By Joe Vitale
As the semester winds down, United Student Government (USG) is bracing for elections that will decide next year’s leadership, which will take over next fall.
By that time, current executive president Nevin Kulangara, GSB ’15, and executive vice president Sara Skrobala, FCRH ’15, will have stepped down following a year that included a number of initiatives, including the formation of the Sexual Misconduct Task Force, increased efforts regarding Fordham’s sustainability and the establishment of a platform for student-run businesses.
This years race for the executive positions is unopposed, with candidates Ashley Domagola, FCRH ’16, current vice president of student life, and Nicholas Sawicki, FCRH ’16, current vice president of Rose Hill, vying for USG’s top roles.
Together, the two have five years of USG experience, with Domagola being a member of USG for three years and Sawicki for two.
Domagola, who is pursuing the role of executive president, currently serves as the head of the House Committee. Sawicki, who is pursuing the role of executive vice president, currently co-chairs the Sexual Misconduct Task Force. Sawicki is also chairman of the Dean’s Council of Fordham College Rose Hill and is founding chair of the External Committee on International Integration.
While unopposed, the two are promoting a platform of increased communication paired with some new initiatives.
Speaking with The Fordham Ram, Domagola and Sawicki said they want to work toward renovating Collins Auditorium, increase relationships with organizations in the Bronx community and work toward securing permanent student representation on the Board of Trustees.
Appealing to liberal arts students, they also want to explore more opportunities for Career Services to cater to the needs of Fordham College students.
As for communication, Domagola and Sawicki are looking to continue the long-pursued effort of strengthening USG’s voice on campus.
“USG has not always done the best job of communicating our work and our ideas to the Fordham student body, which is definitely something that we can improve,” said Domagola in an email to The Fordham Ram. “Students are consuming their news in a different way, and we need to adapt.”
Kulangara and Skrobala, in a statement regarding the elections, endorsed the pair as their successors, noting that their experience and ambition can be a “platform for igniting change.”
“Student government at Fordham has come a long way over the past decade, but there is still untapped potential for student advocacy on our campus,” Kulangara and Skrobala’s said. “With this bright future in mind, we proudly endorse Ashley Domagola and Nicholas Sawicki for the Executive Ticket. Ashley and Nick are two of the most dedicated and experienced student leaders on our campus.”
Along with the executive ticket, students will also vote for other USG roles, including executive board positions. Most of the VP races have candidates, though few are contested. VP of Finance and VP of Communications are both contested races, though there is only one candidates running for VP of Rose Hill and one candidate running for VP of GSB. (See the full list of candidates below.)
Six students are running for FCRH Senate, while seven students are running for GSB Senate.
In January, two students — Stanley Stilwell, GSB ‘15 and Alex Zamora, GSB ’18 — assumed senator roles when two members of USG resigned due to scheduling conflicts. The Stilwell and Zamora were elected during a special election.
On Tuesday evening, there will be an opportunity for students to meet the USG candidates, as well as take part in a candidate forum, where senate and executive candidates can speak with students and answer questions regarding their candidacies.
The event is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on the McGinley Center lawn.
The elections are scheduled from Wednesday to Friday, April 8-10. Students will be able to cast their votes online.
Update: This article reflects the latest list of candidates for USG.
President
Ashley Domagola — 2016
Vice President
Nicholas Sawicki — 2016
VP of FCRH
Garrison Groeschke — 2017
VP of GSB
Salvatore Cocchiaro — 2017
VP of Communications
TJ Strazzeri — 2018
Eugene Kim — 2018
VP of Health and Security
Brianna Cali — 2016
VP of Student Life
Peter Vergara — 2018
VP of Finance
Daniel Stroie — 2017
Thomas Roemer — 2016
VP of Operations
Federico Giustini — 2016
FCRH Senate
Kaela Palmiter — 2018
Kayla Straub — 2018
Aaron Banasiewicz — 2018
Erin Shanahan — 2018
Sebastian Albrecht — 2017
Anisah Assim — 2016
Gabelli Senate
Troy D’Amico — 2016
Darcy McGuire — 2016
Travis Navvaro — 2016
Martino Asaro — 2016
Brigid Hilton — 2017
Alex Zamora — 2018
Christine Phelan — 2018
