SA elects new speaker of the assembly, speaker pro tempore in final meeting of semester

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Syracuse University’s Student Association held several internal elections during its final Monday meeting of the semester, choosing a new speaker of the assembly, speaker pro tempore and finance board member.

Kennedy Williams, SA’s speaker pro tempore during the fall 2023 semester, will serve as the new speaker of the assembly in the spring. She will work alongside Richard Maj — the fall 2023 chair of university affairs — who was elected to fill the pro tempore role following Williams’ appointment.

Williams’ election followed the official resignation of former speaker Anna Ginelli, who announced in a Nov. 27 meeting she will be participating in a study abroad program during the spring 2024 semester. Ginelli said she plans to return to SA next fall.

Williams, a junior who has been involved in SA for five semesters, said she hopes to use her position to encourage the organization to continue advocating for students and further supporting registered student organizations on campus.

“This body has allowed me to take action throughout the school,” Williams said. “I take that job very seriously, and I will continue to.”

Maj, who has also been part of SA since his freshman year, said he hopes to plan more events that celebrate diversity on campus, such as introducing more programming for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

“I feel like (AAPI Heritage Month) often goes overlooked on campus,” Maj said. “I would love to do more work to represent all students.”

Farrin McQuillen, a second-year economics student, was elected to fill Emmy Njue’s spot on the Finance Board. Njue is also studying abroad in the spring semester.

“I think we really need to focus on making equitable decisions,” McQuillen said, “I think transparency is a big factor.”

Following the assembly’s internal spring planning meeting on Dec. 4, leaders emphasized some of their goals for the spring semester, including continuing conversations with university administration and working with the Office of Student Engagement to hold sustainability training sessions for RSOs. Otto Sutton, SA’s board of elections chair, said the organization will also review its BOE codes over winter break, ahead of its next election cycle in the spring.

William Treloar and Yasmin Nayrouz, SA’s president and vice president, presented a list of accomplishments during an executive report, highlighting successful programs held by SA this semester. Treloar said he was “absolutely thrilled” with assembly members’ engagement with these events, and hopes to hold similar ones in future semesters.

Treloar and Nayrouz also emphasized the success of several new initiatives held this fall, such as the Calentón Music Fest and the distribution of sexual violence prevention kits.

Several SA leaders reflected positively on their time in SA this semester, saying goodbye to those who resigned and thanking the assembly for a “successful” semester.

“We have some of the most dedicated members here that we’ve seen in a long time,” Williams said.

Other business

• The assembly passed Comptroller Dylan France’s revisions to its fiscal code, which will establish a three-tier infraction system for RSOs that violate SA’s funding and allocation procedures.
• SA passed two bills to establish an official stance on several pieces of state legislation, including the Climate Change Superfund Act and an amendment to the Student Suicide Prevention Act.
• SA will hold Food for Finals, an event in the Schine Student Center that provides students with free meals and $5 food vouchers, this week.
• Aldrick Cade, SA’s chief justice, also announced his resignation as he is graduating at the end of this semester.
• SA will host its Fall Into Action clothing drive until Friday.
• Chet Guenther, project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said the organization is accepting applications for spring interns. SU’s chapter of NYPIRG will be tabling throughout the week in Schine, he said.