesting and Distribution in Davis

Time:

Location:

Many of you found out about the broccoli grown for academic purposes at UC Davis through the Davis Enterprise , on CBS13, over the KDVS90.3fm interview, via email, or you heard about it through a friend. I was excited by the inundation of phone calls and emails from people interested in continuing to harvest on Friday January 28th. Unfortunately, our efforts were suddenly canceled.

 On Friday morning, the Principle Agricultural Superintendent of the broccoli field informed me that the broccoli was gone: it had been chopped down by a tractor the day before. I am confused as to why my school did what it did. They told me “the weather conditions were perfect” to go in and destroy the broccoli, but they knew about the community movement to harvest through the various media outlets. They knew that there were dozens of people planning to help harvest the food, in an effort to feed themselves and others. The Food Bank offered to wait for our donation Friday afternoon before closing for the weekend, and many other social services were on stand-by to receive and re-distribute hundreds of pounds of fresh produce.

 I understand that the easy choice would be to just let this go, to keep quiet about this as Ag Superintendent asked me to, and to go back to my life as a 2nd year student at UC Davis. The bigger and scarier challenge is to be a productive citizen of this progressive community— one that assists in the distribution of fresh food to those who need it the most. Why doesn't UC Davis have an program in place that distributes acres and acres of food grown for academic purposes?

 I would like to facilitate a public forum regarding the many acres of unconsumed fresh food in Davis, so that food is not wasted, but rather is made available for those who need it the most.

 If you are interested in contributing ideas and/ or taking action, please join us on Sunday February 27 from 1-2:30pm at the Davis Public Library Blanchard Community Room  

For more information or questions contact me, Anna-Ruth Crittenden at arcrittenden@ucdavis.edu

Davis Enterprise Article: http://search.davisenterprise.com/display.php?id=73351