Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 3/15/08 Section: News

The Greyhound sent 5 questions to each of the SGA presidential candidates to answer. Here are their responses.



For Geoff Browning Ticket Click Here
For Alex Hollis Ticket Click Here
For Brian Tanner Ticket Click Here

President - Geoff Browning '09
Vice President for Social Affairs - Jackie Saliba '10
Vice President for Policy - Joe Solimini '11

1. Briefly outline your campaign for us. What best qualifies your ticket to be elected to the SGA Executive Cabinet next year?

We represent three different classes, and we believe that the SGA's top leadership should represent ALL social circles, not just our own. Every year, the SGA receives almost $250,000 which belongs to 3,300 students, and every one deserves to see their cut. We're prepared to run a SGA which is truly for Greyhounds, by Greyhounds.

I've been passionate about Loyola student leadership since the day I arrived on campus. I picked my two running mates because they are passionate, super energetic, and extremely qualified. Combined, we have four years of SGA executive cabinet experience, three as class president (four including high school), two NHS members, one CCSJ assistant coordinator, one founding captain of a championship winning Loyola club sports team, one Capital Hill intern, one CCSJ trip organizer/leader, and more.

As Student Body president at Don Bosco prep, Joe Solimini oversaw a food drive that raised 104,000 pieces of food and was president of the student advisory committee to the President, all while playing a very demanding varsity sport (football, his team was ranked 7th in the nation). Jackie Saliba was captain of both the dance and basketball teams in high school, along with being president of three academic clubs. Both were inducted into the National Honors Society.

These credentials illustrate that Jackie and Joe have the resolve, time management, and communication skills to execute the Vice Presidential offices excellently. We have positive, close business relationships with an abundance of administrators; not just in Student Activities, but dining services, event services, the grounds crew, four of the College Vice Presidents offices (Tim Snyder, John Palmucci, Terry Sawyer, Dr. Donovan, and we'd like to get to know Marc Camille) the office of first year students, ALANA, CCSJ, Campus Ministry, and the full complement of Loyola offices.

We are ready to dedicate our lives next year to serving Loyola's student body.

2. What are the top three issues that concern Loyola students the most? Why?

1. Safety. Loyola needs to be a safe place to live and learn; yet things like violence, robbery, and sexual assault very real on our campus. We propose a two tiered approach: work firstly with Campus Police to make the system run more smoothly, and secondly, collaborate with CCSJ to strengthen ties with our community. We shouldn't feel like outsiders on York Road., we need to feel like neighbors.

2. Social norms. Not everyone at Loyola fits the McNulty stereotype from "The Wire", and many of us are even uncomfortable with it! Yet most of Baltimore still holds it, and as a result, we feel a growing disconnect with the world around us. This is troubling, especially at a Jesuit institution, and more responsibility needs to fall on the SGA for rectifying the situation.

3. Being truly prepared for graduation. As if class-stress weren't enough, everyone is at least a little worried about where they'll be in five, ten, and fifteen years. Internships are extremely expensive, and if you don't have a car, MCAT/LSAT/GRE prep courses are all-but impossible to attend. Dr. Tim Snyder (academic VP) cares deeply about Loyola students, and we will seek an academic affairs director who can work with him to address this issue.

3. What are 3 of the most pressing challenges facing the SGA in the coming year? How will you address them?

1. Structurally, next year's SGA looks nothing like last years SGA. The assembly will be divided into two bodies (one social, one policy), and the workings of those bodies, as well as the relationship between the two, hasn't ever been practiced. Next year's administration will have to pioneer standards, traditions, and policies in this area. When conducting intense discussions of policy and social affairs, we would like to structure these bodies to mimic congressional caucuses; so that elected representatives can efficiently, collectively express their views in groups as well as individually. We'd also like to bring back the "ditto", card to facilitate easier discussion.

2. Apathy. Everyone loves bands and comedians, but on average, many students feel out of touch with their SGA. Some even feel like outsiders, and complain that SGA is exclusive. In order to do our job, we might have to overcome this, and make SGA inviting. If students are not flooding our offices and telling us how to do our jobs, we will go to dorms and solicit input.

3. We need to build more bridges, creating seamless connection/collaboration with ALL student-run organizations, such as RAC and CCSJ (for starters). They are made up of our constituents. The SGA has a tremendous amount of resources - arguably more than any other single student group - so we need to do more than just grant money and meet with people once per month. We need projects, attendance, impact, results, and real, tangible collaboration. One example would be the RAC Snow Ball. Every year, the SGA gives the RAC some money for food, but doesn't help with the event's planning. If groups like RAC are interested in serious collaboration, my office door will ALWAYS be open, and they will be universally welcome.

