Sixty student organizations. Gray ribbons. Handwritten letters. A prayer. On Tuesday, April 28, the University community will rally to respond to Chancellor Kent Syverud’s recent cancer diagnosis with an unmistakable show of community and solidarity.

(SGA), in partnership with 60 recognized student organizations, will host a Go Gray in May: Brain Cancer Awareness Month Walk. The event will begin at noon in the Schine Student Center with a walk to Crouse-Hinds Hall at 2:30 p.m. There, the Rev. Devon Bartholomew, Christian Protestant chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, will lead those assembled in a prayer.

Chancellor Syverud announced on April 15 that he has been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment at University of Michigan Medicine.

鈥淎fter the news broke, our SGA executive team came together to ask ourselves one question: 鈥楬ow do we respond?鈥欌�� says German Nolivos 鈥�26, SGA president. 鈥淐hancellor Syverud has been there for all of us鈥攖hrough every hard moment this University has faced. This is our chance to be there for him and his family.鈥�

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, and the event will raise funds for the . Organizers are encouraging members of the University community to consider making a monetary donation. 鈥淭he most powerful thing we can do in this moment is fund the fight,鈥� Nolivos says.

Those who donate $15 or more and submit a screenshot of their donation to , the SGA鈥檚 home on Instagram, can claim a free T-shirt at Schine at the April 28 event.

Participants in the walk are encouraged to wear gray and pick up a gray ribbon at Schine that day. There will be a community poster wall for students, faculty and staff to leave messages of support for Chancellor Syverud and anyone in the community affected by brain cancer. There will also be a letter-writing station where individuals can write personal letters of support to Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen.

Participating organizations span every dimension of campus life: fraternities and sororities, cultural and identity organizations, pre-professional societies, advocacy groups, athletic clubs, honor societies and more. Nolivos says this will be the largest coalition of student organizations ever assembled for a single awareness event in recent University history.

鈥淲hen 60 organizations come together, that鈥檚 not just coordination鈥攖hat鈥檚 conviction,鈥� Nolivos says. 鈥淓very single one of these groups is choosing to show up. That means something. That tells you something about who we are as a university.鈥�

Additionally, the SGA Assembly passed a formal resolution on April 15 extending formal gratitude and support to Chancellor Syverud.

鈥淐hancellor Syverud has given this institution 12 years of transformational leadership,鈥� says Nolivos. 鈥淗e has shown up for students, for faculty, for staff and for this community through its hardest chapters. April 28 is our opportunity, all of us, to show up for him.鈥�

When German Nolivos 鈥�26 became president of the University鈥檚 Student Government Association (SGA) in 2024, he noticed something curious in his new email signature: “Sandy Phillips Student Government Association Office.” Like many students before him, Nolivos wondered, 鈥淲ho was this person, and why was the office named after him?鈥�

That question led Nolivos on a journey that would result in the renovation of the SGA office to honor a young leader whose life was cut tragically short 37 years ago.

Frederick Sandford “Sandy” Phillips was one of 35 性视界 students who died in the terrorist attack of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. Nolivos set about furthering Phillips鈥� legacy as a student leader by highlighting his presence in the office.

Phillips was not a typical college student. At 27 years old, he had already worked in his father’s Arkansas business for three years before deciding to continue his education at the School of Management (now the Whitman School). After transferring credits from the University of Arkansas, where he had started his college journey, Phillips arrived at 性视界 as a junior with a sharper vision of what he wanted: to widen his horizons through intellectual challenges, travel and participation in student government.

Phillips was a talented musician, athlete and poet鈥攚hose Southern charm and infectious personality made him unforgettable. But it was his character that truly set him apart.

“He had this contagious personality,” says John Mandyck 鈥�89, G鈥�92, who served as SGA president when Phillips was operations vice president. “He always had this bright twinkle in his eye, like the world was full of endless possibilities. He was always positive with a can-do spirit.”

Phillips didn’t shy away from campus involvement. He dove in with both feet, becoming a driving force in the SGA. One of his signature accomplishments was leading a campaign to install lighting on the Quad.

“That was Sandy’s project,” Mandyck says. Phillips navigated through different parts of the administration, scheduling meetings and pushing the initiative forward. When the lights finally came on, a small group gathered to celebrate. It epitomized everything Phillips stood for: detail-oriented work focused on the greater good, making campus a safer, more welcoming place for everyone.

