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Syracuse University’s Student Association unanimously voted to approve an internal bylaws revision during its Monday meeting, which codified its existing election proceedings.

The changes to the bylaws will now outline standards SA must follow in the election and vetting of future candidates, such as ensuring students go through a written application process before being screened for interviews. Along with these revisions, SA leaders discussed upcoming and ongoing events, such as Sexual Violence Prevention Kit distribution and Food for Finals, as the fall semester comes to an end.

SA leaders also presented new bills to be voted on next week, one of which included an “Undergraduate Call for Peace.” This bill, if passed, would formally establish SA’s stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

“Although we may have not been loud, we have always been active and present,” SA Executive Vice President Yasmin Nayrouz said. “We feel that it has come to the point to be more public about our stance and what we’re doing.”

Nayrouz said the bill outlines a list of goals SA would like to support regarding the university’s addressing of the conflict, such as calling for “academic freedom to have open discussions in our classrooms.” She also said SA leaders urge all its members to review and comment on the bill before it moves to a vote next week.

“This is a very important issue for us on campus,” Nayrouz said. “We are really hoping to pass it next week.”

Otto Sutton, SA Board of Elections chair, said SA has already adopted its newly approved practices during the past few election cycles, and these additions to the bylaws would solidify the organization’s commitment to existing procedures.

“We have pretty well-established election practices,” Sutton said. “This is just writing them all down and adding them to the bylaws.”

SA is distributing Sexual Violence Prevention kits every day this week from 12 to 2 p.m. in the Schine Student Center, Kayla Turner, SA’s director of sexual and relationship violence advocacy, said. The kits, which are free to students, will include a drink cover, a Birdie personal safety alarm, 10 drink spiking detection test kits and a portable door lock.

Turner said this is SA’s first year distributing these kits, but SA has been working on the kits since the spring 2023 semester. Turner said the idea originated from student feedback suggesting the university needed to provide more tangible sexual violence prevention resources to students.

“Equipping students with resources to keep them safe on campus is equally as important as educating them,” Turner said.

SA is also preparing to host Food for Finals, an event at which the organization will distribute food vouchers to students in Schine during finals week.

SA President William Treloar said the event will tentatively feature pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders and options for people with dietary restrictions. He hopes the event will promote student wellness during final exams, something the organization has focused on throughout this semester.

“Students should never have to pick between having a meal and studying for a class,” Treloar said. “That’s just unacceptable.”

Treloar also presented the university’s decision to extend the operating hours of Bird Library’s Pages Cafe during finals week and in the spring semester. The cafe will accept meal swipes during these extended hours. Through the end of the fall semester, it will be open from Monday to Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., according to SU’s website. In the spring, the cafe will be open until 10 p.m., Treloar said.

He also said this pilot program is a “great step forward” in SA’s ongoing collaboration with the SU Food Services.

Other business:

• SA Comptroller Dylan France said the deadline to appeal an advance allocation decision will be on Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. SA’s Finance Board will then review the appeals before bringing them to another assembly vote.
• SA is continuing its Fall Into Action Residence Hall Clothing Drive, which it extended earlier this month.
• SA and the Syracuse chapter of the New York Public Research Interest Group will hold a Student Healthcare Forum in the Huntington Beard Crouse Kittredge Auditorium on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. NYPIRG’s SU and SUNY ESF Project Coordinator Chet Guenther said the event will feature guest speakers and teach students about on and off campus medical resources.
• SA will elect a new Speaker of the Assembly at its Dec. 11 meeting. Anna Ginelli, who currently holds the position, said she is resigning because she will be studying abroad next semester.

Published on November 28, 2023 at 12:36 am

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu