Student Association Senate Elects Vice Chair

By Lucienne Burns | September 22, 2025 

Senators Jonah Martinez and Grace Augenstern debate for the Vice Chair position.

Photo Credit: Lucienne Burns | The ASP

The University at Albany Student Association Senate convened for their third meeting of the academic year with returning and new senators, including a lengthy Public Comment, Campus Climate discussion and the election for Vice Chair. The meeting’s duration totaled five hours. 

Last Wednesday’s (Sept. 17) meeting had a particularly robust conversation regarding transparency and fairness within student leadership appointments during public comment. Issues regarding the selection and application process specifically regarding Board of Finance Appointments were brought to the attention of the Senate.

Zainab Gondal, a UAlbany junior, applied for a position on the Senate’s Board of Finance after previously serving on it for two years. Gondal first noted difficulty finding the application for the Board of Finance, due to an alleged lack of advertisement. After applying, she received an email rejection. 

“So in my original rejection email, I was not given a reason why I was rejected,” Gondal said. “And when I asked why, it was because I used 100 percent AI plagiarism. I do want to make something clear – I wrote my application myself.” 

Gondal concluded by asking the Senate to hold leadership accountable on the issues she experienced as a constituent throughout the Board of Finance application process. 

“I’m asking you to hold your leadership accountable as our senators representing the students,” Gondal said. “If you guys are not here for us students, if you guys are not going to hold people accountable for what they do, then us constituents will hold you accountable for what you guys do as well.” 

After Gondal brought up her concern regarding AI, this was a common topic among senators during Campus Climate. Topics spoken about included the role of AI in education, the recent decrease in student parking and a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) resolution no longer hanging in the Student Association’s office. 

Senator Jonah Martinez also expressed concerns about a change in parking lot structure on campus previously discussed in the Senate. 

“So as you all know, if you go to Indigenous Quad’s former commuter lot it is now a faculty lot,” Senator Martinez said. “You want to tell me why there are 6,000 off-campus students and only two lots that support their use?”

The change from Indigenous Quad’s commuter lot to a faculty lot has been a common debate point in the Senate so far this year, posing concerns about parking availability for commuter students and ADA compliance. 

Senator Maceo Foster acknowledged the BDS resolution previously passed the genocide in Gaza, and how UAlbany was one of the first SUNY schools to pass one of its kind. 

“That resolution, to my surprise, is no longer hanging in the Student Association office,” Senator Foster said. “So it is extremely concerning to me that that resolution was taken down, considering again, not only that the genocide in Gaza is still happening, but that was a monumental step for this campus, for the entire SUNY system.”

Following Campus Climate, the senate also hosted speakers – Michael N. Christakis, Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment; Clarence L. McNeill, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students; and Jameelee Ford, Director of Student Engagement and Belonging (Formerly the Great Dane Union) during the University Report. 

Administrative reports by President Trevor Pettit included plans for the Board of Finance interviews to be finalized by the next two Senate meetings, along with tentative plans for Parkfest. 

The bill on the legislative agenda calling for a special election to fill vacant Senate positions was tabled until the next meeting. The election for the Senate’s Vice Chair was also held at this meeting. 

Senators Grace Augenstern and Jonah Martinez both ran for Vice Chair in a close election. The election lasted four rounds, as the vote requires a two-thirds majority to pass the first three rounds. Once the fourth round is reached, a simple majority is sufficient to determine the vote. 

Senator Martinez ultimately won the election with a simple majority of 22-17.