Student Conference: A Work in Progress
by Kewe Mbengue
Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: News
As the new CASA administration continues to implement much-needed change to our campus, simultaneously Lehman student senators are working diligently to rebuild Student Conference from the ground up.
Last spring Student Conference was in an upheaval of conflict. The amount of participating student senators dwindled to an alarming number, while the remaining handful of senators pushed to implement an intricate and complex Student Government Association (SGA).
Former Conference Chair Jason Jeremias argued an SGA to be the most efficient government edifice for the Lehman student body. The SGA would purposefully be used to amalgamate CASA's wherewithal and Conference's senate influence. However, with the lack of senators, how flourishing would the exertions towards an SGA have been?
That is where the transition of a new set of senators comes in. With the results at the end of April and September's special elections, Conference received an influx of more than half of the appropriate amount of student senators needed for them to maintain a full roster. After the abrupt resignation of Jeremias as Conference Chair, former Vice-Chair Hyacinth Bouzalakos moved quickly to take the reins of the student organization.
"It was a rough start," she says, "but with more energetic and ambitious students joining Conference, it has been getting much easier."
Conference, along with CASA, is made up of a group of students who are detrimental to the lucidity and development of the Lehman campus. These are the students who ensure fluid interaction between the student body, faculty, and administration.
"I have seen Conference grow into a very strong, positive, and independent group," says Bouzalakos."We have an encouraging message, strong leadership, and determined student leaders who are eager to make Lehman College a better, stronger, and more positive institution of higher learning and excellence."
Eventually, Bouzalakos says that she would appreciate all fifty-four seats of Conference to be filled with students so that they could go on to see an affluent amount of initiatives. Mobria Small, a member of Conference adds, "To put Conference out there, we have to bring forth changes that the students want to see; whether it be better food on campus or better printing capabilities."
As far as their progress with a possible SGA goes, current Vice-Chair Duane Adams says, "During the summer, Justin Simmons, the current CASA president, Jason the former Chair of Conference, Ray Flook the Associate Director of Campus Life, and myself wrote a constitution, standing rules, and bylaws for CASA and Conference to bring the two bodies under one umbrella. Currently, the Constitution is in the process of being reviewed for little changes and will be sent to President Fernandez, then back to CASA and Conference to vote on and finally, to the student body."
Student Conference has been working hard to rebuild itself into a well-oiled, functional Senate in order to meet all the needs of the student population, but as all programs recovering from drastic changes, Conference will be taking working on its progress one day at a time.
Last spring Student Conference was in an upheaval of conflict. The amount of participating student senators dwindled to an alarming number, while the remaining handful of senators pushed to implement an intricate and complex Student Government Association (SGA).
Former Conference Chair Jason Jeremias argued an SGA to be the most efficient government edifice for the Lehman student body. The SGA would purposefully be used to amalgamate CASA's wherewithal and Conference's senate influence. However, with the lack of senators, how flourishing would the exertions towards an SGA have been?
That is where the transition of a new set of senators comes in. With the results at the end of April and September's special elections, Conference received an influx of more than half of the appropriate amount of student senators needed for them to maintain a full roster. After the abrupt resignation of Jeremias as Conference Chair, former Vice-Chair Hyacinth Bouzalakos moved quickly to take the reins of the student organization.
"It was a rough start," she says, "but with more energetic and ambitious students joining Conference, it has been getting much easier."
Conference, along with CASA, is made up of a group of students who are detrimental to the lucidity and development of the Lehman campus. These are the students who ensure fluid interaction between the student body, faculty, and administration.
"I have seen Conference grow into a very strong, positive, and independent group," says Bouzalakos."We have an encouraging message, strong leadership, and determined student leaders who are eager to make Lehman College a better, stronger, and more positive institution of higher learning and excellence."
Eventually, Bouzalakos says that she would appreciate all fifty-four seats of Conference to be filled with students so that they could go on to see an affluent amount of initiatives. Mobria Small, a member of Conference adds, "To put Conference out there, we have to bring forth changes that the students want to see; whether it be better food on campus or better printing capabilities."
As far as their progress with a possible SGA goes, current Vice-Chair Duane Adams says, "During the summer, Justin Simmons, the current CASA president, Jason the former Chair of Conference, Ray Flook the Associate Director of Campus Life, and myself wrote a constitution, standing rules, and bylaws for CASA and Conference to bring the two bodies under one umbrella. Currently, the Constitution is in the process of being reviewed for little changes and will be sent to President Fernandez, then back to CASA and Conference to vote on and finally, to the student body."
Student Conference has been working hard to rebuild itself into a well-oiled, functional Senate in order to meet all the needs of the student population, but as all programs recovering from drastic changes, Conference will be taking working on its progress one day at a time.
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