On Nov. 14 the Student Association election came to a close. Two months later, several assembly members are still bitter about its outcome.

The first assembly meeting of the 58th session commenced on Jan. 13 in Maxwell Auditorium. Tension was overwhelmingly evident as new members sat facing the podium alongside many returning representatives including President Boris Gresely’s predecessor Allie Curtis.

On the agenda was the confirmation of Gresely’s cabinet appointees — an exercise met with misplaced criticism.

Though all members of the new cabinet were eventually confirmed, each faced brutal questioning.  Many questions were indeed valid, concerning previous experiences with leadership positions and ongoing initiatives, but others including several focusing on the appointees’ academic majors felt belligerent and unnecessary.

Of the three-hour meeting, a significant amount of time was dedicated to the questioning and confirmation of Director of Communication Anna Giles. Giles, a former staff writer for The Daily Orange, was targeted for being a broadcast and digital journalism major. Giles said in an email that she would gladly give up the position of director of communication to a public relations major if they were qualified.

Despite the fuss, Giles’ experiences communicating to the public through various campus news outlets makes her qualified to work with those same outlets to promote SA.

Almost all of Gresely’s appointees have some past experience with SA, though most are new to such prominent leadership positions in the organization.  For example, Chief of Staff Kyle Coleman participated in the 2012 presidential race where he lost to Curtis, and Academic Affairs Chair Fedrico Vicente and Student Engagement Chair Sawyer Cresap were once vice chairs.

Gresely’s reason for a fresh-faced cabinet is clear: after a very unsuccessful 57th session, it is time for a leadership overhaul in SA.

His plan to reconstruct and revamp SA will hopefully rejuvenate assembly representatives and motivate change in the organization.  With assembly members motivated there are hopes that positive change will come to Syracuse University — and with it, a better quality of life for students.

The new chairs collectively bring a diverse perspective to the organization. Their past involvements include Greek life, Undergraduates for a Better Education and Citrus TV, among others.  Their connections are endless and they are already off to an enthusiastic start.

Change is never easy even when it is necessary. Though the outlook is seemingly promising for the new year, only time will tell the capabilities of Gresely and his administration.

After the conclusion of the first meeting, it is clear that despite members’ claimed intentions of wanting to best serve the student body, many evidently are still adhering to the organization’s internal divides. This time, the camps seem to be those who do and do not support Gresely’s vision. This rift will only cause further problems once bills come up for vote.

Representatives need to think about the people they represent and not their own political ambitions.

Samantha Netzband is a freshman political science major. She can be reached at sanetzba@syr.edu.

 

Published on January 23, 2014 at 2:36 am