With campus closed to the public due to the Safer at Home order, the Associated Students Organization (ASO) and Pierce students are physically disconnected.
To reconnect with the student body, ASO senators are using the ASO Instagram story to vlog about their day while quarantining.
Club Council President Nicole Alfaro said in an email interview that she came up with the idea of having the Senate take over their Instagram, showing students that they are not alone during the transition to online classes.
“We have all been staying home, keeping up with our studies and just trying to stay positive during this time,” Alfaro said. “Our purpose was to give students a glimpse into our personal lives and provide them with different activities that they can try at home to take their mind off of things.”
She said that when she vlogged about her day, she shared some healthy facts about the açaí berry, taught how to make an açaí bowl, attempted to do yoga with her younger brother and ended her day by baking.
“I got a lot of responses during the yoga session with laughing emojis and comments on how funny we were, so I was happy to hear that people were enjoying the story and interacting with us,” Alfaro said.
ASO Senator Roberto Moron said in an email interview that boosting the morale of students is important, and is one of the reasons why they started the takeovers.
“As senators, it is our responsibility to serve our students’ needs, and we will continue to do that to the best of our abilities,” Moron said.
Moron also said that he had a great time taking over the ASO’s Instagram because he was able to connect with students in a light-hearted way. While he vlogged, he created a trivia contest and gave the winner a shoutout.
“I also had fun sharing more about myself, which I think was great for the students as they got the opportunity to know about who represents them,” Moron said. “Overall, the experience was very rewarding.”
ASO President Vivian Yee said in an email interview that by being able to take over their Instagram page for a day, she hopes that students will feel that they are not alone.
She said she understands how difficult it can be to stay productive and healthy during this quarantine, so if the ASO can give a little inspiration to students, then they are doing their jobs correctly.
“By showing students our lifestyles, the importance of staying in if possible, we hope to give students a little hope in these dark times,” Yee said.
