As Aysha Seedat and Jane Hong take the reins of the 59th Session of the Student Association, they are succeeding the presidents and vice presidents of SA’s past — people who even after leaving the organization are still deeply invested in it.

Allie Curtis, president of SA’s 57th session, and Boris Gresely, president of SA’s 58th session, say Seedat and Hong are well-equipped to lead SA. The two will be sworn into their positions at the first SA meeting of the semester on Monday night. Once formally in office, Seedat and Hong plan to build on the work of past presidents while pursuing their own agendas.

 

Curtis, now a candidate for a master’s of public administration degree at Brown University, said she does not think it is important for Seedat to prioritize policies that were prioritized during past administrations because “there are different issues that come up at different times on campus.”

Instead, Curtis suggested that Seedat and Hong “continue on getting those results that students see every day, so they know their student government is working for them.”

Seedat said SA efforts that can be easily observed by students are “tangible results,” something former president Boris Gresely advocated for during his administration.

Curtis gave the example of installing phone-charging stations on campus. Putting more charging stations around SU was a policy Seedat worked on during her time as the director of SA’s Student Life Committee in Gresely’s administration.

Seedat also worked with administrators and Centro to install heating lamps for bus stops on College Place and at South Campus stops.

 

Gresely said Seedat has her own agenda and focus, and added, “lots of things she is interested in are things the university needs,” such as her safety platform on sexual assault.

Though she may have her own agenda, Seedat said she is not forgetting some policies that she worked for but did not see come to fruition during Gresely’s administration. Seedat and Hong will continue to advocate for free sports section seating for students in the Carrier Dome, an SA initiative that was put on hold last year, she added.

Seedat will also continue to fight for transfer students with a GPA of at least 3.2 to be able to rush a fraternity or sorority during their first semester on campus, she said.

Whether or not Seedat will successfully complete her initiatives depends on working heavily to bridge the gap between students, administrators and the Board of Trustees, Gresely said. Gresely said he also values effective communication and using social media to connect with students.

“It’s tough because there is so much turnover; every year, a class leaving and a new class coming in,” Gresely said.

The organization’s communication with students is enhanced by Seedat’s ability to send emails to the entire student body, an SA initiative that passed while Gresely was president. Seedat and Hong intend to send newsletters and continue to utilize their social media presence.

Gresely said he feels assured that Seedat, who he calls “a leader with a lot of experience under her belt,” will know how to deal with that response from students. Hong is also working to make her position as vice president clearer to students, and has spoken with former vice president Daniela Lopez.

“It’s always a roller coaster; there are valleys and peaks when it comes to SA,” Gresely said of what the new administration has ahead of them. “Being able to navigate through the water and the roller coaster is part of that.”

Published on August 30, 2015 at 10:29 pm

Contact Alexa: atorrens@syr.edu