As a former E-board member of the Organization of Arab Students, one of the larger clubs on campus, I can say that I am not surprised by the charges of nepotism in SA. The students within cannot claim innocence since this occurrence was just the only documented one.
Mazin Kased became president of the Organization of Arab Students in an uncontested election due to a last-minute drop out. The head of the international clubs was former president of the OAS Ashraf Badr.
I can say that this relationship has been exploited to its full potential. The clubs' E-boards all fall in line with whomever SA endorses, and yes, they do endorse people.
Occurrences like a freshman getting elected to a high level position seem rather peculiar considering who backed said person when they first entered the university. SA has always been about legacy. Rarely does anyone win if they aren't friends with someone in SA.
Kased and Burgio will continue to exploit the system as long as they can for their own personal good because students don't see what really happens. I am happy to say that I have cut off ties to those who I once trusted as a na??ve underclassman.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