“He was always concerned about what other people thought, what other people felt and really conscious of what was the greater good,” Mandyck says.

Ensuring a Legacy Lives on Forever

On Dec. 21, 1988, Phillips was returning home from a semester abroad in London, carrying Christmas gifts and stories to share with his family. He was aboard Pan Am Flight 103 when a terrorist attack brought the plane down over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground. Phillips was among 35 students who spent the fall semester studying in London and Florence through the University鈥檚 Division of International Programs Abroad, now 性视界 Abroad.

For decades, Phillips鈥檚 memory lived on primarily through scholarships and events. The SGA office bore his name, but beyond a line in an email signature, few current students knew his story.

That changed when Nolivos, a 2025-26 Remembrance Scholar who had spent nearly every day in the office since his freshman year, decided it was time to truly honor Phillips鈥檚 legacy. During an office renovation project coinciding with the organization’s name change from Student Association back to Student Government Association, Nolivos saw an opportunity.

“We need to change our name, we need new furniture, we need storage,” German recalls thinking. “This is the perfect opportunity to showcase the history that’s been hiding in drawers.”

Inspiring Future Generations of Leaders

A colorized photograph of Phillips now hangs prominently on the wall, alongside historical plaques tracking SGA leadership through the decades. A quote from Phillips鈥檚 own poetry, retrieved from University Archives, is now emblazoned on a wall to inspire students. A letter from President George H.W. Bush, which had sat forgotten in a corner, now has a place of honor. New signage will soon be added to the office鈥檚 main door.

“The whole office tells a story now,” says Nolivos. When new members join and ask about the photograph, current leaders can point to Phillips鈥檚 image and share his impact.

Nolivos has found his own inspiration in Phillips鈥� story. He wrote about Phillips in his Remembrance Scholar application, recognizing that the space where he worked every day represented something profound: a 27-year-old student who brought business experience, maturity and genuine care for others to make his campus community better.

“I think he would be proud to see that we have a space like this, especially that it’s named after him,” Nolivos says. 鈥淓ach year there are students like my team members and me making sure we’re remembering this and that new students know why we are this way.”

Mandyck believes Phillips would be humbled by the recognition, but proud of what the scholarships and Remembrance accomplish: empowering good people to do good things, uniting communities across continents and keeping alive the spirit of service that defined Phillips鈥檚 too-brief time at 性视界.

In New York state, the deadline for registering to vote in the upcoming local, state and presidential elections is Saturday, Oct. 26.

Knowing that students have questions about the voting process, and hoping to improve awareness and engagement around voting, the University鈥檚 聽has put together a [PDF] that outlines the specific deadlines and requirements for students.

Included in the 鈥溾�機use Otto Vote鈥� guide is information about the following:

• how to register to vote and when your state鈥檚 voter registration deadline is
• whether you need to request an absentee ballot and the requirements you must meet to be eligible
• how to get your ballot sent to campus and information on changing your mailing address and whether you should list your campus mailing address
• postmark and absentee ballot return deadlines for every state and which states offer online ballot tracking
• how to cast your ballot on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, if you plan on voting in 性视界

鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we acknowledge that voting is a right and we should all exercise that right,鈥� says Mar铆a Qui帽ones Rios 鈥�25, SA鈥檚 communications director who is studying public relations in the .

鈥淭his was about making sure our students have all the information they need to make sure they can vote in the upcoming elections, and that they know their vote will count,鈥� Rios says. 鈥淲e see a lot of young people be disillusioned with politics in the United States and it鈥檚 really important to let students know that they do have a voice and that their voice is their vote.鈥�

Additionally, SA has collaborated with the to ensure current students have the proper access to participate in the upcoming elections. NYPIRG has been conducting tabling in the Schine Student Center encouraging students to register to vote.

The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 性视界 University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.

Students in New York with additional questions about the voter registration process can visit the .

Listen. Learn. Lead.

Those three simple verbs were repeatedly emphasized by German Nolivos 鈥�26 and Reed Granger 鈥�26 during the spring general elections.

Hammering home an effective message to 性视界 University鈥檚 student body was especially important since Nolivos and Granger were running unopposed. With no competition, the duo was essentially guaranteed to assume leadership roles as president and vice president. But they did not intend to simply coast to victory.

