These Utah State student clubs may not survive COVID-19

By Fa’aitiiti Tuileta

The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the lives of people everywhere, but it is also threatening the survival of some Utah State University organizations.

Many of Utah State’s multi-cultural and indigenous programs rely on funds generated during large events that have now been cancelled.

The LatinX Student Union, Polynesian Student Union and the Native American Student Council have all cancelled annual activities that were scheduled for the last half of the spring semester.

All three organizations fall under the Utah State

Inclusion Center, which is funded through the university. The clubs, however, receive only a small portion of funding from student fees; the majority of their funding comes from the revenue earned from their large spring events.

Among those events was the annual food and arts gala, Fiestas Americas, hosted by the LatinX Student Union, also known as LXU.    

“Yes, I am worried,” LXU president Sherry Sanchez said. “There are enough funds that next council will be able to utilize for the first semester. However, LXU will have to fundraise for more funds so that Fiestas Americas can be organized for 2021.”

It’s not just revenue opportunities that have been lost.

“The hard work that council members did is not something that can be refunded,” Sanchez said.

The cancelled cultural celebrations are major annual events at Utah State.

The Polynesian Student Union’s annual luau, for instance, is a highlighted event during Traditions Week at Utah State, and this will be the first time in 47 years that there will not be an annual Native American Student Council powwow.

“We are very disappointed,” said Michelle Bogdan-Holt, ​the ​director of the Inclusion Center. “Our student clubs have worked so hard to put on events. However, we understand that this is in the best interest of our community.”