On Tuesday, the Student Assembly (SA) of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College confirmed multiple chairs for various committees making up the assembly.
Aneeb Sheikh, MCAS ’20, was confirmed as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. He said he intends to work with different programs outside of UGBC to turn them into their own departments, such as the women’s studies program. He also intends to further diversify the core curriculum, especially within the theology core. Sheikh intends to advocate for religions outside of Christian theology to count toward core courses. He also plans to discuss increasing faculty diversity on campus with the Provost’s office.
Kate Canavan, MCAS ’21, was confirmed as chair of the Environmental Committee. She plans to create more eco-friendly utensil options in dining halls through coordination with BC Dining Services and collaborate with environmental groups on campus to raise awareness about the environment. She will also be seeking to create a more eco-friendly environment off campus this year. Canavan said she’ll begin these efforts by working on outreach to students, including educating students about what is compostable, recyclable, and what should be thrown in the trash.
Sheikh received the majority vote for president pro-tempore, who stands in as executive vice president if Ignacio Fletcher, executive vice president and MCAS ’20, is unable to attend a meeting, in an election against Canavan during the meeting. Sheikh ran for EVP in UGBC elections this past academic year against Fletcher.
Joe Fotopoulos, MCAS ’20, was confirmed as chief of staff, who is in charge of keeping track of what happens at meetings. Fotopoulos expressed his eagerness to serve the SA in this capacity due to his prior experience in UGBC and communication skills.
Sam Szemerenyi, MCAS ’20, was confirmed as parliamentarian—he’ll be in charge of making sure the SA meetings adhere to the rules. Szemerenyi said he would lean on his knowledge of the structure of SA meetings as he stepped into the job. He cited his two years of experience with the rules laid out in the UGBC’s handbook and Robert’s Rules of Order as his qualifications.
Kalkidan Tadesse, MCAS ’21, was confirmed as chair of the Student Rights and Conduct Committee. She plans to promote a “red square,” which she defines as a physical place for students to express their rights of speech and protest without moderation by the University. The square was a part of the election platform of Taraun Frontis, UGBC vice president of diversity and inclusion and CSOM ’19, and Sheikh when the two ran for office this past year. Tadesse’s other plans include supporting other divisions’ initiatives and ensuring that BC’s student handbook “caters” to every student.
John Gehman, MCAS ’21, was confirmed as chair of the Intersections Committee. He intends to create a student resource fair during his tenure, due to his belief that the University has a tremendous amount of untapped resources, especially for international students. He also hopes to create an initiative for students to have earlier access to course syllabi, especially for students with disabilities.
Alex Eishingdrelo, MCAS ’20, was confirmed as chair of the Campus improvements Committee. He said his previous experience in the Campus Improvements Committee has given him the experience necessary to chair the division. He said he worked on the initiative to put printers in a variety of areas on campus, and hopes to extend printers into McElroy Commons this year. Eishingdrelo has also begun a conversation with the BC Police Department with the goal of increasing current access to dorms with Eagle IDs. Currently, students only have access to dorms assigned to their class year, and Eishingdrelo will look into expanding possible access beyond that standard.
Correction (9/13/18, 2:01 p.m.): The red square was initially portrayed in this article as a part of Reed Piercey, UGBC president and MCAS ’18, and Fletcher’s election platform. It was, in fact, a part of Frontis and Sheikh’s platform. The article has been corrected to reflect that.
Featured Image by Katie Genirs / Heights Editor
