Sunday’s first ever Cuse Conference was a “landmark event,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said.

“I’ve learned that this is a student-powered university like no other I have ever seen and that is the strength of this place,” he said during the event. “The communication between all of our niches has at times become old-fashioned and frayed. This is a problem and this is an opportunity for our students to show them we’re moving forward.”

The Cuse Conference, held Sunday, worked to bring students, faculty and administration together in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium to encourage open dialogue of important issues on the Syracuse University campus. The event was started by the Student Association and done in partnership with the Residence Hall Association, Graduate Student Organization and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Undergraduate Student Association.

Through a poll conducted by Student Association, students listed issues they felt needed to be discussed by members of every part of SU. Eight issues were chosen by SA to become discussion sessions during The Cuse Conference.

The eight sessions on campus issues included: Student-to-Student Accountability for Sexual Consent, Imaginary Borders: Campus vs. Community Safety, 21st Century Values and Traditions in 20th Century Institutions, Restructuring RSO system and Student Engagement, Multidisciplinary and Extracurricular Academia, Curing and Caring: Health and Wellness Alternatives and Defining Diversity and Inclusivity.

Malik Evans, a sophomore marketing and advertising dual major, said in an email he believes the Resident Hall Association has learned that governance organizations have to take an active role with gathering the student voice and relaying information to faculty, staff and administration in a productive manner.

Evans said the event “was a huge step in the right direction.” He said Cuse Conference was successful due to the involvement of administrators, who he said are not normally seen outside of their offices or in predetermined meetings. He said it was interesting to see their engagement, and active listening during the discussion-based workshops.

“With the information I have obtained from the conference, I will make sure that the solutions discussed begin to be put into action,” Evans said. “I feel like this conversation was a accumulation of ideas mentioned throughout the year.”

Brian Cheung, a senior broadcast and digital journalism and finance dual major and columnist for The Daily Orange, hosted the event. The director of The Cuse Conference, Ignacio Nava, a senior international relations major, made introductory remarks during the opening ceremony.

In addition to an a capella performance by Orange Appeal and a dance influenced by the Punjab region of India by Syracuse Orange Bhangra during the opening ceremony, Syverud gave a speech on the importance of the conference.

Syverud said first and foremost, the role of administrators in attendance was to listen. He said he wants to focus on getting “us out of our niches and into addressing our key issues that transcend over our whole university.”

“I want to point out the logo of this conference has some great design behind it. It is an incandescent light bulb. In some ways an incandescent light bulb can summarize the old Syracuse University,” Syverud said. “I think what we’re trying to do today is find within it, within all of our strengths and niches, something even better. That would be the diamond that’s formed within it.”

Jesse Mejia, an award-winning speaker and former SA president, gave the final closing remarks at the conference. He discussed the importance of student leadership, as well as the need to work with others.

SA President Boris Gresely said the organization wanted to plan The Cuse Conference in line with Impact Week, held last week, and to celebrate the end of the academic year. As one of the last SA events he will be a part of before he graduates in May, Gresely has been preparing for The Cuse Conference since he was elected president in 2013.

“It means a lot to me. I’ve wanted to do this since I campaigned; to bridge the gap between all three branches (of SU),” Gresely said. “I want this to continue in the future. You can’t promote change if not all three branches will buy into change.”

Gresely added that the purpose of the event is to change the culture of SU, specifically to a “one university culture” by bringing the administration, faculty and students together to work hand-in-hand.

Published on April 19, 2015 at 9:30 pm

Contact Katelyn: [email protected]