WILL KARR
Life & Arts Editor
In recent years, SUNY Fredonia students have been candid and vocal about their feelings regarding Faculty Student Association’s (FSA) food offerings on campus. Junior political science major Sangai Keita, however, believes that expressing opinions is not merely enough, students need to turn words into conscious action to help make changes.
She believes that it is important to offer suggestions as to what FSA can do better.
“We [as students] make college; we make the experience,” Keita said. “I feel like it definitely is important for us to have that full experience and that includes food. We should be having a good experience.”
During the Spring 2022 semester, Keita served as the Student Association’s speaker of the assembly, providing her with student leadership experience. This semester, she was appointed to be one of FSA’s student representatives. FSA recently appointed student board members after struggling to find students to take on the positions in the past few years due to the pandemic and lower enrollment.
“During COVID, there was just a lack of interaction because of more distance learning and not meeting in person,” said Darin Schulz, executive director of FSA. “It was hard to get student representation — not just for our organization, but for many groups. It just really fell off, but now it’s starting to come back.”
Over the past two years, FSA has had several open seats on its board. At an FSA meeting last week on Friday, Oct. 14, the FSA officially filled all its student board members positions. As a non-for profit organization, Schulz explained how the group is required to have a board of directors.
FSA has been around since 1951. When they first made their by-laws, they established a clause that there must be student board members. Schulz said that 30% of the FSA board of directors should ideally consist of students.
The board is made up of seven students, one alumni representative and seven faculty and staff members. Schulz explained the role that the student representatives will play on the board.
“Students on our board have a multitude of responsibilities. First of all, they have the responsibility to make decisions as a group with all of the board of directors,” Schulz said. “… And then, they are to be the eyes and ears of students. [They need] to be able to relay to management, to the board of directors things that they may see and things that they are hearing. I believe that the only way to get true and honest feedback is to have it go peer to peer and work its way up to management.”
Students may feel more comfortable voicing their concerns directly to a fellow student, rather than to an administrator or faculty member. Having student board members can potentially help improve the FSA’s relations with the student population. They can serve as intermediaries between students and faculty.
“I think hearing from students is a great way to move forward,” Keita said. “It’s about hearing student concerns and giving them more power. Not to be offensive, but the people who actually have experience with the food here are the students.”
In her new position, Keita is hoping to make changes to the FSA this year. She expressed that she would personally like to see more dietary options and accommodations offered to students
“Based on my own dietary needs and religion, I have noticed … that there are not a lot of options in terms of flexibility,” she said. “I would just like to see more variety. At Cranston, there’s only a small selection of meats to choose from, and not enough vegetable and healthy food options.”
Overall, Keita said that she and other board members are fervent to make an impact this year.
“I feel like we have a really great group of students, and all of us bring something different to the table to change the student faculty ratio,” Keita said. “… Although we eat food, food is also a way to connect people on campus. … You want to make sure that the food you are putting in your body and displaying is something that attracts people and brings people together.”
If you would like to ever express concerns, suggestions or constructive criticism directly to a student representative, you can reach out to them by using the contact information listed below. The students will bring the concerns to the attention of administrators and faculty in board meetings.
FSA STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS CONTACT INFO:
Illene Thompson thom2631@fredonia.edu
Stephen Wright : wrig9916@fredonia.edu
Sangai Keita: keit2601@fredonia.edu
Rhyannon Davis: davi0137@fredonia.edu
Joshua Ninan: nina7415@fredonia.edu
Kristin White: kdwhite@fredonia.edu
You can also contact The Student Association Office at 673-3381 or visit them at G107 in the Williams Center to facilitate communication with an FSA student representative.