Rather, they worked tirelessly to convey the important role SA plays as a bridge that listens to student concerns and works with the administration to resolve them.

鈥淲e wanted the students to understand that we cannot effectively work without their input. We want to leave our mark on student government by focusing on these recognized student organizations and multicultural organizations that have been looking for help from the student body and the SA. We can strengthen the relationship between our students and student government,鈥� says Nolivos, a Posse Leadership Scholar and first-generation college student studying political science in the and and public relations in the聽.

鈥淲e needed to convince students to engage with the Student Association, and we campaigned on those values of listening, learning and leading. Our goal is to advocate for new policies that are effective in resolving the issues our students face, and to let the student body know how truly important our advocacy is,鈥� adds Granger, who is studying photography in the Newhouse School and political science in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences.

The message was well-received, as Nolivos and Granger were elected president and vice president, respectively, after garnering more than 90% of the votes. The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 性视界 University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.

Nolivos and Granger have held previous leadership roles on campus, and they are excited to hold these positions while striving to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.

The 鈥渓isten, learn, lead鈥� motto extends beyond a campaign slogan, influencing Nolivos and Granger鈥檚 main objectives as elected student leaders. For this upcoming academic year, their main goals include:

• listening to the voices of traditionally underrepresented student populations;
• learning from and engaging with the collective diversity on campus;
• leading by continuing to foster an inclusive, accessible and welcoming campus for all;
• improving campus safety, especially on South Campus;
• enhancing the quality of the food in the dining halls and continuing to provide students access to food through complimentary grocery trolley runs;
• helping the University reduce its carbon footprint while striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2032; and
• creating changes that will enhance the student experience for all.

Nolivos and Granger sat down with SU News to discuss their goals for the academic year, offer their advice to new students on campus and share how their time at 性视界 has fueled their growth as student leaders.

What will make this a successful academic year?

German Nolivos: My goal is always to empower the students who work under me, to make sure the Student Association鈥檚 100 members know that they鈥檙e appreciated, and that the work they鈥檙e doing has an impact on our campus. For this year to be successful, we want the campus community to know who we are and that the Student Association can be a valuable resource for our students.

Reed Granger: To spread the word of Student Association to more students than ever before and continuing the good relationship we have with our administration. Being able to improve on what previous student leaders have done while continuing to advocate for the student body.

What鈥檚 one thing you wish you knew before you started your 性视界 journey?

Granger: Time management. I don’t know if there’s an overall secret to time management, but I wish that before my first day, somebody told me about how to manage my time. Given my areas of study and my involvement on campus, everything I do, every meeting I have goes through my Google Calendar, even homework assignments. And I encourage new students to make sure you have some free time.

Nolivos: In the first couple of weeks on campus, it鈥檚 important that you build up your support system. You鈥檙e going to have opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Make sure you really take the time to find the people that you want to be there with you for this journey. This is the opportunity to become the person that you want to become. It鈥檚 a new chapter in your life. Give this 100% of your attention. One thing that helped me my first year was extracurriculars. Discovering your community will help you feel more connected to campus.

Are there any common mistakes for first-year students to avoid?

Nolivos: Think about the classes you鈥檙e taking, especially your required classes, and figure out which classes you should take first to set you up for future success. And from a social perspective, make sure that you鈥檙e treating this as the first page of the rest of your life. Be transparent with yourself on this journey. Be an open book with everything. You鈥檙e going to find people from different paths of life and different experiences than you. Make sure you鈥檙e always respectful of other people鈥檚 opinions and experiences and learn from them.

Granger: Don鈥檛 join too many clubs or take too many classes, you鈥檙e just overwhelming yourself while you’re still trying to learn what it means to be an undergraduate at 性视界 University. You can lose your sense of self while you’re trying to figure out who you are. Don鈥檛 put too much on your shoulders when you first get here.

How has 性视界 University helped you become the person you are today?

Granger: I鈥檓 a fully changed person since my first year. This campus has given me elements of friendship that I never experienced in high school as I figure out what I seek in friendships. Who do I want to spend time with? Why do I want to spend time with them? The true value of friendship and what it can do for your life is something that I truly have learned in the past two years here. Also the importance of making connections, whether with your classmates or your professors. So many of these connections are either involved in your career path or are going to be involved. Learn to maintain those connections. That鈥檚 one way the 性视界 experience has changed me for the better.

