2025-01-28 SGA Senate Meeting Minutes

January 28, 2025
2:15pm, Forum 3-130, Downtown Campus Room 200B, Zoom

In Attendance

Student Senators

  • Senator Elisabeth Small
  • Senator Ashley Wrobeh
  • Senator Billy Simba
  • Senator Shawn Sanchez
  • Senator Margherita Rizzuti
  • Senator Alyssa Ryan

President

  • Angelo Romero

Vice President of Governance

  • Lizzy Cole

Vice President of Downtown

  • Loritea Ellis

Treasurer

  • Esma Demir

Secretary of Governance

  • Hajer Enaami

Student Trustee

  • Joseph Leichtner

Office of Student Life

  • Advisor: Jodi Oriel
  • Faculty Advisor: Mark Sample

Visitors

  • Dana Williams – MCC Student
  • Ryan Messenger – ASA
  • Ginny Geer-Mentry – MCCA
  • Xavier – Suny Veteran Intern

Minutes

Call to Order (2:16 pm)

  1. Roll Call (see attendance above)
    Vice President of Governance Cole called for a roll call to start the senate meeting.
  2. Land Acknowledgement
  3. Approval of Minutes
    1. Vice President of Governance Cole called for a motion to approve the December 10, 2024 Student Government Association minutes.
    2. Senator Wrobeh so moved, seconded by Senator Simba
    3. A vote was taken.
    4. Be it resolved, the Monroe Community College Student Government Association approves the December 10, 2024 minutes as written.

Speak to the Senate

  1. Ryan Messenger spoke to the senate about TimelyCare, which is a 24/7 virtual care website. Medical professionals are available whenever students need care.

Reports

  1. President Romero

    Angelo Romero is entering his Second Semester as the President of the Student Government Association, where he is still studying Political science and is set to graduate in May. He is happy to see everyone again and hopes everyone had a pleasant and relaxing break. SGA has been working hard to ensure they are all prepared for the Spring Semester. The Admissions office invited President Romero to introduce the January Orientations, where incoming Spring Semester Students and their families first glimpse MCC. President Romero welcomed everyone, discussed student government, emphasized the importance of involvement, and encouraged students to take advantage of their opportunities. He would do this on January 6th, 9th, and13th orientations. Also, on January 9th, President Romero and Student Life advisor Jodi Oriel met with Professor Robert Muhlnickel and Professor Joseph Scanlon to discuss a future Golden Benches project. These benches encourage dialogue about specific topics that community members can discuss. President Romero has informed the rest of SGA about this project, but the group still needs to discuss it before proceeding. On Thursday, January 16th, President Romero met with the rest of the Shared Governance, including Faculty Senate President Becky Babcock, Emily Miesch,the support staff planning council liaison, Vice President Michael Jacobs, President Burt Nanna, and Chair Allen Williams. The purpose of the meeting was to give feedback on the Board of Trustee Meetings going forward and suggest ways to improve them. One of the comments he made about it was wishing there was more interaction, like comments and questions to those who are giving reports, and the  shared governance leaders had the same thoughts. Overall, this was a great meeting, and President Romero feels the feedback discussed will help improve the meetings. On Friday, January 17th, President Romero tabled at Canal Hall on move-in day, representing the Student Life Office. He helped introduce the office to those moving in and discussed the importance of involvement on campus. Later, he met with Student Life advisor Jodi Oriel, Diversity Senator Small, and Student  Relations Senator Simba. They discussed plans for what they wanted the spring semester to look like—for example, doing some sort of monthly event related to spreading awareness or celebrating. February, helping Global Union with the Lunar New Year, and March for Women Empowerment. Culture Alliance would set up a meeting with the Global Union, Christina Lee, and the Student Life Office to plan the Lunar New Year event on February 8th. They discussed the time, location, how SGA can help with this event, what activities there can be, and much more. He will let Diveristy Senator Small talk more about it if she wants. Lastly, here are a few announcements before the end of this report. First, President Romero would like to congratulate Morganne Leonardo, the new program coordinator of the Student Life office. She is fantastic, and I know she’ll do great Things for the office. President Romero gave her a campus tour on her first day, showing her why MCC is the best. Second, he did have a SUNY Student Assembly meeting in January, but he will have that report for next week as it is a lot of information that he feels would be better to share next week as this report is long. Lastly, he wanted to announce that he will be a delegate for Model UN again this year, and he is so happy to be a part of it again and help the rest of the delegates

  2. Vice President of Governance Cole

    Elizabeth Cole, Vice President of the Student Government Association, is an International Business major in her second semester. Recently, she became a Peer Navigator, which has allowed her to participate in events and conduct campus tours. She is also an active member of the College Orientation and Success Committee and attended a meeting earlier today. Elizabeth is eager to collaborate with her team this semester and is optimistic about the success they will achieve together.

  3. Vice President of Downtown Ellis

    Loritea Ellis, Vice President of the Downtown Campus, reported her recent activities and achievements. On December 11, 2024, she served as a student speaker at the MCC Foundation Board meeting, highlighting the vital role the Foundation plays in supporting students. On January 8, 2025, she attended the Leadership on Emotional Intelligence workshop, earning a certificate alongside other student leaders. On January 24, she participated in a focus group led by TRIO SSS Advisor Hanan Gahi to discuss ways to support student parents at MCC. Loritea expressed gratitude for these opportunities and remains committed to amplifying student voices   

  4. Treasurer Demir

    Hi, I am Esma. This winter break was amazing! My dad came to visit. We spent some Quility time together, and it was great catching up. I am really excited to welcome new comers.

