By: Ramona Gonzalez and Summer Tyler
The PSGA e-board members (from left to right) Garrett Abell, Madison Valdez, and Rachael Girsang at the Sept. 4 club fair outside the Campus Center North (CCN) building. (Photo via @purchasesga on Instagram)
The PSGA (Purchase Student Government Association) has made progress over the last few semesters in striving to represent their student body and making conscious decisions based on student wants and needs.
Throughout the duration of the spring 2024 semester, a lack of senate, meaning a lack of representation for the different schools within the college, made it extremely difficult for those who were senators to pass resolutions at the PSGA meetings.
Sophia Pallozzi, a junior journalism major and the chair of senate for the PSGA said, “A lot has happened in the past couple of months, and right now more than ever it’s important to understand how and who runs the school, and how to fix the issues that we face every day."
Pallozzi continued, "Right now we are focused on recruiting so we don’t run into the same issues as last year, like not being able to pass resolutions because senators were absent.”
Chanelle Mckenzie, a senator in the PSGA who represents the language and culture department, believes people who want initiatives in place for their department should become a senators. She has confidence that becoming a senator is the first step to seeing the change you want to see at Purchase.
Mckenzie said, “If there's something you really want to see on campus, don’t wait for a hero, be that hero." Becoming a senator is a nonrestrictive job and all ideas are welcomed.
“It's so diverse, everybody can fit in, it’s a matter of what you want to do,” Mckenzie said. Mckenzie is putting in place an initiative to support professors in the language and culture department. She is partnering with organizations to develop the language and culture curriculum and through the PSGA she is able to be their voice.
The PSGA senate application flyer distributed throughout campus. (Flyer created by Sophia Pallozzi)
Another member of the senate, Connor Hoffstatter, a sophomore graphic design major, wasn’t aware that the PSGA existed before going to his first meeting in the spring semester of last year.
“I think asking students what they think and what they want to see is a good way of getting people motivated to join,” Hoffstatter said.
Hoffstatter urges students to become senators as “more can be done” and how students are able to “have a say in what happens.” This will be Hoffstatter's first year as a senator and he is excited and hopeful for new initiatives and new voices to be heard in the PSGA.
The senate meetings are held every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in the presidential conference room located on the third floor of the Student Services Building. The PSGA is still looking for contributors and welcomes students to get involved.
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