By Jackson Chadwick | SGA President Karine Kanj
Karine Kanj makes one thing very clear, transparency is key. In her re-election campaign to the office of President of the Student Government Association (SGA), Kanj highlights how through communication, realistic goals, and transparency, the SGA has improved over the last year and under her watch. But, she acknowledges that those highlights are not simply a result of her, but the SGA body as a whole, and credits her fellow senators for their “exceptional” work since the start of last semester. And if re-elected by the student body, Kanj aims to build on the work SGA has started this school year.
In 2019, Kanj was elected with 50% of the vote, beating her opponent Yasir Batalvi by nearly 100 votes, as first reported by The Suffolk Journal. Over the last year, Kanj has described her work as President as a “steady marathon,” working hand-in-hand with the Senate and the Suffolk administration; she doesn’t believe it’s her “job to do things alone.”
Kanj began the fall semester by welcoming freshmen students at the annual convocation. She said being an Orientation Leader over the 2019 summer allowed her to meet many new faces and make connections with members of the freshmen class, which she’s still “very grateful for.” Heading into office, Kanj wanted to place a high emphasis on transparency from within the SGA office and the Senate as a whole. One of her first actions was the release of a google doc to students, allowing them to anonymously give their feedback, comments, and opinions to SGA. According to Kanj, SGA has taken these comments into serious consideration and has guided them through the school year so far.
Regarding the fall 2019 concert, Kanj understands the concerns and disappointment expressed by some members of the student body. Current SGA Vice President Oba Oseghali opened for singer Tory Lanez, which was perceived among some students as a conflict of interest. Kanj emphasized that she and the SGA Executive Board took those concerns into consideration and that for the upcoming SGA Awards in April, open auditions will be held for everyone.
In Kanj’s view, the SGA has been very productive since the start of the school year. Since the fall semester began, SGA has passed four resolutions, including:
- A language inclusivity resolution, which states that all languages are welcome at Suffolk and there is not an official language. The adoption of the resolution followed remarks by a Suffolk professor who argued for the school to have an official language;
- A resolution requiring that all bathrooms with stalls be converted into gender-inclusive bathrooms, with availability to menstrual products. Though adopted by SGA, it is currently in the hands of the Suffolk administration;
- Another resolution required that the phone numbers of the Suffolk University Police Department (SUPD) and the department of Counseling Health & Wellness (CHW) be labeled on the back of RAM cards;
- And new E-Board by-laws were also passed.
Though election season is preoccupying many people’s minds, Kanj wants to ensure to the student body that SGA and its committees are still meeting regularly and that students can get involved whenever they’d like; she wants students to attend as many meetings as they can. Kanj says SGA is dependent on student feedback, so she encourages all students to get involved and raise their concerns.
Looking at her term as President overall, the position has taught her much about being personable and as transparent with students as possible; interacting and communicating with the student body has been one of her main priorities. During her first campaign to run for President last year, Kanj emphasized that her campaign was about the students, and not for herself; the same applies to this year’s campaign. Even as President, she’s adamant about not letting the role and title get to her. Defining transparency is easy, but acting and committing to it is a much more daunting task. Regardless of this election’s results, that is what will guide Kanj forward for the remainder of her time at Suffolk and beyond.