New Faces in the Student Association

New Student Association Senator Alodie Keza stands outside of Colonial Quad, which she represents. (Photo by Gianluca Russo)

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 27, 2018) — Holding a position on student government is more than resume-building opportunity. It is a chance — and a responsibility — to address the concerns of fellow students on campus and evoke change in any way possible.

At the start of a semester, a special election was held to fill senate seats that had been vacated between semesters. The results: Seven students were elected to positions in the Student Association (SA). They are: Indian Quad Senator Lilly Umana, Colonial Quad Senator Alodie Keza, Alumni Quad Senator Garrett Hermann, Off-Campus Senator Justin Martins, and Senators-at-Large Nick Gonzalez, Kelly Zelaya and Mitchell Hura.

“Being new in the student government, I have a lot to learn,” said Colonial’s Keza, a sophomore Public Policy major. “I am still trying to grasp the concept of a lot of things, but with a little guidance I am hoping to find areas within the government that I can use my skills and talents to best serve my fellow students.”

As senator, Keza hopes to shine a light on the needs of her fellow students, noting that “senators are essential figures in campus life for an efficient communication between students and faculty. They not only represent the student body, but also bring forth students’ grievances, wishes and suggestions about different things happening on campus.”

New Alumni Senator Hermann also is excited to take on the position.

“I wanted to represent my quad and help improve it, and being a senator is a great way to achieve that. I was also looking for a chance to participate in the SA,” Hermann said. “I want to change aspects of the school that have room for improvement (such as safety, parking, etc.) and hopefully remedy some of the complaints from my fellow Alumni residents.”

He added, “The role of senator is an important as it provides a platform to represent my peer's concerns and I believe having a strong and efficient SA is the best way to improve students’ lives here on campus.”

The next SA elections will choose next school year’s president, vice president and various other seats in the student government. Elections will take place between March 29 at 12:00 a.m. and March 30 at 11:59 p.m. For more information, check MyInvolvement or email [email protected].

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