Every year, UB undergraduates elect four SUNY delegates to act on the students' behalf in Albany. The four delegates travel to the state capital to meet with members of the New York State Assembly and Senate, raising legislators' awareness of issues that matter to UB students. It is their job to effectively communicate with the undergraduate student body so it is well represented at the state level.
Name:Mohammad Alwaihaidy
Year: Junior
Major: Biology
Party: Spirit
Mohammad Alwaihaidy is currently a receptionist for the Student Association and is involved in Pakistani SA, Indian SA, Black Student Union and Muslim SA, among many others. His goal, if elected, is to work with UB Libraries to make better places to study. Specifically, he wants to make sure "Quiet Study" zones are used properly and libraries have enough electrical outlets to accommodate students. Additionally, he hopes to introduce more Halal food to campus eateries to further promote diversity at UB.
Name: Abby LaPlaca
Year: Sophomore
Major: Spanish; minors in Italian and education
Party: Spirit
Abby LaPlaca is a presidential scholar and a member of the Honors College. She is on the executive board and is the dance coordinator of the Latin American Student Association.
Next year, she hopes to make North Campus safer by having more streetlights installed through her proposed program "Light Up UB." She also wants to turn the Special Events Field, between the Commons and Clemens Hall, into a campus quad with trees and picnic tables.
Name: Hayley Ross
Year: Sophomore
Major: International studies and history
Party: Spirit
Hayley Ross is currently the president of campus relations and Pan-Hellenic delegate in the international women's fraternity Alpha Gamma Delta. As a member of Greek life, the high crime rate and poor housing conditions in the University Heights greatly concern her.
If elected, she plans to hold landlords accountable for derelict houses. She wants to create an online database that rates landlords on their attention and responsiveness to housing issues.
Name: Aminat Seriki
Year: Sophomore
Major: Business administration
Party: Spirit
Early this semester, Aminat Seriki was awarded "Member of the Year" for her work with the African SA. She has interned at Saipem Oil Company in the Communications Department and has participated in the Mercedes-Benz of Buffalo Fashion Week.
Her mission is to use her knowledge of diverse cultures and work environments to involve minorities in student life at UB.
Name: Hui Kee Lee
Year: Sophomore
Major: Mathematics
Party: Forward
Hui Kee Lee is an International Student Orientation leader and founder and treasurer of Singapore SA. As an international student from Singapore, Lee has pledged to help other students realize UB is not just a school but also a place to live and grow.
Lee wants to give other students the same feeling of inclusion she felt when she came to the university. Next year, she hopes to organize more multi-cultural events on campus, like food festivals.
Name: James Lopez
Year: Junior
Major: Psychology; minor in philosophy
Party: Forward
Lopez is the chapter founder and president of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc., vice president of PODER Latinos Unidos and a Wegmans employee.
As an "angry South Campus resident," he wants to keep the pressure on bad landlords to improve the living conditions of the students. Lopez believes in greater transparency of SA and hopes to carry out his term fulfilling the wishes of the student body.
Name: Alexandra Schwartz
Year: Junior
Major: Business
Party: Forward
Schwartz is currently the president of the Communication Undergraduate SA, a resident advisor in Porter Quad, employee of Career Services and social media intern at Planning Events and Receptions.
Her goal is to create more student awareness of the delegates by conducting surveys, holding office hours and talking to students about what they want SA to do next year. Schwartz also wants to create a website that allows students to submit anonymous suggestions for the SA's agenda.
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