A modest crowd filled the Miniaci Performance Theater on March 23 but the topic at hand was no small matter: USGA Internal Affairs Director Lijo Andrews and Chief Financial Officer Tassnime Sebai answered questions from a moderator and the crowd regarding their plans for next year and why they should be voted for in the upcoming election. The Undergraduate Student Government Association presidential debate, moderated by current USGA President Emily Kolankiewicz, covered a broad range of topics pertaining to the two open positions: president and executive vice president, for which Andrews and Sebai respectively run unopposed.
Lijo Andrews, junior dual behavioral neuroscience and biology major and member of Phi Delta Theta, running with the NSU 4 You party said, “I want my legacy to be that I was able to change campus in a way that benefitted students in multiple ways. I want us to leave NSU better than we found it.”
Andrews is no stranger to the USGA. He has served as a cabinet member and a court justice officer. This year he has served as the Internal Affairs Director, a position that is responsible for notetaking and assisting scheduling senate meetings and ensuring legislation gets passed through the system. Andrews’ recent legislative efforts include charging stations in the U.C. and library, a printer in Mako Hall and new equipment in the Recplex.
Tassnime Sebai, junior biology major, also enjoys a three-year tenure at USGA, serving in the senate, the cabinet and as a court justice officer. Sebai’s influence on campus, like Andrews, is felt by many even if they are not aware it’s her. Most notably, she has helped write legislation allowing senior priority registration.
“We really do care about those that are really underrepresented at our school. I think that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of making it a better place for those that don’t feel as represented,” said Sebai.
This sentiment was echoed by Andrews during his speaking time when he stated that he intends to add more flags to the University Center and add preferred names to sharkcards.
“While I was doing research on different initiatives that other schools have, I came across the topic of preferred name changes on IDs and other platforms. Many schools have started implementing it but many are hesitant to do so because of public safety issues. There’s lots of legal aspects that come into that but being in the position that I hopefully will be in next year… I want to figure out those issues for students so that the process for them will be as soon as possible,” said Andrews.
Andrews said that he looks forward to working with administration and public safety to resolve the issue next year.
In addition to this, Andrews hopes to expand the accommodations students receive from the Office of Disability Services under the Americans with Disabilities act. This includes having all signage on campus have braille, something only some signs have as of now.
“I want to things that students need and what they want to see around campus specifically pertaining to this and bring it to our campus,” said Andrews.
Despite being nervous before the debate, both Andrews and Sebai stated that they were confident in their answers and hopeful for what the future holds.
“I’m feeling enthusiastic for the candidates and their goals. Both have been dependable member for years and have guided SGA,” said Senator Breanna Brady in the lobby.
