The newly elected freshman class leaders were sworn into the Student Government Association on Thursday, Oct. 18. Right hands raised, they took the oath that would officially swear them in and allow them to perform SGA duties.
Six freshmen were voted in by the class of 2022 to represent them in various positions: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and senators. Zayba Chauhdry was elected as president with running mate, Jarad Fonoti, who now serves as vice president. Zoya Rafi was elected as treasurer and Saloni Chadha was elected as secretary. Xavier Moody-Wusik and Meghan Hall will serve as senators.
Chauhdry and Chadha are biology majors, Fonoti is a sports management major, Moody-Wusik is a psychology major, Rafi is a finance major and Hall is a journalism major. The six have a wide variety of experiences and are able to get input from the freshman community which they represent.
The newly inducted leaders look forward to having the opportunity to take part in SGA.
“Becoming a Bonnie was an amazing process, but I wanted to become more involved in the campus… I was very excited to be inducted into SGA,” said Chauhdry.
The freshman class leaders have a strong sense of commitment to their class, said Fonoti.
“My goal for our class is to better ourselves one step at a time. By the time we are seniors, I want the class of 2022 to be the class that changed the Bonaventure community in the best way possible,” said Moody-Wusik.
Fonoti, a New Zealand born Samoan who later moved to Hawaii, has high hopes for the freshman class. He said he wants to have a very fun, successful and memorable year. Though he has not been involved with student government in the past, he is excited to try something new and serve his class.
Chauhdry, an Olean native who is involved in various clubs and activities on campus, said she is going into the year with some goals for both the freshman class and the Bonaventure community.
“I want to encourage even more socially diverse events to include every student,”said Chauhdry.
Once the new freshman class officers were sworn in, SGA discussed a new issue: The lack of 24/7 study spaces for all students.
“The fact is that students want more 24 hour study spaces,” said Colleen Corrado, the executive board vice president.
The foreseeable issue with finding these spaces, according to Geoffrey Broadbent, executive board president, is that faculty think that [students] don’t treat spaces well.
According to Broadbent, faculty are somewhat reluctant to open the doors of their buildings for 24/7 study spaces because they are wary of the fact that their space may not be treated with respect. Broadbent and Corrado suggested that in order to make students’ desires for an increased number of spaces a reality, faculty would have to get behind the proposal.
Katie O’Brien, the vice president for Student Affairs, said the university is considering creating study spaces in the top-floor storage closets in townhouses. However, this cannot be approved or denied without answers from fire safety.
Currently, students only have access to The Great Room in the McGinley-Carney Center and select classrooms on the first floor of Swan if they are looking for study areas late at night. SGA is looking for solutions to this issue.
SGA will meet again on Thursday, Nov. 1 to continue discussion around this issue and others that face the student body.
By Meghan Hall, Staff Writer
hallml18@bonaventure.edu
