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Tue Apr 1 12:00:31 EDT 2025

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TDLR: Welcome Back! Showers are now free! Waffle Wednesday Tomorrow; Free Menstrual Products and Stamps; DC Updates and more.

Hey Everyone,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating break. As we dive into the final stretch of the semester, I want to share some exciting updates with you all.

First, given the overwhelming success of free laundry, I am pleased to announce that—effective immediately—showers on campus will also be free for all, now with unlimited lukewarm water and water pressure that would make even your fluids professor blush (April Fools! But wouldn’t that be wild? Maybe next year...).

Participatory Budgeting Updates

On a more serious note, Waffle Wednesday is back this week! Make sure to stop by the Stud at noon and grab a free waffle as a well-deserved midweek treat. Make sure to fill out this form<https://us16.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FywZJM4uJqysMV8ve6&xid=5edee943c9&uid=81007902&iid=1e61c5f535&pool=cts&v=2&c=1743478197&h=1a280d63d79ceb67856387d08d019920276ad27651b9ed76888ee780d173990a> while you wait.

Also thanks to participatory budgeting, we’re excited to announce that we’ll reimburse menstrual products for living communities while supplies last. Additionally, free menstrual products will be available in the UA chambers for anyone who needs them. If your living group would like to participate, please reach out to us at ua-officers at mit.edu for more details.

Finally, we’ll be providing free stamps—dorm execs will receive a supply for their communities, and we’ll also have stamps available in the UA chambers for anyone to grab.

MIT International Fair (iFair)
The UA is proud to sponsor iFair 2025! Showcase your culture through food, art, fashion, and activities, or take the stage with music, dance, or other performances. Join us in the biggest cultural celebration of the year with interactive booths and live performances. To register your organization, fill out this application<https://us16.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FDGmeU7PLALPFcFPt7&xid=5edee943c9&uid=81007902&iid=1e61c5f535&pool=cts&v=2&c=1743478197&h=37d0c815bc15d41949487643430a542f4ce38c077a929550f523bc42a521c109> by April 4th. Email isa-execcom at mit.edu for more information. See you there!

Updates on UA Advocacy in DC

Beyond campus, over spring break, I went with a small MIT delegation to Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies that directly impact students. The discussions we had with lawmakers reinforced the importance of student voices in shaping national policy. Here are some key takeaways:

  *   Pell Grants: There is strong bipartisan support for protecting Pell Grants, with some legislators even signaling interest in expanding them.

  *   Department of Education: While some policymakers advocate for dissolving the Department of Education, we made it clear that such a move could severely disrupt student financial aid and access to critical resources.

  *   Endowment Taxes: Lawmakers are actively debating the taxation of university endowments, a major source of student financial aid and institute funding. While some view this taxation as a measure of accountability, we emphasized the potential negative impact on students, financial aid, and research.

  *   Free Speech & Student Advocacy: The conversations on student activism and free speech highlighted the need for student voices to remain at the center of policy discussions. There are members of Congress who are open to working with students to ensure our rights are protected on campus.

These meetings reaffirmed that student advocacy matters—and that MIT students have a crucial role to play in shaping the future of education policy. If you're interested in getting involved, there are many opportunities to engage in these efforts. Every office we met with stressed the importance of hearing from their constituents (i.e., you!) to understand how proposed laws will impact their communities. You can always reach out to your representatives. Additionally, we were asked by several offices to collect student testimonies about how recent legislation or policies are impacting you or how your research impacts your local community. Please help us amplify your voices and send us your stories (at ua-publicaffairs-chairs at mit.edu).

As my term as student body president begins to wind down, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude. It has been an honor to serve this community, and every initiative, policy win, and community-building event we've realized has been possible because of your engagement and support. Thank you for your trust and partnership.

Let’s finish the semester strong—and I’ll see you at Waffle Wednesday!

Love you all,

[https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/564142efe4b09d10c39f8a8f/ff77b218-6a2e-4c19-b710-de24daf10de2/Screenshot+2024-09-04+at+12.41.03%E2%80%AFPM.png]

Enoch Ellis | Undergraduate Association President
Department of Chemical Engineering | Department of Mathematics

Rishika Bansal | Undergraduate Association Vice President
Department of EECS | Department of Political Science

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