Syracuse University Student Association President Aysha Seedat, Vice President Jane Hong and Comptroller Phil Kramer are deserving of the stipends they were granted last week in a unanimous vote by the SA assembly.

The governing student body set aside $2,500 in its budget at the beginning of the semester for Seedat, $2,500 for Kramer and $1,500 for Hong in stipends, but the money had not yet been approved for distribution until the vote.

As three of the most influential students on the SU campus who have consistently demonstrated a strong dedication to the university and its students throughout the semester, the stipends are justified in the reasoning behind the decision and in the amounts allocated.

Although it is arguable that each student actively sought out and campaigned for these leadership positions, the stipends are similar to holding a work-study job in which students receive pay for the work they put into university jobs. The hours Seedat, Kramer and Hong spend working with SA do not allow them the time for another job and it is only fair they are compensated for their work as the voice of the student body.

The stipends come after SA received about $1.5 million in budget requests for the spring 2016 semester and was only able to allocate roughly $685,000 in funding for recognized student organizations. While SA could have used the extra money elsewhere, the $6,500 total is justified in not making a significant impact in SA’s budget nor taking considerable amounts of funding away from RSOs.

This semester’s vote was the first time that approving the stipends was left up to the assembly. In the past, the decision has been up to SA’s cabinet members, Parliamentarian James Franco said. But assigning the deciding vote to the assembly is a process that should be continued in future sessions.

This process is fair, considering the SA cabinet is hand-selected by the president and voting by the assembly ensures a more rounded vote. This move would also maintain the precedent that stipends are granted on the basis of a fair assessment of performance throughout the course of the semester, a process that should be continued for future sessions of SA to uphold a standard for student leaders to meet.

This standard is one Seedat, Kramer and Hong have visibly met after a semester defined by a strong push to bring ride-hailing services like Uber to central New York and heightened collaboration with SU Athletics to increase student attendance at sporting events.

To have rightfully granted these student leaders stipends is to acknowledge the time and work Seedat, Kramer and Hong have put into the 59th session of the Student Association to improve life at SU for the greater student body.

Published on December 7, 2015 at 12:08 am

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com