At the first meeting of the spring semester, Syracuse University’s Student Association on Monday night elected several people to board and committee positions.

Louisa Mancuso, an undeclared freshman in the School of Education, was elected speaker of the assembly, replacing outgoing speaker Sophia Faram. Mancuso is also an assembly representative.

At an open forum with the two other nominees, Mancuso said she wanted to act as a liaison between SA’s assembly and cabinet. She also said she wanted to create a more inclusive presence for SA’s various committees.

“I just want to make sure everyone’s voices are heard,” Mancuso said.

Sophomore John Jankovic, a political science and psychology major, was elected to the Constitutional Review Committee. Members of the assembly touted what they said was Jankovic’s commitment to the organization.

Jankovic has worked in SA as historian, an assembly representative and an administrative operations committee member. He said he believes his experience as SA’s historian has prepared him well for his new post.

“I think looking at what SA has done in the past has prepared me, but also (administrative operations) has prepared me to be a point person for the constitutional community,” Jankovic said.

Sophia Faram, a sophomore international relations major, was confirmed as chair of the Board of Elections and Membership. In this role, Faram said she will be tasked with, “holding elections for the assembly and campus-wide presidential election at the end of the semester, recruiting potential new assembly members and fostering a stronger community within the (organization) itself.”

Faram said she wanted to diversify representation within SA and improve the assembly’s communication.

“I want to reach out to different schools and different organization to promote the idea that SA is not just student government,” Faram said. She also said she wanted to diversify SA’s membership from different communities.

Faram said she wanted to “open the pathway” between the cabinet and assembly.

SA President James Franco said former Chief of Staff Andres Laguna had stepped down from his position because of conflicts stemming from other commitments.

Franco said he plans to present a candidate to replace Laguna’s vacant position at next Monday’s meeting.

Other business

Franco said the organization secured $25,000 in funding for Orange After Dark’s February screening of the upcoming film “Black Panther.” The film will be screened Feb. 15 at Regal Cinemas.

Tickets go on sale Feb. 5 and can be purchased at the Schine Box Office. A $3 ticket will cover bus fare to the theater.

Both Franco and Vice President Angie Pati said they hoped to simplify campus transit information. Pati said visual accessibility and simplicity are priorities, as well as the possibility of molding the display around that of the New York City subway system.

“Transit in general is kind of disjointed, some routes don’t even have maps,” Franco said. “We are working with Parking and Transit services to make it more central for all students.”

Franco also mentioned that SA currently has about $75,000 in rollover funds. The assembly discussed possible allocations for the funding, which included the menstrual product program.  

Published on January 22, 2018 at 11:52 pm

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