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Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization filled nine vacant positions, including three out of its seven remaining University Senate seats, during its first general body meeting of the semester on Wednesday evening.

GSO also elected three new secretaries — one for its general body, one for its financial department and one for the communications department. The organization also appointed a new president pro tempore and parliamentarian. Each electee delivered an approximately one-minute speech before the vote.

After its elections, the organization discussed introducing a new legislative agenda for this academic year, which includes an increased focus on parking accessibility and internal budgetary reform, GSO President Daniel Kimmel said.

“I’m very happy with the positions we filled, and I believe that doing it that way actually made those positions more accessible to graduate students,” Kimmel said.

GSO had more than 10 applicants for the general body secretary position, Kimmel said. The other secretary roles within its communications and financial departments received 17 and 20 applications, respectively.

Raj Barai, Camille Muzzarelli and Anika Shreya Pawar were sworn into USen’s allocated GSO seats. According to USen bylaws, GSO is permitted up to 11 total spots. USen representatives are expected to attend monthly meetings with administrators, faculty and graduate representatives.

The organization also filled one of its at-large seats in its internal GSO senate. GSO’s senate consists of representatives from each graduate program at SU. Graduate students from any academic program can fill the 10 additional at-large seats, according to GSO’s website.

During last week’s GSO town hall, Kimmel emphasized the importance of filling the empty USen seats, as the positions serve as an opportunity for graduate students to advocate for greater representation in leadership roles.

Cody Van Nostrand was named the general body secretary while Ian Wilhelm and Alexis Faison were appointed as the financial and communications department secretaries, respectively.

“One of my goals is to make sure as many of the funds as possible are going to the key missions that our organization is trying to accomplish. I’m a big fan of cutting down administrative costs where you can,” Wilhelm said in his remarks.

The president pro tempore position was filled by Avery Welna, while the parliamentarian opening was filled by Joseph Beckmann. The organization also filled an empty GSO senate position.

At its next meeting on Oct. 2, GSO will continue to address its new legislative agenda, including filling the rest of its USen seats, increasing parking accessibility and discussing proposed budget reforms. Kimmel also said this year will be the first time in a decade that GSO’s budget is operating in the positive.

Published on September 5, 2024 at 1:44 am

Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu