ALYSSA BUMP
Life & Arts Editor
With the new year comes new changes at SUNY Fredonia.
Israel Ortiz will be stepping up as the new president of the Student Association.
The last president was Jillian Beard, who Ortiz said “was an excellent president and she accomplished many things throughout her term.”
Ortiz first started as a representative in the Student Association, but he eventually worked his way up the ranks, becoming sophomore class president, then the student relations chair, SUNY liaison and the Student Association’s vice president.
Through the experience of holding different positions within the association, Ortiz feels he is fit to be president because “breeding equality and harnessing change are the two things closest to my heart.”
“I love Fredonia and the time I have spent here, but it isn’t perfect and there is a lot we can do as students to make a difference.”
Other members of the executive cabinet will be Tori Trumbull, vice president; speaker of the assembly, Shannon Keane; comptroller, Kelsey Lieb and chief justice, Swar Dakein.
Ortiz said, “We all want the same thing: fairness, equality, respect and to be heard… I have full confidence in every member of the Student Association.”
Some of Ortiz’s main focuses for change are on equality and mental health. He said, “For too long mental health at public institutions has been discarded and neglected.”
SA plans to specifically focus on the mental health of clubs, particularly club executive boards.
“This year, I’m organizing a club executive board wellness check schedule where myself and other student association members check in on the mental health of our club E-boards,” said Ortiz.
He also plans to do wellness checks within the Student Association and work with Campus Life and the Counseling Center to develop a wellness center.
Concerning equality, Ortiz said, “I think the administration has done a better job as of recently, as far as giving students more attention and hearing their voices… which tells me they hear us, but that isn’t enough.”
With COVID-19 precautions and guidelines, the Student Association has had to deal with some difficulties last semester. They are now trying to find new ways to get involved.
“Events have been shut down; fundraisers canceled. This year we are hoping to find more windows of opportunity so we can incite some of these changes we want to see happen,” said Ortiz.
Some other campus programs that will play an active role in creating change are Campus Life and the Intercultural Center.
Their help will be vital in creating a better environment for Fredonia students through planning for a wellness room and finding more ways to promote inclusivity.
Ortiz is looking forward to holding this position, and he said, “Earning this position is an honor, and it’s something I have dreamt about since I was a child… I will do everything I can to better SUNY Fredonia.”