Student Association elected candidates to its Assembly and confirmed cabinet positions at the first meeting of the 55th session Tuesday.

The elections filled the positions of recorder, parliamentarian and two Assembly representatives. Later, the Assembly confirmed SA President Neal Casey’s appointments of vice president, chief of staff, director of public relations and chairs of the Student Life, Student Engagement and Academic Affairs committees. 

After some debate, the Assembly confirmed Casey’s appointment of Jessica Cunnington, a junior public relations major, to the position of vice president. Debate arose about Cunnington’s appointment because the position of vice president was not advertised with the other positions to Assembly members. Casey said the omission was his mistake and that there were other qualified applicants. He had approached Cunnington to apply and felt she was the best suited for the position, he said.

‘Her grace and enthusiasm are contagious,’ Casey said. ‘Jess has always been working with me every step of the way.’

Amy Snider, a sophomore history and political science dual major, was confirmed as Casey’s chief of staff.

The positions of chief of staff and vice president have lacked definition in recent years, Cunnington said.

Cunnington and Snider both said they want to create more definition for their roles and not have their responsibilities shifted onto the president, which has happened in previous years.

Alex Hemsley, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, was elected to the position of parliamentarian, which interprets and enforces SA’s rules at its meetings.

‘Alex did a fantastic job at a similar position in a different organization and was excellent,’ Jeff Rickert, SA’s comptroller, said. ‘He is extremely qualified.’

Rickert will reprise his position as comptroller for this upcoming legislative session. The comptroller controls how SA allocates its $2 million budget.

Taylor Carr, a sophomore public relations major, and Jenn McKay, a sophomore political science major, were elected as Assembly representatives.

Alyssa Brennan, a sophomore in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, was elected as recorder for SA’s Assembly and cabinet meetings.

Casey said he stressed teamwork above all else in his appointments to his cabinet. He said he believes he put together a strong, cohesive group.

The Assembly also confirmed McKay as chair of the Student Engagement Committee; Carr as chair of the Student Life Committee; Bonnie Kong, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee; and Eileen Clark, a sophomore public relations major, as director of public relations.

‘We’re always looking for a better student experience,’ Casey said. ‘That’s sort of why we, the SA, exist.’

Other business discussed: 

* Casey and Cunnington said that major issues facing SA this session include forming a better snow-removal plan, examining the possibility of a tobacco-free campus, which would limit smoking near buildings, and running a successful MayFest.

* Cunnington also mentioned taking action against college-based cyberbullying around Syracuse University on sites such as CollegeACB. But Casey said SA currently has no comment on this issue.

spcotter@syr.edu

Published on January 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm