Seven of nine candidates were elected to Student Association positions during SA’s meeting on Monday.

One student was elected to represent the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, a college which previously had no representation. Five students were elected to represent the College of Arts and Sciences, and one student was elected to represent the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The meeting was held at 7:30 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium.

Janine Savage, a sophomore child and family studies and public health major, is the representative for Falk. Savage stressed Falk’s under-representation in SA and presented several initiatives, including a silent study room in Bird Library. No one opposed her election. The Falk school still has five more open seats to fill.

Nicholas Iaquinto, a junior international relations, German and education major, ran as a representative for the Arts and Sciences. Iaquinto had been an assembly member of SA before, but left to pursue a specific committee within SA.

When Alyssa Brennan, SA recorder, said Iaquinto previously left SA, Iaquinto interjected that this was false. He said that although he left the assembly, he did not leave the organization.

This response angered some and was debated by assembly members later in the meeting. Although Taylor Carr, the Student Life Committee chair, argued the response was inappropriate, Iaquinto was again elected as a representative

Kenny Seligson, a sophomore political science major that ran to represent Arts and Sciences, was another heavily debated candidate. Although Seligson said he wanted to make positive changes on campus by pushing SA’s smoke-free initiative, his social habits created discussion for members.

Seligson is a member of a fraternity and expressed his heavy involvement. Several members questioned Seligson’s motivations and seriousness about the SA commitment. Dylan Lustig, vice chair of the Student Engagement Committee, argued that although there is a stereotype against fraternities, Seligson would not be running if he was not committed to SA. After some debate, Seligson was not elected.

PJ Alampi, the Board of Elections and Membership chair, ran the elections portion of the meeting. He thought the elections were positive, in that, the candidates were very diverse. Alampi said he hopes for more successful elections during the next two meetings.

Neal Casey, SA president, said that the elections are a step in the right direction.

‘We have a long way to go,’ he said, ‘but we are excited with the challenge ahead, and I think we are going to come out on top.’

Other business discussed:

• The academic integrity board discussed at last week’s meeting by Academic Affairs Committee Chair Bonnie Kong is still in the works because it needs further organization with Gary Pavela, the director of the Academic Integrity Office. The initiative will not be presented at this month’s University Senate meeting.

• SU’s National Pan-Hellenic Council was denied the $2,032 it requested for a mixer it is planning to host at the Sheraton University Hotel and Conference Center on Sept. 24. The NPHC was denied funds last week for the same event but resubmitted its request with minor alterations. SA Comptroller Jeff Rickert said the funds were denied the first time because the event was only open to 250 members, a stipulation that goes against SA codes that state funds cannot be granted to events that are not open to the entire student body. When the request was resubmitted, only minor changes were made and, even though it was open to the entire student body, the number of expected attendance remained at 250, Rickert said.

rebarill@syr.edu

 

Published on September 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm