Last two weeks in Senate: Feb. 13 and 20

By Mikayla Boyd and Hannah Wiley, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

Due to the President’s Day holiday on Feb. 16 and 17, The Griffin is reporting on both the Feb. 13 and Feb. 20 meetings of the United Student Association in this week’s edition.

On Feb. 13, the senate hosted guest speaker Spencer Liechty, Vice President of Mission Integration after gaveling in at 2:36 p.m. In his role, Liechty supervises Campus Ministry and Chapel, but also ensures that the university’s mission is integrated into everything they do in anything from the admissions department to the athletics department. Mission Integration, as well as Campus Ministry, is newly located in Old Main 101, across from the new classrooms. Liechty explained that Canisius is going through the Mission Priority Examen and is looking for student feedback. The examen occurs every seven years and is something all Jesuit schools go through. It is the process for reaffirming a school’s status as a Jesuit institution, and it occurs for two reasons: firstly, it is used for the Jesuits to see how their universities are performing, but it is also a way for Canisius to have serious discussions about its mission, talk about its strengths and the ways they are not fully integrating its mission. 

Liechty opened the floor up to answer questions before he asked his own regarding mission integration. Senators inquired whether there is a possibility of losing Jesuit status, and Liechty assured that while it has happened to a school before, that school cut its core curriculum and took away religious studies classes, something Liechty does not believe is happening at Canisius. He further explained that this is meant to be reflective more than anything. The report produced by the examen will go to the Jesuit Superior in Rome, so while there can be ramifications if the result is poor, the intent is not to disrupt any current Jesuit status but rather to improve that status and realign any areas that are not aligned with the mission. 

Additionally, Liechty asked the senate ways they feel mission is perhaps absent or unseen and hopes they have for the future. Responses included the hope of more awareness for service opportunities, perhaps there being a service coordinator, the lack of an introduction to religion classes for the honors curriculum, a feeling of disconnect between ULLC and HEOP students with the greater student community, the desire for more interaction with the greater Buffalo community and the need for more indepth conversations like Canisius Conversations. If anybody from the campus community has feedback regarding mission integration, Liechty’s email is liechtys@canisius.edu.

The senate then moved into general student concerns. Students shared concern about the labeling in the Dining Hall, the lack of shoveling along Eastwood Place impeding the ability to walk into Bosch and Dugan halls, the library construction closing sidewalks and forcing students to walk in the street and fire hydrants not being cleared. 

Next on the agenda was executive reports. President DeGlopper reported that she met with the Alumni Board and discussed the alumni mentorship program which is piloting this semester. The program is launching with ten participants but they hope to expand it in the future. VPMR Akil, VPBF Peters, EVP Mulenga and Advisor Francey had nothing to report, but Francey was asked about the solidified GriffFlix schedule, to which he responded they are all on GriffConnect. 

Cabinet and liaison reports opened with Diversity Chair Remacle-Grimm reporting that a dyslexia display will be installed in the hallway between the library and Old Main will open after break on March 10. J.U.S.T.I.C.E Co-Chairs Pike and Tolliver reported that they met with Dr. Harold Fields, Vice-President of Student Affairs, to discuss what would happen if ICE ever came on campus. J.U.S.T.I.C.E Co-Chair Pike relayed that the Buffalo Police would be contacted, who under an executive order from Mayor Sean Ryan are barred from cooperating with ICE for civil immigration enforcement. Campus Safety Liaison Hajdini reported that according to Randy Szukala, Director of Campus Safety, ICE is not working with public safety on our campus and the institution’s decision to operate under the same management organization that provides funding to ICE is outside of public safety’s control. He emphasized that it is an institutional leadership decision and any questions should be directed to the administration. 

Public Health Chair Riley announced that the Public Health Committee is launching a Fitness Initiative over February, March and April. February’s challenge was push-ups, and the next two challenges will be wall sit in March and planks in April. Senator Ethan Jaffri also shared that he is hosting a clothing drive and bins are currently outside of the dining hall and the library. It was also shared that the Art Club is looking for executive board members. This meeting of the United Student Association was adjourned at 3:44 p.m.

The Feb. 20 meeting of the United Students Association was called to order at 2:33 p.m. and started off with guest speaker Janet Elis, the General Manager of Dining Services. J.U.S.T.I.C.E Co-Chair Pike brought up concerns about food labeling, especially related to allergens. Pike specifically voiced concerns about the Delicious Without station and the mashed potatoes being labeled as having milk in them. This also applied to chocolate covered strawberries not being labeled for specific ingredients. Elis stressed the importance of always asking herself or any of the workers for clarification on ingredients and whether it is safe for students to eat. 

Diversity Chair Remacle-Grimm also raised concerns about allergen related stations and both the repetitiveness of the meals, as well as the food seeming to be more targeted at athletes looking to eat high-protein meals. Elis mentioned that it is hard to have constantly new allergen friendly meals as not many foods hit all of the allergies the Delicious Without station strives to accommodate. She also assured students that food can always be made in the back that follows their dietary restrictions if there is nothing they can/want to eat. 

ITS / Facilities Liaison Firkowski raised concerns about portion sizes in the dining hall as well as calorie labeling being inaccurate. Elis said the reason for the inconsistencies between calories was that the computer program goes off a set portion. She also said she would talk to the dining hall workers about portion sizes and giving students less food so as to allow them to have less food waste and also try food from multiple different stations. 

Senator Biobaku also raised concerns about the repetitiveness of the food and also getting stomach aches from eating at the dining hall. Senator Shaibu asked for better representation of food from countries students are from. Elis asked that students email her about specific foods they would like to see, and even recipes they could potentially implement into the menu. Senator Aminov also raised nutritional value concerns, especially the lack of that labeling on food in the market. 

Elis also said that any students who are in need of Ramadan meals should email her or Executive Chef Mike [Hairston] and they would prepare meals beforehand and prepackage them for students to pick up from the dining hall. 

The senate then moved into executive reports. VPBF Peters said that there was an appeal from Art Club for $2,000 and the Finance Board was recommending that $250 be approved, which ended up getting approval. Advisor Francey announced that election results would come out at 4 p.m that day, for more information on the new USA Executive Board see page three in the Features section. 

Next was cabinet reports. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. Co-Chairs Pike and Tolliver held their Ramadan event with the Diversity Committee and Muslim Student Association (MSA) earlier that day and they said over 20 people attended. Public Health Chair Riley said their first Fitness Initiative event in the library was a success with the push-up record being Evan van der Plas with 30. SAAC Representative Wittmann said that Acrobatics and Tumbling had their first meeting that upcoming Sunday, for a recap of their program opener see page nine in the Sports section. 

They then moved onto liaison reports. Facilities/ITS Liaison Firkowski is still waiting to hear back from Joe Snodgrass about the facilities concerns brought up in the Feb. 13 meeting of the lack of shoveling along Eastwood Place, the library construction forcing students to walk in the street and fire hydrants not being cleared. Griff Center Liaison Van Kooten announced that the “grand opening” for the Center for Student Success on the third floor of the library is going to be on March 27 and construction will be ending around that time. 

Finally the Women of the Well constitution was passed with 13 senators in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 3:33 p.m.