Less than 24 hours removed from the White House Young America Series, Dylan Lustig sat slouched at his desk in the Student Association office. He looked tired as he discussed the event, which he called his greatest success halfway through his first term as president.
‘We brought White House officials to campus and hopefully started discussion and got people thinking about things,’ Lustig said.
Though many in SA counted the series as a success, Lustig’s presidency has faced some criticism. Those in his administration praise Lustig for his personable nature and relationship with SU’s administration, but others have criticized him for not seeing initiatives through.
In a landslide victory against opponent Taylor Carr, Lustig assumed the presidency by a 1,195- vote margin in the fall. He ran on the platform of greater community outreach, improved campus safety and more visible and personable student leadership at SU.
Carr, who resigned as Lustig’s chief of staff last week due to frustrations with the administration’s leadership, said initiatives such as the campus-wide day of community service are not evolving.
‘Signature day? Nothing is happening. Nothing is developing,’ he said.
However, Lustig said the event will happen in the fall and that holding it at that time would supply more favorable weather conditions. Vice President Allie Curtis contended that large-scale initiatives often take time to materialize.
‘Not everything happens within one semester,’ Curtis said. ‘Everything else that Dylan Lustig has promised is absolutely still on track. I’m confident in that, and I feel really good about it.’
Though the campus-wide day of community service has not yet developed, Lustig has worked on other community events. One of his most evident displays of community involvement is SA’s work with the Vera House’s White Ribbon Campaign. At several association meetings, representatives were encouraged to dress in white to demonstrate the organization’s desire to end domestic violence.
Aside from the Young America Series at SU, Lustig considers his work with Vera House to be one of his greatest accomplishments thus far.
Lustig is also trying to better campus safety. He is working on better monitoring instances of drunk driving on South Campus and speeding at heavy traffic areas, such as the intersection of University Place and Comstock Avenue. He said he has been closely working with Department of Public Safety officials.
Though a timetable for reform is unclear, Lustig has brought in DPS to address the general assembly about safely protocols.
Lustig’s reasoning for bringing in speakers, such as DPS officials, to meetings is to better educate representatives about the inner workings of the university. It is critical for members to be knowledgeable on these topics when formulating policy that affects all SU students.
While Lustig is still working on campus safety initiatives, there is a consensus that Lustig is following through with his promise of providing approachable student leadership.
Colin Brown, director of public relations, is one of Lustig’s cabinet members who said Lustig has overwhelmingly displayed this sociable quality during his time as president.
‘He’s so personable, and you really need that in a president,’ Brown said. ‘That hard work does happen behind a desk, but you have to get out there and hear from the students directly and find out what they want you to be working on.’
Curtis said she constantly hears from students that Lustig reminds them of Jon Barnhart, president during the 54th session, because of his outgoing nature. Lustig recognizes he is first and foremost an SU student, she said.
‘It’s not like we have some big hot-shot student politician sitting there in that office,’ Curtis said. ‘It’s important that we have a real student there.’
A common criticism of SA as a whole is that there is heavy emphasis on internal issues. This is beyond Lustig’s control, however, as the Judicial Review Board is responsible for revisions to the SA codes and lengthy, recurring discussion about the demerit system.
Former SA President Neal Casey said he has noticed a fixation on internal proceedings, which should not be the focus of any governing body.
Lustig recognizes this tendency exists in the assembly and does not support it.
‘I think that we focus too much on the codes. I strongly think that,’ he said.
But Senior Adviser Bonnie Kong said there are benefits to focusing on the inner workings of SA. She said Lustig himself is always offering counsel to new assembly representatives, especially first-year students.
These members, as well as any other SU students, are welcome to walk into the president’s office anytime, Lustig said. It is possible, however, that not many students are aware of this opportunity or are taking advantage of it.
Lustig also pushed for greater transparency during his campaign. Lustig announced an enhanced medical amnesty policy on CitrusTV’s ‘SA Today’ in February. Lustig said a formal announcement takes time to formulate, but if he had a second chance, he would have acted differently.
Lustig has demonstrated an aptitude for interacting with high-level SU administrators. PJ Alampi, chair of the Student Life Committee, said Lustig has bridged the divide between student leaders and SU officials.
Thomas Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, said he has established a strong working relationship with Lustig.
‘We have this open dialogue about what students are thinking about and how we can work together,’ Wolfe said.
Others, such as Comptroller Stephen DeSalvo, note how Lustig has come into form as a leader and is always striving to improve. DeSalvo said Lustig is learning to better balance his time among obligations to his fraternity, academics and SA.
‘We can see a definite progression from the first meeting up to now,’ DeSalvo said.
For example, he said, SA meetings are now ending on time and Lustig has struck a balance between his outgoing personality and the serious nature of the organization.
Lustig is unsure what his future role at SA will be. The idea of running for a second term has not crossed his mind yet. He said he is not destined to be a politician.
For now, he’s just focusing on how to best advocate and defend the interests of SU students.
Said Lustig: ‘I’ve learned what people expect from me and I hope I don’t let them down.’
rebarill@syr.edu
dmsegelb@syr.edu