Several Student Association representatives criticized Syracuse University’s response to the racist graffiti found in Day Hall at Monday’s Assembly meeting.

SA President Mackenzie Mertikas and Vice President Sameeha Saied led a discussion about the incidents and the university’s reaction during their executive report. Both Mertikas and Saied arrived at the Assembly meeting after attending a portion of the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program’s forum in Watson Theater.

Students at the JUMP forum criticized SU’s response to the racist graffiti and how the university and the Department of Public Safety treat black students on campus.

Several Assembly members said they were disappointed about how long the university waited to notify the student body of the incident — four days after the incident was reported.

“A lot of the conversation we’ve been hearing has been from upperclassmen,” Mertikas said. “To hear freshmen, people who live in Day Hall, express their concerns in this space today … I think that was very alarming for us.”

Saied said it was encouraging to hear so many students speaking out.

In addition to voting Assembly and cabinet members, several nominees for positions in the Assembly and University Senate were present at the meeting and contributed to the discussion. Some of the nominees who are residents of Day Hall expressed frustration that the university didn’t inform them of the incidents that had happened in their own building.

“I thought it was really disconcerting that, as a Day 7 resident, I didn’t find out until the rest of the university found out,” said Olivia Henderson, a newly-elected Assembly member. “I was upset because it was happening on my home turf, and they didn’t feel the need to tell me.”

Other business:
• The Assembly elected 12 new representatives to the University Senate
• The Assembly elected 21 new representatives to the Assembly, including seven nominees from the College of Arts and Sciences, six nominees from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, three nominees from David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, and five other nominees from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, University College and the School of Information Studies.

Published on November 12, 2019 at 8:53 am

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu