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Up to 20 Syracuse University students, primarily from the Student Association, will travel to Albany for Higher Education Action Day on Feb. 28 via the New York Public Interest Research Group to advocate for increased higher education funding across New York state.

Heather Deans, a project coordinator for NYPIRG, announced the trip at SA’s Monday meeting. Hundreds of students from around New York state are set to attend the event to lobby state legislators in a push for higher education funding and accessibility.

NYPIRG – a non-partisan, nonprofit, research and public education organization – is gearing its resources toward establishing better funding for higher education and improving campus resources. Deans said the movement will improve universities by benefiting student opportunity programs and the way professors and health counselors are funded.

SA President David Bruen and Vice President Adia Santos also gave a report on their own upcoming plans for the SA, including to purchase materials for 500 sexual violence prevention kits. They said they hope to have the kits distributed sometime within the next few weeks with the help of SU.

“We’re going to give (the students) an opportunity to fill out an optional survey about their experiences of sexual violence and assault on campus so we can try to collect some kind of data to present to the University if possible,” Santos said.

Bruen and Santos also announced that they’re exploring ways to collaborate with Hendricks Chapel on benefitting campus food pantries. SA has made donations for the food pantries in the past and would like to get involved again.

“We’ve in the past two years made two $20,000 contributions to the food pantry, which has essentially provided the food capacity for maybe three years at this point,” Bruen said. “The food pantry I think is at a point where they want to reflect on what they’re providing and their resources, and look to find ways to reimagine it.”

Vice President of University Affairs Yasmin Nayrouz said that SA’s University Affairs committee has participated in discussions with SU’s Parking and Transportation Service about a potentially permanent grocery trolley service.

SA announced in a January meeting that it will continue the program through the spring semester, with trolleys transporting students to various grocery stores every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nayrouz said that SA’s University Affairs committee has participated in discussions with SU’s Parking and Transportation Service about a potentially permanent grocery trolley service. Nayrouz also said PTS is willing to continue grocery trolleys next year, but has concerns about driver shortages.

Other business:
Jordan Beasley, SA’s vice president for diversity and inclusion, was voted in as a new University Senator. Beasley is a pre-law junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

SA plans to promote the Feb. 25 Celebrating Black Excellence Gala through an event offering hot chocolate and coffee in the Schine Student Center on Feb. 20.

Bruen and Santos plan to meet with John Papazoglu, SU’s new chief operating officer, to discuss bringing meal swipes back to Schine. They also want to meet with Chief Financial Officer Brett Padgett soon to discuss opportunities including green budgeting.

The Barnes Center at The Arch sent SU’s Health and Wellness survey students’ school emails on Monday. Students who complete the survey will be entered to win $75 Amazon gift cards.

In her address to SA, Deans said NYPIRG offers ways to get involved aside from the Higher Education Action Day, such as the Bigger Better Bottle Bill and Statewide Virtual Student Leader Meetings.

Published on February 14, 2023 at 12:02 am