Nolivos: I鈥檓 a political refugee. I arrived in this country six years ago. I always had trouble trusting myself and my abilities, and felt I was always going to be behind my peers. But 性视界 made me realize how much power I have and how far I can push myself to become the person I want to become. 性视界 has given me the tools to build that future for myself.

The number 44 holds a special significance on the 性视界 University campus, and in true University fashion, 44 children in the City of 性视界 will soon receive new beds and bedding鈥攕ome for the first time鈥攖hrough a project that has touched the hearts and hands of several dozen University students, staff and organizational volunteers.

The 108 volunteers gathered on Feb. 23 at Skybarn on South Campus for a three-hour workshop to sand, drill and assemble wooden bunk beds. The group included 86 University students, 11 staff, faculty and retirees, plus 11 other members of the 性视界 chapter of (SHP).

SHP, whose mantra is 鈥淣o Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town,鈥� is one of 270 chapters nationwide. The organization鈥檚 mission is to build and deliver new beds and bedding to children who may have been sleeping on a couch or the floor, and who, in many cases, have never had a bed of their own.

The 性视界 SHP group has partnered with the for Public and Community Service鈥攖he University鈥檚 hub for academic community engagement鈥攆or several years. Though the chapter has built and delivered 4,564 beds to 性视界-area children since it began in 2018, 870 kids are still on the waitlist. SHP leaders say 76% of the beds built here will go to children who live within two miles of campus.

Friday鈥檚 event was organized by (SUVO) president 鈥�25, a dual public relations and psychology major from Norwalk, Ohio. She says this is the first time in a decade that SUVO has initiated a large-scale volunteer project, and it鈥檚 one that seemed to resonate with everyone who heard about it.

鈥淗undreds of children in 性视界 are currently sleeping on the floor. We often take a bed for granted, but it can have such an impact on one鈥檚 overall physical and mental health,鈥� Ceccoli says. 鈥淎 bed is not something I鈥檝e ever given a second thought. I crawl into my bed when I鈥檓 sick, need a safe place or want some alone time. SHP鈥檚 goal of providing children who need but don鈥檛 have that safe space is such a worthy mission that I鈥檓 humbled and honored to leverage student resources to help a community partner.鈥�

advisors Karrie Catalino and Mackenzie Jackson encouraged Ceccoli to bring the bed-building initiative to campus. Planning began in September 2023. Ceccoli applied for Student Association funding and SUVO was awarded nearly $12,000 to cover the costs of all materials and bedding. Once SUVO started promoting the event, volunteers eagerly signed on, including Phanstiel Scholars, Our Time Has Come Scholars and Kessler Scholars. Others reached out, too, including the University鈥檚 Brighten a Day unit, the Construction Management Club and Jonathan French, associate teaching professor and undergraduate director in the chemistry department in the , Ceccoli says.

Past and Current Employees

Several current and retired University employees are involved as volunteers with SHP and have been instrumental in the local chapter’s efforts. In 2018, employees Jon Wright, now retired from , and Jeff Pitt 鈥�91, director of information technology services at the College of Arts and Sciences, formed the chapter and still serve as its co-presidents. Back then, they approached Dave Hoalcraft 鈥�85 to join them. A 36-year University employee who retired in 2021, Hoalcraft now volunteers as SHP鈥檚 shop manager and bed-building trainer.

Pitt says he likes that SHP fulfills two needs in the community. 鈥淥ne is the obvious one of providing a warm, comfortable place to sleep for children in need. The second is subtler: providing an outlet for people who want to give back to the community but who don鈥檛 know how to get started.”

Hoalcraft says the group鈥檚 mission 鈥渨as a direct bullseye for me [so] I jumped right in. I am 鈥楩orever Orange,鈥� so doing a bed build with students on campus means a lot to me. I get to help a lot of kind people build beds for children in our community and ultimately help get children their own beds. It is awesome that 性视界 University students give back directly to the children in the community where [the students] live.鈥�

On-Campus Spark

This is the first time SHP has held a mobile bed build on campus, and Ceccoli thinks the location has been key to the success of the event. 鈥淚 think it can sometimes be intimidating for students to get off campus,鈥� she says. 鈥淪UVO is seeking to connect students to the community and to inspire them to volunteer by making this opportunity accessible. We hope they will continue beyond this event to help SHP build or deliver more beds.鈥� SUVO plans to provide students with information about additional volunteer opportunities.

