At the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate meeting on April 11, students met to discuss and appoint candidates into three positions on the Cabinet of newly elected President, Liana Meyer, and Vice President of Operations, Julieann Murphy.
Rachel Pinho was appointed Secretary, Yiding Yang was appointed Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), and Gabriella Poska was appointed Vice President of Student Interests (VPSI). Victoria Agaliotis was re-appointed Vice President of Finance (VPF).
This follows the SGA’s extensive restructuring efforts which attempted to split the SGA into three sections: Student Advocacy, Student Organizational Affairs, and an Administrative Council. The restructuring efforts culminated in a new draft constitution, which failed to pass into effect last January.
The three newly appointed cabinet members took time with The Stute to go further in depth about their previous positions held within the SGA and their goals for their new positions moving forward.
Rachel Pinho, a 2/4 Biomedical Engineering Major, was appointed Secretary. This position is the first Pinho has held within the organization, and she explained that she is “very excited to see what the SGA will accomplish this year.” Pinho has taken her new position with a can-do attitude, stating that she will be “taking on initiatives that need more assistance as necessary” within the organization. In the future, Pinho’s objective as Secretary is to “improve engagement and communication not only within the SGA but also in between the SGA and the student body” which has become a recurring topic within the organization.
A 2/4 Mechanical Engineering Major, Yiding Yang was appointed VPAA. He joined the organization as a senator in the fall of 2020 where he worked extensively with other members, to get students more time on E126 Mechanics of Solids quizzes. When it comes to what he plans to do as VPAA going forward, Yang’s goal is reflective of that of the SGA as a whole. He explained that, with respect to “the SGA’s overarching goal of increasing transparency,” his objective as VPAA is to focus on how Academic Concern Forms and complaints are reviewed, and to “ensure that each complaint receives a response.” Yang additionally reiterated that the intention of the SGA is to “reconnect student voices to the administration and close the gap between the SGA and the overall student body” to create more cohesion between the SGA and the student body it represents.
Gabriella Poska, a 3/5 Biomedical Engineering Major, was appointed VPSI. Poska has been a part of the SGA since fall of 2020 when she was elected Secretary while SGA Presidential Cabinet vacancies were being filled in the wake of resignations of multiple officers within the SGA. VPSI is the second position she has held within the SGA, and Poska explains that her overarching goal as VPSI is for more students and student organizations to support other students and student organizations. She plans to accomplish this in a number of ways, namely to work with the VPF “on a lot of the initiatives she has thought of such as larger subcommittee events.” Poska elaborates further on this idea by stating that “Whether orgs are supporting other orgs by co-hosting events, attending events, or even just promoting events, I want to develop that culture and that will start from myself as VPSI, and subcommittee heads (CSI) and expand through the orgs. Additionally, I want to encourage Diversity and Inclusion within orgs and I plan to work closely with DNI to see that happen.” Similar to Pinho and Yang’s sentiments, Poska pointed out that “a big goal for this Cabinet is definitely to increase transparency and develop closer bonds with as many people on campus as possible.”
Poska noted that “if anyone has any questions or concerns about what the SGA does, wants to get involved in the SGA, or just wants to chat about what’s been happening on campus and talk through any changes they’d like to see, any of us would be more than willing to have that conversation!”
Students can contact cabinet members at: rpinho@stevens.edu, yyang106@stevens.edu, gposka@stevens.edu, sga@stevens.edu.
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