4. What are the qualities you think a student body leaders -- President and Vice Presidents -- should exhibit? Do you think you stand up to these qualities?

SGA leaders should seek to hire directors impartially - without any bias toward friends or significant others - so that the SGA can be a truly representative organization. Presidents and VP's must be excellent communicators, not only to reach out and make contact with students who do not typically participate in on-campus happenings, but to positively represent the Student Body before administrators, and connect with other on-campus organizations. When administrators want to know how the student body feels about a particular issue, they typically come to SGA first. We need to be waiting, ready, and prepared, so that we can represent the student body well.

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President - Alex Hollis '09
Vice President for Policy - Tracy Petruzziello '09
Vice President for Social Affairs - Omani Guy '09

1. Briefly outline your campaign for us. What best qualifies your ticket to be elected to the SGA Executive Cabinet next year?

One of the main aspects of our platform is the focus on the desires of each individual student at Loyola and the creation of an unwavering communicative bond between each member of the student body and the Student Government. We have already begun this movement of breaking down communicative barriers between students and the SGA through our unique approach in our campaign. We have gone door-to-door introducing ourselves followed by giving a brief overview of our platform, but then what makes this campaign different is that we have been asking the students to talk and for us to simply listen. We turn the floor over to those we wish to unwaveringly support next year by asking them what it is that we could do for them. We ask "if you could change one thing at Loyola College what would it be?" and we take notes on what they say. Everything we have heard thus far has been fascinating. Students have given us responses such as "I would love to see more options on campus for those who choose not to go out to the bars" to "I would love it if Primo's would serve yams". Every response has been so legitimate and so important to us because no matter what size or scope a student's desire is, we want to unwaveringly dedicate ourselves to making these changes and improvements for them because we know it will make their experience at Loyola greater - and this is what we believe the SGA's main function is. There have been times when students didn't quite know how to answer, and so we simply follow up by giving them our email and encouraging them to contact us if anything comes to mind. This campaign technique gives us the opportunity to really make sure we have our fingers on the pulse of Loyola's student body and is the first step in creating stronger communication and representation for the individual and breaking down the preconceived notion that SGA is an inapproachable, fraternal-esque organization.
The aspect of our ticket that differentiates us from others is our broad scope of involvement in campus organizations. Combined, the three of us have experience and deep connections with Student Life, CCSJ, BSA, ALANA, and SGA. These connections will not only allow us to unify the campus by bridging gaps among these organizations and the respective constituencies which they represent, but also allow us to more efficiently and effectively navigate through appropriate chains of command in order to follow through in realizing desires of students.

2. What are the top three issues that concern Loyola students the most? Why?

The three issues that concern Loyola students the most can be broken down into the following three parts: financial, social, and academic.
Student financial concerns include the prices of books and food on campus. With the increasing prices of tuition it is becoming even more stressful to pay the prices currently charged for food and for books. Furthermore, it is even more stressful for freshmen who do not have the ease of going off campus for food since they are not permitted to have cars on campus. If elected, one of our first initiatives would be to begin negotiations with our catering constituencies in an attempt to help make prices more affordable for students. We can also assist students with book prices by creating an online database through the SGA website where students can post their used books while also viewing the books that other students on campus are posting. This online student network can help students connect and make easy trades in order to save money on new books.
Social concerns include the question of where to go on campus if you are not interested in the bar scene. This is a huge concern for many students because one's social life should not be dictated by this aspect. If elected, we will make sure to give those who choose not to partake in the bar scene plenty of other options on campus. Another concern is the lack of school spirit. School spirit is a concern because this school spirit is something that helps to bring all members of the student body together for a common interest or goal. If elected, we would continue to support the growth of the super fan club and find new ways to help bring the campus closer together. Finally, what is probably the most important social concern for students, is safety. The safety of the student body is one of our greatest concerns. We will work with Campus Police to continue to ensure the safety of our students, we will work to promote mental health awareness on campus, work to bring safe transportation from the York Road area, and to revamp the campus escort system to make it more efficient, available, and time responsive.
Academic concerns would include "Celebrate the 'C'" along with job placement after college.

3. What are 3 of the most pressing challenges facing the SGA in the coming year? How will you address them?

One of the pressing challenges facing the SGA for next year is bridging the gap between the Administration and the Student Body. The second challenge is finding a way to enhance communication within the Loyola Community. The third challenge is increasing student awareness that the SGA represents them. I have had the opportunity to collaborate and work with the administrators and faculty members on the academic senate, and we would like to continue these working relationships that we have set in place. We will address the issue of communication through our open mic town hall events. We will also be able to utilize all of the relationships and connections that we have made through our past involvements outside of SGA to unite them to come together for a common cause. In addition Omani has participated in the Loyola Student Leader Conference which was started this past year and we hope to continue in order to foster dialogue among all the student organizations on campus. Lastly our overall focus and one of the most pressing challenges we have this year is to create the understanding with the student body that we work for them. We will do this by being completely open and approachable on all subjects of concern for the student body.


