The Student Association typically doesn't agree on much. They don't agree on how strictly to follow their own codes. They don't agree on their priorities of the past. Sometimes, they don't agree on where they're going. But they do agree they're going somewhere.
Amidst an organization rife with tension and disagreement, SA President Larry Seivert said more change is coming. But much of it will have to wait until the fall.
Despite Seivert's optimism, certain members of SA are less than impressed with the association's efforts this semester.
Robel Yemiru, SA's parliamentarian, said he thinks much more should have been accomplished.
"If I'm looking for the tangible change, what am I supposed to tell everyone else who asks 'What is SA?' That's a problem," he said.
Seivert's campaign platform focused on five main promises. Only one of those five has been accomplished thus far in the 53rd session.
Off-campus transportation
Seivert explained that, as of now, only one Shuttle-U-Home bus can operate at a time, and with approximately 5,000-7,000 students living off campus, he wants to provide more transportation options. SA is currently working with the risk management department to try to further the project.
Student organizations
Seivert hoped to help student organizations become more involved in the greater community by providing vans for their use. He said they are looking into implementing this van pooling service system in the fall.
Athletics
SA planned to provide bus shuttles to two different away games but ran into a conflict each time. This goal is within reach - SA member Tim Wilke is staying at SU throughout the summer and is working to ensure they can provide transportation for away games in the fall.
Academics
Seivert promised more merit-based scholarships, but he said that with the current economic climate, this initiative is beyond SA's reach.
Town hall meetings
SA made an attempt to reach out to students through town-hall-style meetings this semester. Seivert said that there have been three meetings. Forty students attended the MayFest meeting, while the meeting for off-campus students only drew a handful of students.
Though Seivert cited Jon Barnhart's "phenomenal" efforts in implementing this initiative, Barnhart had a different opinion.
"Town hall meetings have ultimately come to a screeching halt," he said. "I got very little support from Larry. We didn't feel like we were quite getting the results we wanted, so instead of pushing it harder, we just stopped."
Seivert said the meetings will continue in the fall.
Further progress?
The other changes that SA put into action this semester are planned renovations for the Schine Student Center - scheduled for completion this summer - and ongoing library renovations, as well as MayFest initiatives.
Barnhart, SA's Student Engagement Committee chair, called this year's SU Showcase Seivert's "pet project."
Seivert, Neal Casey and other SA members have worked with several departments in the university to ensure that the MayFest tradition is not only upheld, but that safety remains a primary concern wherever students choose to be that day.
Assembly representative Casey explained that in addition to handing out water, there will be several events held at the Women's Building field. Food Services will provide food and there will be live performances from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., as well as a student organization showcase. There will also be a battle of the bands competition at 5:30 p.m.
Barnhart described the MayFest initiative as a "double-edged sword."
"It's definitely a tangible change that took a lot of work," Barnhart said. "It's kind of taken a toll on the rest of the assembly in the sense that nobody really knows what they can do to help with this MayFest thing. We almost feel stagnant."
The disagreement within SA reaches far beyond MayFest. On an almost weekly basis, there has been visible tension at assembly meetings. At many meetings, members spend more time debating proper procedure than addressing the important issues at hand.
"It's one thing if different people with different personalities and different styles of doing things are shut down because they're not following protocol," said Yemiru. "That's really detrimental."
Seivert does not like to see the codes get in the way of being productive, but also acknowledges that the disagreement within the association can be positive.
"I think that disagreements within the assembly have not caused less productivity," Seivert said. "I think it has allowed us to actually develop our arguments, initiatives, and output more productively, because we look at things in a more critical manner when we question ourselves."
Barnhart said it becomes unproductive when members disagree without reason.
"There's two kinds of people who disagree," Barnhart explained. "There's people who have the same goal in mind but disagree on how to get there, and then there's the people that just disagree for the sake of disagreeing. Those are the people that can hinder progress."
Seivert admitted it is a challenge when new members and existing members criticize an initiative after its implementation but don't contribute during the planning. Barnhart went on to say that a government is meant to disagree, as long as it has the same goal in mind.
Robel Yemiru and Barnhart said the most striking difference between Seivert's presidency and that of his predecessor, Marlene Goldenberg, was the lack of tension and disagreement under Goldenberg.
"She had a united front," Yemiru said. "Contrasted with this semester, where I'm not sure what we're doing, we're not united, and it shows."
Seivert said the different opinions and interests have acted like "road blocks" and that they spent time at the beginning of the semester dealing with personal issues and trying to get everyone on the same page.
"I think we have made attempts, and I think we still have a long way to go," he said. "I began this year by saying that many students don't know what SA means or what SA does, and I think that many still don't."
mequalte@syr.edu
is a member of the 
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