The SF State Associated Students Incorporated held a welcoming event in Malcolm X Plaza at the Cesar Chavez Student Center this afternoon in a campaign to familiarize the students on campus with their programs and services.

As DJ music echoed throughout the scene and caught students’ attention to the event, ASI handed out free pizza to a long line of eager students just in time for lunch. By offering music, free food and free stationary goods, ASI said they hoped to draw students in to learn about their programs and get them involved in campus activities.

“Our goal for the day is to get as many students knowledgeable about our services and all about the programs and just do an outreach,” said Chris Jackson, ASI president and a senior majoring in speech communications and urban studies. “We feel today is a time we can educate while making it fun to be a student at SF State.”

Jackson also noted that it is important for students to know how their money is spent since every student pays $42 a semester to ASI.

“This is a good way to get out and to promote our services. Unfortunately, not a lot of students know our program, even though we’re located right above the bookstore, and it’s sad,” said Jamie Gillaspie, assistant director of the Legal Resource Center and a senior majoring in political science.

The staff at the Legal Resource Center has the resources to assist students with legal needs and can set up an appointment with an attorney if needed. The most common reasons that students seek assistance from the center are landlord and tenant issues, immigration issues and traffic violations, according to Gillaspie.

“A lot of the students are lower income and they don’t know all the resources available to them in the city, so we make it available to all the students who come by and help them with the number of resources that we have,” Gillaspie said.

Of the six programs sponsored by ASI, the Performing Arts, Project Rebound and the Early Childhood Education Center are the three all-year-around programs that are available to students. The Legal Resource Center, Education and Referral Organization for Sexuality and the Women’s Center are nine-month programs that are available during the spring and fall semesters, according to Maire Fowler, ASI vice president of internal affairs and a junior speech communications major.

Sarah Dopp, a senior technical professional writing major, wandered around the tables looking to get information about the ASI programs.

“I think there was a lot of information about the student government, but I would like to see more about other student clubs on campus,” Dopp said.