Power, policy, and presence with the Defrost Committee
By Amirah Idris
Fear has a way of shrinking your world.
For some students at St. Catherine University, that fear has meant hesitating before stepping outside, second-guessing a trip to the grocery store, or wondering whether everyday life still feels safe. Instead of letting that fear sit quietly, Victoria Lo ‘26 (Business, Communications) decided the campus needed to respond.
“What motivated me the most was how I felt our community needed to respond to a problem that affected a huge demographic of students,” Lo said. “I was also scared for myself, my family, and friends. So I wanted a system set up so we can advocate for each other.”
That system became the Defrost Committee.
Lo proposed the idea through the Student Senate, testing whether there was enough support to turn concern into action. Once it became clear that students wanted something tangible, she moved quickly to get it off the ground.
“I would say I was the main person to get it off the ground,” Lo said. “I proposed it to the Student Senate and gauged any reactions or support that this committee may have.”
The committee is now in the process of being chartered as an official club. Students have joined through personal connections, Senate referrals, and word of mouth.
“I think people just want to help each other, and I think that is amazing,” Lo said.
Right now, the Defrost Committee is piloting a grocery delivery program in partnership with the Food Access Hub. The process is intentionally structured and confidential. Students in need are directed to Access and Success, the Food Access Hub, or the Student Senate, then complete a grocery request form. A staff member records addresses on paper rather than electronically to prevent any digital record from being breached.
During the first two delivery rounds, only Food Access Hub staff will deliver groceries to prioritize safety. Requests are due Wednesday at 11:59 p.m., food is packaged Friday, and deliveries happen Saturday.
The program is still in its early stages, but it is already doing what it set out to do: reduce isolation.
And Victoria does not want it to stop at groceries.
“We are trying to do information nights, see if we can get training, any protest preparation that students may want to come to,” she said. “Letting us know what the community needs is huge.”
She also hopes the committee can advocate for academic understanding.
“How can you focus on academics when it feels like your life is not stable?” Lo said.
The Defrost Committee is open to anyone at St. Kate’s. Students can reach out to senators or connect directly to join or share concerns.
In a moment defined by power and policy, the Defrost Committee is choosing presence. While national decisions may feel distant and overwhelming, this response is immediate and local. It is students stepping in where systems feel unclear, turning fear into structure and uncertainty into care. Power may shape the landscape, policy may shape the rules, but presence is what shapes community.
That is what defrosting looks like.
