Candidates for Syracuse University’s next Student Association president and comptroller discussed how they plan to support Black students on campus during Renegade Magazine’s ReneVote forum Saturday. 

The forum, held via Instagram, aimed at addressing questions about Black student life at SU. Candidates individually participated in 20-minute interviews that consisted of pre-written questions as well as those from the forum’s viewers.

This year’s presidential candidates — Sadia Ahmed, Morgan Eaton and Justine Hastings — each discussed how their platform would reach marginalized communities, specifically Black students. Hastings is the only presidential candidate who identifies as Black.

“It’s being present, being aware of things going on on campus this year, understanding that there are situations on campus that have been affecting the Black student community,” Ahmed said. 

Eaton and Ahmed both said they plan to elect a diverse cabinet to ensure that the Black student community is heard. Ahmed said she specifically plans to elect a student who is Black as chair of SA’s Diversity Affairs Committee.

Ahmed and Eaton also said they plan to work closely with SU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, as well as all student organizations on campus, to ensure students’ voices are heard. 

“You (have) surround yourself with people of different perspectives and identities and experiences and that’s what this whole (campaign) is about is making sure those voices are heard,” he said. 

SA comptroller candidate Julio Burgos said he plans to elect a diverse Finance Board that can make decisions with students’ multiple backgrounds in mind.

“We should not let our personal opinions get in the way of our decisions,” he said. “Not everyone is going to agree with you, not everyone is going to agree with your decision making.”

Ahmed said she and her running mate, Yanan Wang, are the second pair of SA president and vice president candidates who identify as people of color.

As a student who identifies with a marginalized community, Ahmed said her experiences on campus will help her reach and understand students from all backgrounds throughout her administration. 

Ahmed’s ambition to create change stemmed from her freshman-year experience at SU, she said. She understands how marginalized groups on campus aren’t recognized for who they are and for their individual identities, she said. 

“I came to this campus as a student who wears a hijab and ended my freshman year as a student who doesn’t because of the amount of racial slurs I received my first year,” Ahmed said.

Hastings, Eaton and Ahmed all said they support the demands and goals of the #NotAgainSU movement and will work to ensure SU administration is held accountable to meet the movement’s demands. 

#NotAgainSU, a movement let by Black students, formed in response to a string of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents that have occurred at or near SU’s campus since November. The movement held a sit-in at the Barnes Center at the Arch for eight days in November and occupied Crouse-Hinds Hall for 31 days beginning Feb. 17.

The movement presented Chancellor Kent Sevyrud with a list of 19 demands in November. Syverud agreed to 16 and revised the remaining three. Organizers later negotiated with SU administration on a revised list of demands in March, but the two parties did not reach a resolution. 

Hastings said she would continue to support the Black student community by pushing SU administration to follow #NotAgainSU’s demand for a university-wide tuition freeze. She also said she would expand students’ access to the Board of Trustees. 

“Access to the Board of Trustees is something that students so desperately need because that’s the governing body that can make the structural change that most would say this university needs,” she said. 

Hastings also said she plans to ensure the voices of students from all marginalized communities are heard, beyond those involved in the #NotAgainSU movement.

“The university only acknowledged the concerns of #NotAgainSU, international students, Jewish students, and indigenous students,” Hastings said. “There are other marginalized communities on this campus and their concerns weren’t addressed. We are making sure we listen to those groups.”

Serving as president of SA would allow Eaton to reach SU administration, he said. He plans to include participants of #NotAgainSU, as well as other students from marginalized communities, in his discussions with administration. 

“We can advocate for change but at the end of the day we want to work alongside students,” Eaton said. “It can’t just be us speaking on behalf of the students. It has to be us creating a platform for those students to advocate for the specific demands #NotAgainSU worked for.”

Eaton said he supports #NotAgainSU’s demand to disarm Department of Public Safety officers on SU’s campus. He aims to educate students on the jurisdiction and role DPS plays on campus in order to hold officers accountable for their actions. 

He plans to ensure DPS conducts a full review of Ben Shapiro, a popular conservative commentator. SA’s Finance Board recently approved the College Republicans’ $39,000 request to invite Shapiro to speak on campus in the fall.

“We don’t want anyone to be on this campus who makes any students feel unsafe, any student from any community,” he said.

Hastings, who co-authored a draft resolution condemning the College Republican’s decision to invite Shaprio on campus, said condemning hate speech is part of her moral and ethical values. All students should feel safe on campus, both physically and mentally, she said.

“The fact that several students said they feel this event would threaten their mental health, physical health and safety means we need to step up,” she said. 

All candidates said they plan to participate both in SA and as leaders on campus even if they don’t win this year’s election. They will encourage all students’ voices to be heard, no matter the background or communities they’re from, the candidates said. 

“Regardless of whether you’re a student leader or not, you still have a voice,” Ahmed said.

Voting for SA’s president, vice president and comptroller begins Monday on MySlice and continues until 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

Published on April 12, 2020 at 1:36 am

Contact Maggie: mehicks@syr.edu | @maggie_hickss