The Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SRSGA) elected a new Vice President of Finance on Monday during its first in-person meeting since the campus shut down last year.
Newly-elected President Mia Graziani welcomed new and returning senators at the Smith Student Center theater with fresh popcorn.
The former Vice President of Finance Dean Chasser resigned prior to the first formal meeting. The resignation prompted the senate to hold an election at the meeting according to the body’s bylaws.
Only two current senators applied for the position; Business Senator Sydney Rezzetano and Liberal Arts Senator Amanda Brock. Rezzetano won the vice presidency with a vote of 17-9 and was immediately sworn.
Rezzetano is a sophomore finance major and a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. In Rezzetano’s first year in SRSGA, she was a residence hall senator and member of the finance committee, working closely with previous Vice President of Finance Nate Desing.
Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs Grant Warmbein directed a question to Rezzetano during the debate and discussion about her commitments as a community assistant and if they would interfere with the added responsibilities of vice president. She responded that her schedule is flexible and she would be able to take on the workload of the position with support from her graduate resident director (GSD), Graduate Senator Laken Draksler.
“Sydney has done an exceptional job already early on in the semester,” Draksler said. “She really is dedicated to her role.”
Brock, a junior political science major, served as a senator this past year and as a member of the finance committee. Along with being a senator, Brock currently serves as treasurer for three other organizations.
While Brock and Rezzetano stepped out for the second portion of debate and discussion, opposition toward Brock was brought up. Aiden Donnelly, vice president of outreach, voiced his concerns for Brock’s oversight of the SRSGA budget while also serving as treasurer in other organizations.
“She potentially could be biased towards the three organizations that she is already a member of,” Donnelly said.
Other actions the Senate took included swearing in three senators elected in the spring semester. Christopher Dang along with Draksler will serve as graduate senators, and Madeline Smith, senior psychology major, as at-large senator.
SRSGA Advisor Lauren Moran spoke briefly about the ongoing ‘Rock the Weekend’ program. It will include bus trips to places like the Grove City Outlet Mall, movie showings and more. For more information, students are encouraged to search the SRU CORE events page, Moran said.
Roberta Page, the new director of athletics, addressed the Senate about her position and role. Page promised that SRSGA will always receive “fully transparent information” from her and her program.
Members of the Student Organization of Latinos/Hispanics and Allies (SOL) executive board, Christina Vega, junior French major, and Ian Arteaga, senior creative writing major, talked about their current project for Hispanic Heritage month celebrated in October. They asked SRU clubs to create an artistic trifold to display information on a Hispanic country. Organizations interested in participating can reach out to the SOL executive board.
SOL’s first meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 7 at 12:30 p.m. in the Smith Student Center. More information can be found on the SOL CORE page.
The SRSGA’s next formal meeting will be held on Monday, September 13 at 5 p.m. in the Smith Student Center Ballroom. During that meeting, the Senate is expected to vote on the stipend budget for the SRSGA, The Rocket, WSRU-FM, University Program Board (UPB) and Sound and Literary Arts Book (SLAB).
The meetings are open to all Slippery Rock University community members.
