As Student Association Vice President Jennifer Stanton banged her gavel, the meeting for the 58th legislation commenced Wednesday night in the Cardinal Lounge of the Angell College Center, where four people were appointed Senate positions.
James D’Amato represented himself to the council. D’Amato is a business major coming to the Senate to represent Public Relations.
“As PR senator, [I want] to phase back [in] public relations into the SA and into Plattsburgh as a whole,” D’Amato said.
D’Amato also said he wanted to collaborate with more Greek life on campus as senator.
“[I want] to bridge the gap between the two organizations,” he said. “I think [this] is one of the more important things because there is a big separation right now, and we are one student body and we should act like one big student body.”
D’Amato wishes to build a stronger relationship with Cardinal Points and other digital outlets on campus to get news out to the student body. His appointment passed unanimously with all 16 senators voting for him. SA President Rudaba Ahmed swore in D’Amato as the new public relations senator.
D’Amato was not the only senator appointed in Wednesday’s meeting. Dominican Republic native Isabella Then ran for the position of SA secretary. When questioned on her experience as a secretary, Then admitted she didn’t have prior experience with minutes but she did have experience with datalinks. The vote passed unanimously, and she was appointed secretary for the new legislation.
The next appointment was for Jacob Avery, running for student Senate adviser. Avery has past experience in this position as a former student senator. When Avery was questioned on what he would like to see happen on this legislation, he stated “a stronger connection with the college and campus community.”
“[The senator’s] goals are my goals,” Avery said.
Avery was appointed in with the full vote of the senators.
The last two appointments for legislative review adviser and board of elections adviser were given to James Sherman. Although Sherman wasn’t present at the first meeting, Ahmed and Stanton knew of his abilities and what he could bring to the positions for the senators. Sherman is also the assistant director of resident housing on campus. Both votes were passed.
The rest of the first SA meeting continued with feedback from the senators, events on campus and hopes for the legislation. Because of new SA constitution revisions proposed by former SA president Essence Hightower and approved by the Senate during the 57th legislation, the length of senator terms was changed from senators serving for one year to serving one and six months, so the 58th legislation is the longest serving legislation with the senators serving for three semesters.