4. What are the qualities you think a student body leaders -- President and Vice Presidents -- should exhibit? Do you think you stand up to these qualities?

I believe that there are two things that a student leader should embody, and that is approachability and integrity. If I were to have an issue on campus I would hope that I could turn to someone I knew as a student leader and to be able to comfortably approach them with the matter. I would also like the reassurance of knowing that what this leader tells me he or she would do in order to support me would be realized. I have the utmost confidence that Omani, Tracy and I most certainly embody these characteristics.

5. What do you think students would like to see the SGA do? What do
students depend on the SGA for most?

We believe that the students rely on the SGA to be a voice for their ideas, opinions and concerns. The SGA works directly for the students, and should act as a liaison among all constituencies. We are here to improve the quality of life for the student body, and the students rely on us to provide entertainment, events, and policy that will create the sense of unity which we are striving to achieve.

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President - Brian Tanner '11
Vice President for Policy - Brian Jaffa '11
Vice President for Social Affairs - Cristin McAleavey '10

1. Briefly outline your campaign for us. What best qualifies your
ticket to be elected to the SGA Executive Cabinet next year?

Our ticket has the youngest candidates of the three groups running. We are running on the campaign of unifying the student body, and solving the issue of segregation that our school faces. The division between classes, and the two sides of campus can be solved not only be changing the quad to a more recreational friendly place, as well as by sponsoring a variety of more activities for everyone to participate in. Activities that could help bridge the gap among the student population include possible tail-gates on the fields by the FAC before lacrosse games as well as a school wide Olympics with teams consisting of every grade.

2. What are the top three issues that concern Loyola students the
most? Why?

My running mates and I feel that the three greatest issues that concern Loyola are the growing influences of social cliques on campus, the difficulties that students encounter when trying to get off campus, and the uncertainty that accompanies Loyola's continuing expansion. We feel that there is a need for a greater sense of community around campus, and that the only places where students can congregate in large numbers is off campus. We realize that to get off campus costs money, which puts a great stain on students. We feel that by creating a recreational space on campus and by sponsoring activities such as a weekly movie night on the quad that we can break through the barriers of the social clicks and allow students to stay on campus and have fun. We are here to represent the student body of Loyola College. Accordingly, we would like to create an open forum for students to voice their opinions.

3. What are 3 of the most pressing challenges facing the SGA in the
coming year? How will you address them?

I feel that the three most pressing challenges that the SGA faces in the coming year are the inclusion of the incoming freshman class, adapting the policies and events that take place for a growing school community, and working hard to get the new SGA Senate up and running for the first year. The answer to the inclusion of the incoming freshmen class is more upper-class involvement in the freshmen residential area. By encouraging more upperclassmen to spend time in the Butler/Hammerman/East area it will create inter-grade relationships and will foster the confidence in the freshmen to participate in activities across campus. I think that it will be a difficult task to adjust policies and account for the growing size of Loyola. The additions to the senior dorms as well as the new freshman dorm have expanded our student body quite significantly. The best way that I can think to account for this change is to make sure that there is a forum for students to voice their opinions more easily. Finally, I think that the creation of the SGA Senate is a progressive step forward in accounting for the growing student population, and I have complete confidence that my Vice President of Policy, Brian Jaffa, has the ability and the patience to work through the initial snags that the group may encounter.

4. What are the qualities you think a student body leaders --
President and Vice Presidents -- should exhibit? Do you think you
stand up to these qualities?

I feel that a true leader is defined by his ability to make good decisions and pave a responsible path for his fellow peers to follow. It is impossible for one person to know everything that is occurring on campus, and it is the mark of a good leader to be able to make an effective and fair decision based on the provided information. I also feel that any leader must be approachable by all those which he or she is representing. I would consider my running mates and myself to posses both the ability to make good informed decisions and a respect for the opinion of every student on campus.

5. What do you think students would like to see the SGA do? What do
students depend on the SGA for most?

I feel that students depend on SGA to represent their wishes to the faculty and staff at Loyola. I think that the current SGA does not do a good enough job of opening its doors to students with ideas. I plan to create a system in which any student has the ability to participate and voice their opinion to the SGA. In doing so, together we will be able to create a better, more productive Loyola.

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