  5. Secretary of Governance Enaami
    Hi, I am Hajer Enaami. I am Secretary of the Student Government Association, began her role this week. A Biomedical Engineering major, she met with Teyha for guidance on report preparation and attended her first unofficial SGA meeting. Hajer also assisted the Muslim Student Association in preparing reports for an upcoming event, ensuring compliance with relevant requirements. She is excited to contribute to the team and looks forward to a productive semester.
  6. Health & Wellness Senator Wrobeh

    Ashley Wrobeh, Health and Wellness Senator, is in her final semester as a Biology major. During the past week, Ashley participated in SGA meetings to plan for the semester and developed ideas for the upcoming clubs and organizations meeting. She is enthusiastic about the semester and the opportunities ahead.  

  7. Veterans Senator Sanchez
    Shawn Sanchez, an Entrepreneurial Business student in their final semester, attended the first SGA meeting of the semester on January 21. They expressed enthusiasm for being back with the team and welcomed the new SGA members, sharing their excitement for a successful semester.
  8. Student Relations Senator Simba

    Senator Simba shared their excitement for the start of the new semester, reflecting on a great winter break. As this is their final semester, they are determined to finish strong and make the most of their remaining time.

  9. Diversity Senator Small

    Elisabeth Small is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Senator. Elisabeth is also an English major, the chairman of Culture Alliance, and in her last semester. On Friday, January 17th, Elisabeth met with Jodi Oriel and Culture Alliance to start planning for upcoming events in the Spring semester to highlight such months as Women’s History month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. On Friday, January 24th, Elisabeth met with the Student Life team, Christina Lee, and Culture Alliance to discuss the upcoming Lunar New Year event on Saturday, February 8th from 1PM to 4PM, featuring collaboration with APAPA, Global Union, and Culture Alliance, and highlighting Asian-run companies, organizations, artists, and politicians. On Saturday, January 25th, Elisabeth contacted with Paul Cripps to discuss the Korean drumming section of the Lunar New Year event. Additionally, that day, I worked on the posters for Lunar New Year and SGA elections.

  10. Student Trustee Leichtner

    Student Trustee Leichtner has no report this week.

  11. Public Relations Senator Rizzuti

    Margherita Rizzuti, an international student from Italy, is a Criminal Justice major currently in her second semester. She is the Public Relations Senator for the Student Government Association (SGA). During the first week back on campus, Margherita began planning a schedule to revitalize SGA’s social media presence. On January 21, she and SGA President Angelo met to discuss their strategy. Together, they decided to adopt a cohesive theme for SGA’s social media accounts, showcasing the college’s colors, yellow and black, as a unifying element. This thoughtful choice aims to promote school pride and foster a sense of community among students.

    Additionally, they agreed to establish consistency in content delivery, with new posts scheduled every Friday. This regular posting schedule will ensure students stay informed and connected to campus events, updates, and initiatives. Margherita has also brainstormed creative ways to make the social media content engaging, including spotlighting student achievements, promoting campus resources, and highlighting upcoming activities. Her vision is to use these platforms not only for information but also as a tool to celebrate the diverse voices and talents within the Monroe Community College community. As someone who is still relatively new to Monroe Community College and to SGA, Margherita is incredibly grateful for the warm welcome and support she has received from her peers and colleagues. She wants to thank everyone who has helped her adjust and succeed in her role, providing guidance and encouragement along the way. Being part of SGA is an honor for Margherita, and she is excited to continue working alongside such dedicated individuals to serve and represent the student body

  12. Club and Organization Senator Ryan
    Club and Organization Senator Ryan has no report this week.

New Business

  1. Action Items (requires a senate vote)
    1. Resolution to Amend the Funding Request for Global Union from $1,100 to $2,000

      Resolved, The Monroe Community College Student Government Association approved the funding request for SMA. 
      Vice President of Governance Cole called for a motion to approve the resolution. Senator Rizzuti so moved, seconded by Senator Sanchez.  
      Discussion: Global Union has completed and met the standards of the Student Government Association and Office of Student Life and Leadership.  
      A vote was taken. The resolution passed.   
      Be it resolved, the senate present and voting that the Student Government Association approve the motion to amend the funding request for Global Union effective January 28th, 2025, at Monroe Community College.   

    2. Resolution to Approve the Funding Request Of $2,000 for Global Union
      Resolved, The Monroe Community College Student Government Association approved the funding request for SMA. 
      Vice President of Governance Cole called for a motion to approve the resolution. Senator Small so moved, seconded by Senator Wrobeh.  
      Discussion: Global Union has completed and met the standards of the Student Government Association and Office of Student Life and Leadership.  
      A vote was taken. The resolution passed.   
      Be it resolved, the senate present and voting that the Student Government Association approve the motion to add the funding request for Global Union effective January 28th, 2025, at Monroe Community College  

Discussion Items

  1. There were no discussion items.

Old Business

  1. There was no old business.

Questions and Comments

  1. There were no questions or comments

Adjournment

  1. Vice President of Governance Cole called for a motion for adjournment.
    Senator Wrobeh so moved, second by Senator Sanchez
  2. Meeting was adjourned at 3:24 pm.

Executive Session

Respectfully submitted,
Hajer Enaami
Secretary of Governance