ETC, the mini-mart located in the Lincoln Park Student Center, will sell products designed for textured hair. The initiative was the result of a collaboration between Chartwells and DePaul’s Student Government Association.

The initiative was spearheaded by Camila Mariana Barrientos and Nathan Gutierrez, the senator for Intercultural Awareness and executive vice president for Diversity and Equity, respectively.

“The initiative was very collaborative,” Barrientos said. “Nathan Guitierrez was the one who initially sprung the idea and brought it to my attention. Landon Campbell, our vice president, then took part of the initiative into his hands, as well. Landon contacted Roots2Ends, a student organization on campus, and was in contact with Chartwells and ETC.”

ETC sells products like shampoo and conditioner, but none specific to textured hair.

“The initiative is just an extension of what we truly want to accomplish this year, more equity and diversity at DePaul,” Barrientos said. “Nathan made a simple observation, he noticed that these needs have been overlooked. To us, it seemed that no one has ever brought up, noticed or listened  to the fact that ETC had no products serving black students on campus.”

SGA released a survey titled “Black Hair Care” in order to gauge to what products were needed.

“SGA came to me several weeks ago stating that some students were asking for additional, more diverse hair care products to be sold at ETC,” said Rick Moreci, director of Housing, Dining and Student Centers. “I asked them to do some research as to what products the students would like to see offered. They went back and did a poll and then came back to me with the top requested products from those students who were surveyed.”

Chartwells collected the data from the survey and selected the most requested products to be carried in the store.

“I was told that these products would be primarily for students who are black,” Moreci said. “ As a result of the poll that was taken, Chartwells will be carrying the top four requested products: Jamaican black castor oil, shea butter, shea moisture shampoo, shea moisture conditioner.”

This is the latest initiative from SGA, which recently worked to have free menstrual products in campus bathrooms.

“This is definitely set to be an extremely productive year for SGA,” said SGA president Gisselle Cervantes. “We have every position filled except for two, and we are working right now to fill those last two spots. Once we have everyone, we will have so many different student voices represented at the table, and I think that will make us stronger than ever.”

Barrientos said the products will be released towards the end of the month. Moreci said they will be sold at a “competitive price.”

“From what I know, this is the first time a student organization on campus has ever worked to accomplish an initiative like this,” Barrientos said. “We are very thankful that this initiative was passed so quickly and with such ease.”