鈥淭his is a beautiful testament to the interest and passion 性视界 University students have for community engagement,鈥� Ceccoli says. 鈥淚 want to work in the nonprofit sector. This is so real for me and to think of the impact we鈥檒l be making on these children鈥檚 lives and their families鈥� lives while amplifying SHP鈥檚 mission is wonderful. Quite literally, I鈥檇 do this for the rest of my life.鈥�

Kathryn Bradford 鈥�06, Shaw Center administrative coordinator and SUVO advisor, says she is extremely proud of how Ceccoli used knowledge from her classes and her Shaw Center leadership development intern experience to take the project from idea to reality through diligence, passion and positivity. 鈥淗opefully this experience will encourage more students to participate in community engagement as a continuing part of their educational experience and beyond,” Bradford says.

Are you engaged in a volunteer activity that is having an impact on the greater community? In upcoming editions of SU Today, we plan to profile some of our faculty, staff and students who are making the world a better place through community service. Please email internalcomms@syr.edu with your story.

Neither Will Treloar 鈥�24 nor Yasmin Nayrouz 鈥�24 possessed any previous experience as student government leaders when they stepped onto the 性视界 University campus as first-year students three years ago.

Now in their final year at 性视界, Treloar and Nayrouz feel confident they can fulfill the campaign slogan they ran on鈥攖o amplify student voices and meet the needs of students鈥攚hen the dynamic duo was elected president and executive vice president, respectively, of the . The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 性视界 University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.

Treloar and Nayrouz are excited to hold these student government leadership positions while striving to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.

鈥淭hroughout my time in Student Association, the one thing that keeps me going is聽seeing the difference you can make on campus. Becoming SA president offered another opportunity to make a difference on campus, and it鈥檚 hard to turn that down,鈥� says Treloar, who is studying economics and policy studies in the .

Treloar and Nayrouz have been involved in SA since their first year on campus. Before being elected to their current leadership roles, Treloar was speaker of the assembly and Nayrouz was vice president of university affairs.

They both credit their previous student government leadership roles with preparing them for the challenges of leading the SA.

鈥淭his organization has enabled me to make positive changes on campus, and I want to continue helping our students. Student Association advocates for and on behalf of students when speaking with administration to address student concerns鈥攆rom Title IX policies to dining hall concerns鈥攁nd by legislating to fund and create events or initiatives that support the well-being of our students,鈥� says Nayrouz, a dual major who is studying English in the and public relations in the .

Serving as the leaders of the University鈥檚 undergraduate student population, Treloar and Nayrouz say the best way for them to have an impact is by listening to the needs of the students, making themselves accessible and working hard to ensure student concerns are heard and addressed.

With the fall semester underway, SA鈥檚 leaders continued a tradition started in the Spring 2022 semester, when the inaugural Student Body Needs Survey was delivered across campus. Treloar says the feedback from the survey has been tremendous, allowing SA鈥檚 elected leaders to put their fingers on the pulse of the student body.

The survey is just one way SA engages with 性视界鈥檚 undergraduates, but incorporating student feedback has guided the goals Treloar and Nayrouz have for the 2023-24 academic year.

Their main objectives include:

• following through on the Sustainability Report that was passed last year;
• continuing to foster an inclusive, accessible and welcoming campus for all;
• engaging with traditionally underrepresented student populations;
• supporting registered student organizations;
• improving the quality of the food in the dining halls and student accessibility to food through complimentary grocery trolley runs; and
• ensuring American Sign Language services are offered at all student events.

They鈥檙e also looking forward to organizing on-campus events, including the Harvest Festival, Mental Health Awareness Week and the Fall and Spring Into Action volunteer efforts.

鈥淭his year will be considered successful if we鈥檙e able to get students involved in more University decision-making processes,鈥� Treloar says.

鈥淚f our students know and feel that they can confidently come to the Student Association to address their concerns and make a positive impact on campus,鈥� that will be a successful year, adds Nayrouz.

