LOGAN – As the death of George Floyd angered many across the nation, Utah State University Student Body President Sami Ahmed last week posted a message online.
He wrote that neither racism nor any other form of discrimination will be tolerated at USU.
“Along with many fellow Aggies, my thoughts and prayers are with the Floyd family,” he wrote. “At this tragic time, I, along with every other student leader at Utah State University, want to redeclare our commitment to creating an inclusive campus atmosphere.”
He came to the U.S. from his native Ethiopia in 2006 to join his mother, attended West High in Salt Lake City, then enrolled at USU and has been elected student body president twice.
“Neither racism nor any other form of discrimination will be tolerated in any of our campus communities,” he added in his letter. “A crucial part of being an Aggie is having the spirit of inclusiveness, support, and understanding of all people no matter our differences. No individual can call themselves a True Aggie without exhibiting all of these qualities. ”
When he first arrived he found the campus to be what he now advocates for in his message.
“I feel like when I first got to Utah State, most people were welcoming and respectful of who I am,” Ahmed explained in an interview, “especially because it’s a very homogeneous place at Utah State and I am one of the most different students you could be, being from Africa and coming here. Most of my professors and friends and colleagues, everyone was very welcoming to me.”
As student body president, he’s worked with the administration to prepare for school to begin in the fall and he said dealing with Covid has made it difficult for every one to understand why changes are being made.
”A lot of students when they get here are anxious to know if they are going to have the same experience coming to Utah State, am I going to have the same classes? The thing I want to express is everything is being done, on the administration side and the student leader side, to have this be as close to normal as possible.”
He encouraged students to contact elected student leaders at involvement@usu.edu.