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Syracuse University’s Student Association approved funding for its Multicultural Week and annual Take Back the Night event at its Monday meeting. The assembly also introduced a proposal to work with SU’s Campus Catering services to diversify food options on current dining hall menus.

Multicultural Week, which was held last year for the first time in five years, will include multiple student organizations on campus to represent students’ cultures. Janese Fayson, SA’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, said the initiative celebrates diversity across SU and SUNY ESF’s campuses and brings students together, she said.

“It’s the first iteration of a huge multicultural development [on] campus. Last year, we did not collaborate with (SU) but we did have a big presence,” Fayson said. “So to be able to formalize a partnership, we are requesting some funding from the Student Association.”

The week’s events will include a Mosaic Fest and an African Wedding in collaboration with the African Student Union, along with a Latinos in Media event. It will run from March 22–29.

Isabella Grunspan, a student advocate within SA’s Cabinet, also received funding approval for this year’s Take Back the Night event, which creates a safe space for survivors for sexual violence. The event will be held on April 10 and will include a performance from the Citrus Dolls, a majorette dance group at SU, along with a fashion show.

With the event, SA hopes to raise awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence on campus, Grunspan said. She said she hopes to garner more support from SA to ensure the event is successful and can continue in the future.

“In past years, we’ve done rallies, we’ve done vigils, we’ve done just having keynote speakers, but now it’s kind of going to be an interactive event,” Grunspan said. “We want people to have fun, but we want people to also have that kind of uncomfortable conversation of what’s going on on campus, and also feel comfortable to say whatever they want to say as well.”

During her weekly report, SA Comptroller Alexis Leach introduced local restaurants that could work with Campus Catering services to diversify dining hall food options on campus. Leach proposed Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling and Birria Quesataco as options, but said the approval process would be difficult.

As dialogue continues between SA and student organizations about semester allocation shortages, SA members discussed strategic funding methods to ensure organizations have enough time to plan successful events.

“People have been very respectful, asking a lot of questions, and I think we’re really making a lot of headway with organizations for our advanced allocations this semester,” Leach said. “Hopefully I’ll keep meeting with organizations to go over their budgets.”

Other business:

• SA President German Nolivos and Assembly Speaker Kennedy Williams encouraged students to participate in SA’s spring semester elections. The association hopes to raise student voting participation through a raffle where students can earn free tickets to University Union’s Block Party later this semester.
• Speaker Bailey Cunha-Bustamante introduced the Spring into Action Reading Jars event, which SA would host in collaboration with its Communication and Government Affairs committee and ESF’s chapter of Alpha Xi Sigma. SA last hosted the event in 2023.
• Nolivos and SA Vice President Reed Granger requested that SA members increase their involvement as bus buddies for Grocery Trolleys. SA members are also brainstorming other methods to provide students with a more convenient transportation system, Nolivos said.

Published on March 4, 2025 at 2:07 pm