Assembly appoints new senators

To fill two vacant seats in the Student Association Senate, the SA Assembly approved the appointments of Lisa Elkaabi and Akruti Shastri on Tuesday at the first Assembly meeting of the semester.

The Assembly also approved the creation of a committee to help UB Students Against Sweatshops push UB to affiliate with a labor rights organization.

Under SA regulations, new senators are appointed by the SA president and then sent to the Assembly for approval. Former senators Mark Jacobs and F. Ali Khan both resigned from the Senate at the end of last semester for personal reasons.

After each speaking briefly to the Assembly about their merits for the job, both Elkaabi and Shastri were both quickly approved with no opposition.

Elkaabi called for both herself and Shastri to continue what was started in the Senate.

"I really want to make sure that what was promised is enforced," Elkaabi said. "I really just have the best interests of the students of the university."

Shastri has run for the Senate position before, losing by a narrow margin in last fall's election. As the next-highest vote getter, Shastri said she hopes her past experience proves her dedication.

"Since I ran for the first one, it proves I'm really motivated and how much I want to be on the Senate," Shastri said.

SA Assembly Chair Hassan Shibly said he was pleased with SA President Anthony Burgio's appointees and hopes to continue a tradition of cooperation with the Senate.

"I'm really happy with Anthony's choices because I think they will continue the tradition we started last semester of fully supporting and enacting the concerns of the student voice through the Student Assembly," Shibly said.

Following the approval of the Senate appointees, the Assembly also agreed to collaborate with UB Students Against Sweatshops and form a committee to help the group lobby with the administration.

For over two years now, Students Against Sweatshops has worked to convince the administration to join a labor rights group like the Workers Rights Consortium. Dennis Black, vice president for Student Affairs, had said he would make a recommendation on the issue two weeks ago, but with the decision seemingly stalled, Students Against Sweatshops members said they are frustrated, which is why they brought their concerns to the Assembly.

"We've been trying to show the student body is still paying attention," said Dan Cross, a senior history and Spanish major. "There are 134 universities affiliated, and we should be 135."

Students Against Sweatshops has endorsed the Workers Rights Consortium as the organization UB should join. Assembly members said the new committee would evaluate the issue of which group UB should join.