A meeting of representatives from all student organizations hoping to make Syracuse University a better place for students is set to get off the ground.

The meeting, organized by Student Association president Travis Mason, will focus on the plan to create the SU Student Organizational Council, expectations student organizations have for the SA, expectations SA has for student organizations and SA priorities for the semester.

‘This is something that took too long to get going,’ Mason said. ‘It’s kind of common sense to have an organization where the leaders of the student organizations meet with the SA. It’s a time when we can all come together.’

SA passed a bill last session about this initiative, but it was never enacted.

‘This is something every president has wanted to do but couldn’t get off the ground,’ Mason said. ‘We have to get it out now before it gets too late.’

Mason e-mailed all student organizations Sunday night about the plans for the meeting. In the e-mail Mason said all organizations are central to the decisions that affect their programming, membership and financing.

Mason also said, because of SA’s current unstable position, one of his main reasons for organizing this meeting is to ‘place SA back into position as a genuine, governing body.’

Mason said his hope is for the SOC to meet monthly and for enhanced communication between SA and student organizations.

‘It is a two-way street meeting,’ Mason said.

SA vice-president Eric Crites said communication between student organizations and SA has been the first thing to deteriorate in the past.

‘We need to set something up that will last,’ Crites said. ‘This is exactly what that needs to be.’

Crites said he is personally excited for the meeting because he gets to be a part of taking it off the ground.

Dennis Jacobs, president of University Union, said he hopes the meeting works.

‘Over the past couple of years people have realized there are issues on this campus that need to be resolved,’ he said. ‘(The meeting) looks to be the greatest attempt so far to get people working together.’

Jacobs said he is curious to see what student organizations say they need from each other and what the organizations think the students need.

While Jacobs won’t be able to attend the meeting himself, vice-president Wayne Horton will be representing UU.

‘We need to do a lot of listening,’ Jacobs said.

Since there is some time until the meeting, Jacobs said he is going to talk to students to see what they want from UU, which might lead UU to need things from SA.

‘We want to make sure our programming isn’t in jeopardy,’ he said.

Published on January 30, 2005 at 12:00 pm