CURRENTS

July 30,
2007

Student Currents 2007

Two students spark renewed interest in student government

By Enid Arbelo

Former SA leaders Alex Pearlman ’07 (left) and Marquis Harrison ’08

A few years ago, if you asked a student to name the Students’ Association (SA) president or vice president, it wouldn’t have been uncommon to get a blank stare as a response.

To Alex Pearlman ’07 and Marquis Harrison ’08 (Take Five) that was unacceptable.

“We had a divided government, and a president and a senate that didn’t work together,” Pearlman says. “There was no clear role of what student government did, what it could do, or what it was supposed to do.”

A message from your SA president

Greetings classes of 2010, 2009, and 2008; and welcome, class of 2011!

I feel ecstatic to be your Students’ Association (SA) president at Rochester this year with the many changes taking place on campus, including the completion of the new Goergen Hall, renovations to Rush Rhees Library, installment of Starbucks in Wilson Commons, and construction starting on Riverview Apartments that are slated to open next fall. It’s exciting to be part of this new Rochester tradition in both academic and student life.

This said, I call for you to take advantage of the ever-growing student life and get involved on campus or in the Rochester community. Many opportunities exist for you to engage yourself and make meaningful contributions.

If there’s an issue or interest you’re passionate about and you want to connect with likeminded others, check out the Campus Club Connection (CCC) at www.rochester.edu/living/organizations. The CCC lists all 222 registered clubs and a resource page that includes how to start a new club in case you can’t find one that matches your interests. The Activities Fair during Yellowjacket Weekend is a great time to meet all the club leaders.

You also can get involved in the Students’ Association, allowing you to advocate for student concerns and address campus policy. This past year, for example, I helped allocate more than $850,000 to student groups and worked with the deans to offer input on the College’s strategic plan. SA government can be the springboard for you to pursue a project you care deeply about, such as campus sustainability. To learn more, visit the Hive at http://sa.rochester.edu.

Freshmen, you can also find me, as well as other representatives from SA, Hall Council, and Class Council at Get Involved Night in Danforth Dining Center on Sunday, September 2, during Orientation. The Rochester Center for Community Leadership (www.rochester.edu/college/rccl) also will hold a mini conference on leadership and campus life earlier that same day.

If you ever need anything, you can e-mail me at sapres@mail.rochester.edu, call me at (585) 275-2908, or find
me in my office at Wilson Commons 101G (Ruth Merrill Center).
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Take care,
Alvin Lomibao ’09
Students’ Association President

Student government leaders are meant to be accessible to students and connected to their needs and wants. But Pearlman and Harrison wondered how SA leaders could be effective if most of the student body didn’t know who those leaders were, what they do, or how to contact them.

Harrison, president of the Black Students’ Union, had never worked in student government before, but he noticed an obvious disconnect between SA and the student groups that it governs. So he started attending senate meetings and decided that the best way he could make a difference was to get involved.

That’s when Pearlman and Harrison teamed up to raise the profile of student government and find more effective ways to link students and the SA administration.

Once Pearlman took office as SA president and Harrison as SA vice president in 2006, they made every effort to have a visible presence at campus events. That new level of engagement coupled with an energized group of SA leaders, resulted in a new sense of cohesion and purpose, says Pearlman.

One area that needed reconsideration was the relationship between students and administrators. Once seen as “us versus them,” the two sides began to partner on projects, such as USA Today’s Collegiate Readership Program that brought a pilot newspaper distribution effort to campus.

“When we are willing to work in a positive way, the student body is going to react in a positive way,” says Pearlman.

The new SA leaders—rising juniors Alvin Lomibao, president, and Janna Gewirtz, vice-president—will assume their posts this fall. Pearlman says the team brings a great deal of energy and a fresh perspective.

Harrison, who is pursuing a Take Five in psychology, says he will be able to offer support and guidance to the new leaders. Pearlman, though, will be a little harder to reach. He will be teaching math as a Teach for America scholar in New Orleans.

Anne-Marie Algier, advisor to student government and associate dean of students, says the relationship between SA leaders and student groups is one that should be centered on caring and success. Student advisors and advocates like Algier want to make sure students feel supported, but they also want students to have room to learn on their own. Pearlman agrees. “Being in student government has given me tools I will take with me throughout my whole career and life. It has helped prepare me for the future in ways that basic classes never could.”