Last week in Senate: Introductions and questions answered

By: By Andrew Nowel and Katie Dusza, Editor-In-Chief and Managing Editor

The first meeting of the United Students Association (USA) of the 2026-2027 academic year was called to order at 2:31 p.m. last Friday, Sep. 11. The meeting did not have the full USA present as liaisons were still in the process of being picked by the executive board. Advisor Jason Francey was also not present at the meeting.

Beginning with general student concerns, Sustainability Chair Lizzie Pike raised two points about accessibility. One being the construction on the sidewalk near Science Hall as wheelchair accessibility has been tough due to a hole. The other being the accessibility buttons in Old Main that do not work. President Leyla Akil responded that they are still in the process of finalizing liaisons, and that the facilities liaison will help advocate for both concerns.

President Akil then started introductions of the executive board by introducing herself as the president, stating she wanted to be as accessible as she could, and that September will be a time of transition before USA starts to do more things in October. Executive Vice President (EVP) Paige Apps continued introductions and mentioned a retreat on Oct. 4 for USA. The Vice President of Business and Finance (VPBF) Dominic Vivolo told committee chairs to email him for purchases, and that the spending guidelines are being adjusted and are subject to have further updates . Finally, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations (VPMPR) Briana DeGlopper reminded committee chairs to send her posts if they wanted USA to help promote their events on social media as she introduced herself.

The next order of business was reports, starting with Violet Langman, the new graduate assistant of the Student Engagement and Leadership Development (SELD) office, as well as each chair member of USA. Langman had nothing to report while Diversity Chair Chris Tolliver reported that he is working on an event for Autism Awareness Month. Justice Chair Joelle Aumer reported that she will be working on ways to connect the Canisius community with the Buffalo area while also launching a guest speaker series. 

Public Health Chair Ethan Jaffri reported that his committee is collaborating with Student Health and the Counseling Center, announcing three flu vaccine clinics with one earlier this week and the other two on Oct. 21 and Nov. 16 in the Science Hall atrium. Students are able to walk in with no prior appointment needed, and all they need to bring  is an insurance card for the free vaccine. Sustainability Chair Pike reported that they are working to get more trash cans in the Quad, and are trying to fix the windows in Science Hall to keep birds from hitting them. Also, there is an interest form (scan the QR code in the “In Other News” section of The Griffin on pg. 1) asking students what they want to see make Canisius a more sustainable campus. Finally, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Chair Mark Wittmann had nothing to report.

With the floor now open, many senators asked questions ranging from the meeting location of USA to if the teacher mail room was an available space to be used by students. The meeting location for the next USA meeting will be conference room 208 in the Golisano Center for Student Success. For future meetings, Golisano will be the primary location with the Regis Room being the backup. VPBF Vivolo responded to the question about the teacher mail room by saying that it is a staff lounge, but that he will ask Jason about the availability of the space. 

Senator Dave Stroh asked about light refreshments at USA meetings. The answer was yes, VPBF Vivolo noted  that the USA budget was still being figured out. Finally, EVP Apps welcomed Editor-In-Chief Andrew Nowel and Managing Editor of The Griffin before the meeting was adjourned at 3:01 p.m. The next USA meeting will be on Sep. 18 at 2:30 p.m.