性视界 University and the Student Association have announced a new set of goals that will substantially enhance and propel the University鈥檚 sustainability efforts, including reaching net-zero emissions by 2032, eight years earlier than the previous goal.

The goals are part of the University鈥檚 long-term sustainability plans and align with several recommendations made in a report by the Student Association released in December 2022. The report was developed after Chancellor Kent Syverud charged Student Association President David Bruen 鈥�23 in late spring 2022 with making recommendations about the University鈥檚 sustainability practices and policies.

Highlights of the new goals include the following:

• Advance the University鈥檚 current net-zero goal from 2040 to 2032. To support this goal, the University will create a Sustainability Oversight Council to oversee and audit the office to ensure emission goals are met.
• Commit to dramatically reduce single-use plastics by the 2027-28 academic year through a phased approach.
• In a collaboration between the Student Association and the University, create an annual sustainability research competition, as proposed in the Student Association鈥檚 .

鈥淭hese ambitious new goals set a high standard for where the University needs to be in terms of our climate action plan. We are committed to creating a more sustainable campus,鈥� says Chancellor Kent Syverud. 鈥淚 am grateful to David and all the students who worked on the report. Their leadership, insights and efforts, in partnership with Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala and his team, will help the University in achieving our sustainability goals.鈥�

Last year, the University released its , which documents progress and outlines strategies over the next five years for the University to edge closer to emissions neutrality.

In its report, the Student Association, which also worked with students from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Le Moyne College on the project, called on the University to 鈥渁mplify and expedite sustainability and climate pledge efforts in response to current events, technological advancements and government incentives.鈥� A student leader team of Student Association Sustainability Director Harrison Vogt, Vice President of Community and Government Affairs Ben Cavarra and Student Advocate Liv Curreri, led by Bruen, oversaw the development of the report.

鈥淎s members of the University community, and as part of the greater community, students play a role in helping to move forward ideas and promoting decisive action in creating a more sustainable future,鈥� says Bruen. 鈥淲ith the University鈥檚 commitment and collaboration of our students, these goals are not only achievable but will be realized by all of us and make 性视界 University a national leader in sustainability.鈥�

In helping to oversee the net-zero goal through Sustainability Management, the Sustainability Oversight Council will be composed of a representative from the Student Association, a representative from the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor and a faculty member with an expertise in sustainability.

As part of the Student Association recommendation for the creation of an annual sustainability research competition, students will have the opportunity to propose ideas in which the University can minimize carbon emissions. Students will submit proposals, which will be reviewed by a select panel of judges consisting of student leaders, faculty and staff. The winner of the competition will receive a prize.

In addition to the competition, faculty will also be able to submit their own proposals, to be reviewed by the panel of judges and University leadership, which will determine implementation at the University.

These advancements toward a more sustainable future will make 性视界 University a national higher education leader in sustainability.

The and Student Association will host the annual on Sunday, April 2, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center. Now in its third year, the festival will feature 10 student organizations and offer a wide variety of food, cultural exhibits and performances.

鈥淭he International Festival creates an opportunity for our campus community to connect with student organizations, build intercultural understanding, learn more about the cultural traditions of the student organizations participating, and celebrate our richly diverse student body,鈥� says Juan Tavares, director of the Central for International Services. 鈥淭he students have put a lot of work into preparing for the festival and we are looking forward to a great event.鈥�

This year’s student organization participants include the African Student Union, Caribbean Students Association, Chinese Union, European Student Association, Filipino Student Association, Haitian American Student Association, Mexican Student Association, South Asian Student Association, Turkish Student Association and Ukrainian Club at 性视界 University.

Admission to the event is free and includes the schedule of performances and tabling exhibits. The event will also feature a full menu of food samplings from the countries, regions and cultures of the participating student organizations. The food samples are $1 each (cash only).

For more information, contact the Center for International Services at international@syr.edu or 315.443.2457.

Story co-written by Tessa Hodinger G鈥�23, graduate assistant in Student Experience Communications.

Yasmin Nayrouz is a junior, studying聽 in the Newhouse School and in the College of Arts and Sciences.

This October, she received the Voyager Scholarship聽from the Obama Foundation, awarded to students who bridge divides and work to solve some of the world鈥檚 biggest challenges.

