Eggers Café was dimly lit Friday morning as I sat at a small table across from Adrianna Kam, our jackets damp from the downpour of a Central New York rain shower that refused to quit.

But Kam’s disposition did anything but mirror the dreary gray skies beyond the cafe’s windows. Instead, this Student Association representative in the School of Education shook my hand and provided the starkest contrast. Without hesitation, it was confirmed: SA is moving again.

In the last several weeks, Syracuse University students have been met with disappointment by their student government. But the intense scrutiny and disapproval is not leading to an association of discouraged representatives set on abandoning it.

Instead, this inner-organization turmoil is providing representatives with a motivating challenge to rid SA of its recently tarnished image.

“Assembly members are not up and leaving due to this incident,” Kam said with confidence. In fact, Board of Elections and Membership Chair Emily Ballard has received no letters of resignation from assembly members due to this specific reason, Kam said.

Rather, the representatives make up the core of progress to come. Kam describes this “rough patch” as the source of inspiration for many to prove SA’s capabilities for greatness to the student body through small, large and home college initiatives.

Less substantial initiatives range from implementing toilet seat covers in university buildings to installing a comment box in the Schine Student Center to gather feedback. Though these efforts can be seen as somewhat beneficial, they don’t compare to the importance of the organization finally working to combat larger issues affecting the majority of SU students.

SA’s general assembly meeting last Monday proved the organization is taking a step in the right direction. By deciding on three worthy issues – tuition rates, academic advising and campus hunger – representatives are beginning to prove they are in touch with the needs of the student body.

On Monday evening, the assembly will chose sperate point people to lead the entire group in addressing each of the three issues. Representatives have been submitting applications containing concrete plans throughout the week.

Coordination between committee chairs and representatives will be necessary to make changes in any one of these areas, as well as dedication to working with faculty and administration to see actual progress. But Kam said she and her enthusiastic colleagues are fully committed and have confidence in the cabinet to help the rest of the organization effectively execute a plan of action.

A similar sense of faith in assembly members is echoed by College of Visual and Performing Arts representative Jane Hong, a freshman with an admirable sense of honesty all members of the organization should work to replicate.

Hong was elected last semester, but admits she was not very productive. “I think, reflecting back, I was just very intimidated,” Hong said. But that sense of intimidation has been long shed. The recent mishandlings, which have wrongfully overshadowed the work of the representatives, made Hong re-examine her position.

“More than ever I want to change people’s perspective on the Student Association,” Hong said.

Hong is personally working on creating a regularly scheduled Centro bus route to West Campus, along with several other initiatives. She said that more than ever, representatives are listening to the complaints of students and increasing efforts to collect feedback, like more frequent tabling and conducting more surveys.

Like many representatives now, Hong said her motivation is at an all-time high, and that her primary focus is on the students, not the internal discourse.

She now rightfully has much higher expectations for President Allie Curtis after feeling disappointed by her leadership. She hopes to see Curtis accomplish her platform goals and become a role model for all SA members.

SA’s tumultuous, substandard actions in past weeks are generating a necessary wave of motivation within the organization, though it is unfortunate that publicized mishandlings were the necessary spark.

“We actually have power as students,” Hong said. A concept all members should not only realize, but use to their advantage.

Rachael Barillari is the editorial editor and a junior political science and Middle Eastern studies major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at rebarill@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @R_Barillari.

Published on April 15, 2013 at 1:23 am