‘Promise to Progress’ SGA candidates outline goals at Citrus TV debate
Uncontested Student Government Association candidates Emily Castillo, Max Lachut and Ryan Bouchey took to a Thursday Citrus TV “debate” to outline their goals as SGA president, vice president and comptroller, respectively. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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With no contested races for a third consecutive year, candidates for top roles in Syracuse University’s Student Government Association used Thursday’s executive debate to outline plans to improve student engagement, safety and health protocols and transparency.
Moderated by Citrus TV news anchors Jackson Breslin and Isabella Galan, uncontested SGA candidates Emily Castillo, Max Lachut and Ryan Bouchey faced a multi-round Q&A discussion, including a “rapid fire” section, at SU’s National Veterans Resource Center.
“We find ourselves at a turning point in Syracuse University’s history,” Breslin said. “A new chancellor and athletic director are set to usher in a new era at SU with the need to adapt to the changing collegiate environment.”
First up to the podium was Bouchey, the comptroller candidate. Every year, SGA’s comptroller is in charge of overseeing a multimillion-dollar budget.
Bouchey said the comptroller role is an example of the saying “trial by fire” because it is something you need to live and learn from by being “present.”
“I reached a moment where I felt out of place and seriously considered going home. I didn’t feel connected, and I wasn’t sure where I fit in on this campus. But instead of leaving, I made the decision to get involved,” he said.
Moving forward, Bouchey said he hopes to improve communication with struggling registered student organizations and help them understand the decision-making process when deciding student activity budgets.
Comptroller candidate Ryan Boucher speaks to an audience at the NVRC at Thursday’s debate. AVERY MAGEE | PHOTO EDITOR
The second speakers of the night, Castillo and Lachut, who are running for SGA’s president and vice president positions respectively on a campaign titled “Promise to Progress,” highlighted their campaign’s three pillars– “connection, clarity and commitment to the student body.”
They outlined priorities of their administration, including updating the SGA’s Constitution, campus safety and health and further involving the greater Syracuse community — something they haven’t done well in the past and hope to expand, Lachut said.
“I want to make sure that every student on this campus, no matter their background, religiously, culturally, or politically, know they are welcomed here, that (there is) space for them and that they are leaving proud to be Orange,” Castillo said.
In an effort to increase student engagement with SGA, Castillo and Lachut said they plan to implement a new, less formal way to get involved named “Stop By, Say Hi.” Complementing their “No Problem Too Small” initiative, they hope to provide an in-person tabling presence outside of the Schine Student Center during peak hours in the first week of the fall semester.
Castillo, Lachut and other SGA leaders will be visible, collect student input, introduce themselves and make it easier for students to raise concerns or ask for help, Castillo said.
“Beyond policies and structures, this campaign is about people. Every student has a story. Every voice matters, and every idea has the power to change this campus,” Lachut said. “We believe that student governments should work with students, not just for them.”
The SGA election will run from March 30 to April 3.