Inspired by misconceptions surrounding migration, she鈥檚 currently working toward a career in policy advocacy for refugees and displaced families.

On campus, the serves as the University鈥檚 undergraduate student body government, and its elected leaders act as the representative voice for all undergraduate students.

Their goal and primary focus? Striving to help make each student鈥檚 undergraduate experience the best it can be.

The makeup of the SA includes elected student representatives from each school or college on campus. Students who serve on SA have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their peers, and at the same time, gain valuable leadership experience.

During each academic year, the SA鈥檚 Board of Elections holds two campuswide elections for students interested in serving in a leadership role. In the fall, elections are held to determine who will serve as first-year assembly representatives, while also filling any existing board vacancies. In the spring, elections are held for every elected seat, including the executive offices of president, executive vice president and comptroller.

The fall 2022 election starts on Monday, Oct. 3, and concludes on Friday, Oct. 7.

Hoping to include as many undergraduate students as possible in the voting process, students can cast their vote through a campuswide email, , on SA social media channels and through a QR code featured on both digital signage in the Schine Student Center and lawn signs on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle. SA representatives will also table in front of Schine throughout election week to answer any questions.

There are 30 candidates in the running for 19 SA seats, along with a few other seats that are open through the write-in process.

This fall, assembly representatives will be elected to serve from the following schools/colleges:

• Arts and Sciences
• College of Engineering and Computer Science
• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Newhouse School
• Falk College
• College of Visual and Performing Arts

Additionally, elections are held to determine which students will serve as first-year at-large and at-large representatives for SA.

Those students elected will serve SA as part of the 66th聽session of the student body government. They will hold their SA positions through May, when all of their seats will then be up for re-election in the spring.

In response to resolutions passed last fall by 性视界 University鈥檚 Student Association and Graduate Student Organization, Chancellor Syverud has created a working group to consider revisions to the University鈥檚 Computer and Electronic Policy that will address concerns regarding free speech across campus.

The action was taken to address the student government groups鈥� belief that certain language in the current policy 鈥渋s vague, overly broad and subjective, which restricts expression and stifles academic freedom by prohibiting the discussion of controversial yet important political, social and economic issues that form the basis of legitimate academic debate.鈥�

David Rubin, professor of communications and dean emeritus of the , has accepted an appointment to lead the working group. In addition to Rubin, the group will be comprised of two students appointed by the Student Association, two students appointed by the Graduate Student Association, and one faculty and one staff member, both appointed by the University Senate. The working group will be charged with reviewing the issues raised in the resolutions and making recommendations to the Chancellor.

鈥淚 appreciate the thoughtful concerns raised by the Graduate Student Organization and the Student Association regarding the language in this policy,鈥� says Chancellor Syverud. 鈥淚 agree that there is no room for ambiguity when it comes to our institutional commitment to freedom of expression, and I am confident that this working group will help to ensure our policies fully reflect that commitment.鈥�

“Wide open, robust debate is at the heart of the learning process,鈥� says Rubin. 鈥淚 am delighted to accept this assignment and look forward to working with the committee to craft a policy that fits the 21st century and supports the goals of our institution.”

In their resolutions, the student governing bodies have asked for more specific wording that is less restrictive of speech and more accurately reflects the University鈥檚 commitment to freedom of expression, with the goal of enhancing 鈥渁cademic freedom and the quality of education.鈥�

鈥淭he Student Association advocates free speech,鈥� says Boris Gresely, president of the Student Association. 鈥淎 precise definition of harassment will encourage students to confront and engage challenging topics, while a broad definition endangers free speech rights. Clarification of the 性视界 University definition of harassment will protect our students and organizations; the resolutions, passed by the GSO and SA, will modify the policy in that manner.”

鈥淧rotecting free speech in a responsible manner is crucial at any institution of higher learning,鈥� says Patrick Neary, president of the Graduate Student Organization.聽 鈥淥verly broad policies, such as the current policy defining online harassment, need to be pruned to ensure they do not impinge on protected speech.聽 A well-defined, narrow policy will allow the university to curtail legitimate harassment without the threat of eliminating the kind of robust discussion necessary on our campus.聽 The GSO and SA resolutions call for modifying the current policy to create just such a well-defined notion of harassment.鈥