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Student Association officially implemented its new constitution and swore in several officers during its last meeting of the semester Monday. 

SA voted to approve the constitution in March, and the constitution was officially implemented on midnight Monday, said Joshua Shub-Seltzer, the 2020-2021 parliamentarian. SA also approved a new set of bylaws during the meeting.

The meeting began with swearing in the 65th session of SA officers, including President David Bruen, Vice President Darnelle Stinfort and Comptroller Nyah Jones.

Bruen addressed SA for the first time as the organization’s president, encouraging the Assembly to meet challenges head-on to serve the student body.

“My goal was for all students to know about SA and for more to participate in our elections,” Bruen said. “Although we’ve come up short, we are unwavering in our determination to make that vision a reality during our time as students.”

Thomas Simmons and Maximus Short were sworn in as speaker of assembly and speaker pro-tempore, respectively. Both of these positions were self-nominated. 

Amanda Byrne was confirmed as student advocate, a position created through the new constitution and bylaws.

Assembly members also spoke about voter turnout and how to increase student participation in elections next year. Bruen and Stinfort received the necessary 10% of the student body’s vote Friday of election week.

Richard Kaufman IV, the new Board of Elections commissioner, said he believes that campus-wide emails will not increase turnout. Election visibility and the online process are more important, Kaufman said. 

A second Board of Elections commissioner and a Board of Elections chair were also confirmed and sworn in during the meeting.

SA’s new constitution also establishes a Supreme Court of seven members, whose positions were also filled Monday. Madeline Law was sworn in as chief justice of the court. 

“A lot of work is to come,” Bruen said. “And I think she (Law) is going to be a very effective leader of the court.”

The Supreme Court candidates said they believe transparency is a key aspect to SA’s court system. During the summer, the SA Supreme Court will create a judicial code, ethics code and a plan for the court system, Bruen said. 

“As student leaders, we’re often told that we are the leaders of tomorrow,” Bruen said “You’re told that we must wait our turn to hold on for change until tomorrow. But now we must say with a collective voice, ‘We cannot wait any longer.’”

Bruen also spoke about his and Stinfort’s goals to make SA carbon neutral by May 2022 and to begin conversations about a tuition freeze and a fixed tuition program. Ensuring financial stability for students is important, Bruen said. No students attending a university with such a high price tag should go hungry or have to choose between textbooks or housing, he said. 

Stinfort also addressed the SA Assembly for the first time as vice president. 

“I want to preface by saying: this will be a learning experience,” Stinfort said. “In this experience, it’s important that we learn from one another and not be ashamed of our weaknesses, but to remember that one person’s weakness may be another person’s strength.” 

Published on May 11, 2021 at 1:10 am

Contact Kailey: kmnorusi@syr.edu