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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Thursday, April 18, 2024 Vol. 77 No. 26
THE student voice since 1960
THE SENATE SCOOP M o n d ay, A pril 15, 2024 - G os h e n L o u n g e
New elected officials take the helm of Student Government DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief Members of next year’s Student Senate were sworn in at their Monday night meeting on April 15. The Senate also voted to approve annual funding allocations for almost 40 different organizations. President Barrett Larkin recommended members of the new Executive Board to the Senate, all of whom were approved. Financial Officer Olivia Davila will stay in her current position for the upcoming year and “will be the bridge between this year and next,” according to Larkin. Former Freshman Senator Ben Cole will be next year’s organization relations officer, the position previously held by Larkin. Larkin said he hopes Cole will continue unfinished initiatives from the previous year and attend even more to the needs of organizations and petitioning students. “Ben has good ways, and he’s not stuck in them,” Larkin said. “Keeping what’s good now while still progressing is the clear path forward for [his position].” Former Freshman Senator and Fee Commissioner Sydney Euchner will be
next year’s external affairs officer. Larkin said Euchner stood out as a candidate for this position due to her past experience in communications. “She separated herself from the pool by her experience in the Kimmel office [and] on Student Government as a senator,” Larkin said. “I can appreciate the skills she picked up at the Belleville CEO program.” Former Senator for the Diversity Council Aly Abou-Zaid will be leading Student Government’s marketing arm with his video expertise as the new communications officer, a position that was voted into existence this semester. “His media work has a sense of charm and timing that will also benefit bonding events as much as posts,” Larkin said. Former Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences Moayad Abuzaneh will be next year’s wellness and equity officer, a position Larkin selected him for due to his experience as a premedical student. “He has shown in concrete ways his commitment to this school and his belief in Student Government, more than earning the chance to continue that work,” Larkin said. “He is not just calculated and bold, but filled with the see SENATE on page 2
New SG president, vice president talk about their plans for the coming year Just after they were sworn into office, The Alestle’s Editor-in-Chief Dylan Hembrough sat down with Student President Barrett Larkin and Vice President Lucia Knapp to ask them a series of questions about their plans for the 2024-2025 school year.
Hembrough: What are some big initiatives you have in mind for the three pillars (academics, mental health, community) of your campaign? Larkin: We’ve been looking through past initiatives, and I feel like a lot of them can be sorted into one of them. For example, a dead week [a week of no new assign- Barrett Larkin ments] during finals week has been thrown around. I think that fits both mental health and academics. Knapp: I’m on the same page as Barrett. I’m more aiming to help guide the senators to focus their efforts on developing their own initiatives under the structure of the three pillars to help better campus. Hembrough: What have you learned from your predecessors that you plan to incorporate into your own leadership? Larkin: I know of the past four presidents: Jacob Graham, Hailee O’Dell, Rahmat Salau and Mackenzie Richards. Jacob and Hailee were very organized — I know them mostly by the documents that they’ve left behind. Rahmat and Mackenzie were very sociable, very charismatic. They expanded Student Government and did a lot of promotion. I hope I can combine those two things, being very organized and being that friendly presence.
Knapp: I am primarily going to utilize their communication styles and the networking that they promoted. I really want to reach out to Student Government alumni and get more insight on what they think Student Government could improve on here. I don’t always want to be looking back, but I do know that those are valuable perspectives to have, especially since they have the experience. Hembrough: How will you most effectively represent the student body in the event of conflict with administration? Larkin: It’s the little chipping away on the sides of things and the information that you can distribute from talking to administrators that are happy to talk with you — maybe not as fast as you would like, but they’re there. In the event of a conflict between two administrative blocs, I think the Student Government president might be in a good position to be the mediator. Knapp: Our roles as president and vice president of Student Government are mainly to act as liaisons between staff, faculty and the student body, so in the event of such an issue, it would be our job to communicate staff and faculty concerns to the students and vice versa. We would Lucia Knapp act as representatives and make sure that we are communicating wants and needs clearly and decisively. To speak with members of Student Government yourself, visit the Student Government office in SSC 1280 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Surge of asylum seekers sparks migration policy debate in sanctuary states AVA GALBAN reporter While the U.S. has had many large and continuous flows in regards to its migration trends, the recent influx of individuals seeking asylum in sanctuary states, such as Illinois, has ignited a widespread discussion on migration policy and border security. After President Joe Biden expanded parole to migrants from the countries of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela in Jan. 2023, the nation watched as large numbers of migrants arrived in airports and landing zones. Laurie Rice, a professor of political science at SIUE, said, “We’re facing this challenge particularly now because there’s been so much instability
in the world, for lots of different reasons. People are facing vulnerability for all sorts of reasons, and they see the United States as a place where they can find safety.” According to the Center for Strategic International Studies, the increase in migrants from South and Central America to the U.S. can be attributed to various factors, including economic instability, political turmoil, violence and environmental disasters in their home countries. Take Venezuela, which is facing dire economic conditions, political instability and widespread violence. The Venezuelan economy has been in freefall with hyperinflation, shortages of basic goods and a collapsing healthcare system. The
National Immigration Forum highlights political repression and abuse of human rights have also forced many to seek refuge elsewhere. These “push factors” compel individuals and families to seek safety, opportunity and a better quality of life in the United States. Illinois is a sanctuary state, meaning its government actively offers support and provides resources to undocumented individuals. This status has been utilized by many border states. These border states have been bussing migrants to Illinois as well as other states since April 2022. Chicago mutual networks estimate 36,099 asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago since August 2022 via 800 buses and severa l planes from
select states, including Texas, New York and California. While the representatives of cities like Chicago were open to receiving the incoming population, the state was not adequately prepared for the responsibilities of caring for them. While alternative housing in hotels and shelters were established, Chicago could not support the continuous flow of migrants, resulting in the implementation of police stations as respite centers. This, however, proved to be a faulty method as months passed and more and more buses arrived. After incumbent officials did not adequately respond to the growing crisis, a state of emergen-
cy was issued. This led to local organizations and community members stepping up to take a more active role in serving the new and growing population. Diego Garcia, program manager at Gage Park, was one individual who got involved with aiding with youth program coordination at Todo Para Todos, a mutual aid respite center operating in Pilsen, a neighborhood in Chicago. “It felt like the city was fully relying on residents of Chicago to do their work, which at the time, felt like a lot,” Garcia said. “It felt like us volunteers had to fulfill every need of the migrants, even when it came down to what see ASYLUM on page 3