The position of vice president for multicultural affairs for the Student Association at Binghamton University will remain as is, for now.
Last night, the Student Assembly failed to garner a two-thirds majority vote necessary to pass an amendment which called for the position’s removal from the SA constitution. If passed, the amendment would have needed to be accepted by two-thirds of the undergraduate student population in a referendum.
Current VPMA Maryam Belly said she was extremely happy with the night’s results.
“I think this is one moment we can point to in our history and say that we have truly served the students,” Belly said. “This is a testament to our commitment to them.”
“I also think this solidifies the VPMA position,” she added.
Adam Shamah, an Assembly representative from Mountainview College who initially proposed the amendment, expressed his disappointment.
“What happened tonight was a disgrace,” Shamah said.
According to Shamah, the Assembly reps who voted against passing the amendment voted against students having a say over the position.
“Voting for this [amendment] would let every single student have an equal say,” Shamah said. “That’s the purest form of democracy.”
Shamah, president of the Binghamton Review and a member of the Rules Committee, initially said he proposed the amendment because he thought the resources put toward the VPMA’s office could be better split up.
Although he doesn’t have any specific plans yet, Shamah said he was not dropping the issue and planned to petition next semester for a student referendum.
A petition for a student referendum on the subject would need signatures from 10 percent of all undergraduate students — roughly 1,200 students.
The meeting was held at the Osterhout Theater in the Anderson Center to accommodate what was anticipated to be a larger student turnout than usual. Two New York State University Police officers were in attendance.
Approximately 40 people, including one BU administrator, spoke during the public comment portion at the beginning of the Assembly meeting. About 100 people attended.
Will To, a senior majoring in Asian and Asian American studies, spoke against the amendment. To said he believes the VPMA streamlines communication between student groups and the Student Association, as well as between students and the Student Association.
“I believe at least part of the reason for this is that people are confusing the position itself with people who have occupied the position,” To, one of the editors in chief of Asian Outlook Magazine, said.
The position has seen unexpected mid-semester turnover in recent years.
BU Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Rose also spoke against a referendum and in favor of the VPMA. Rose said there was no compelling reason to put the position at risk of being removed from the constitution.
“The conversation you should be having is how to make this position better,” Rose said.
Both Shamah and Mary Leonardo, an Assembly rep for Off Campus College and a sponsor of the amendment, said they thought it was inappropriate for an administrator to become involved.
Shamah said Rose’s comments during the meeting was “the most inappropriate thing” that he had seen happen in the administration.
During Assembly debate of the pros and cons of the amendment, Adam Amit, a rep for Hillside Community, said he was against a campus referendum because he felt the issue hadn’t been questioned to a sufficient degree.
Leonardo said she supported the referendum because it gave students a chance to directly decide on the matter.
While Shamah and Leonardo said they were disappointed with the results, Belly said she was happy with the overwhelming amount of support.
“I just want to thank everyone regardless of their stance because we need to have our voices heard,” she said.
Belly said that she appreciated any amount of support that’s shown to multiculturalism.
“I’m going to hit the ground running next semester,” Belly said. “I’m going to have a resolution that talks about the changes that need to happen and explain why this is necessary.”
Belly said that next semester she planned to propose a resolution which she said would fix the VPMA position, as well as “have more programming and fix the dialogue that’s pervaded campus.”
“We need to start healing the wounds, and I am ready for that,” she said.