Sameeha Saied, one of three candidates for the position of Syracuse University Student Association vice president, said she hopes to shed light on issues surrounding diversity and racial inequity on and around SU.

The sophomore psychology major said her racial and ethnic identities have always been defining aspects of her life, and because of that, she has a personal stake in diversity at SU.

“I’m a lower-middle class, half-Indian, half-Pakistani, Muslim woman on this campus,” Saied said. “And each of those identities by themselves aren’t too easy to live with all the time, but put together, it’s even more difficult.”

Diversity and inclusion is one of five issues that Saied and SA presidential candidate Mackenzie Mertikas are running their campaign on. The campaign is also focusing on financial accessibility, health and wellness, community engagement and transparency and accountability.

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Saied said that she was fortunate enough to meet people who were kind and supportive early on in her time at SU. She quickly recognized, though, that not everyone is able to find friends or organizations that make them feel welcome at SU. Many students of color go through their time at SU feeling socially isolated, Saied said.

She also said that SU has a long way to go to become a truly diverse campus. She cited the university’s high tuition as an example and said it limits the number of students of color who can afford to attend.

“There are a lot of things holding this campus back from being an incredibly diverse campus,” Saied said. “But it’s really, really important to make sure this campus is as inclusive and as welcoming as it can be to the people who are here right now in order to bring more diverse people to this campus.”

She said that because of SU’s high cost of attendance, the price of additional expenses such as textbooks and meal plans should be dramatically reduced. Mertikas and she hope to revamp the current student employment system, as it’s currently difficult for many students to find work-study jobs, Saied said.

Saied is also looking to make students more aware of what is happening off campus. She said that the university is separated from the surrounding communities, which has made students ignorant to the issues facing the city. She said she wants to get students more involved in Syracuse through connecting them with nonprofit organizations.

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Julia Howard-Flanders, Saied and Mertikas’s campaign manager, met Saied through OrangeSeeds, a first-year leadership program. She said Saied possesses several qualities that she thinks are important for a leader, including strong communication and listening skills, as well as an approachable and empathetic demeanor.

But Howard-Flanders said one of the most significant aspects of their campaign is the fact that they’re two women from two different ethnicities. She said that gives Mertikas and Saied different perspectives on the SU campus.

Part of the reason Saied decided to run was because she felt that past woman SA leaders of color, including current SA President Ghufran Salih and former Vice President Angie Pati, had paved the way.

“Knowing that it’s possible to be in this kind of position and be able to make lasting, meaningful change for the people on this campus that don’t necessarily have the easiest time getting by, is so important to me,” she said.

Published on March 31, 2019 at 10:39 pm

Contact Gillian: gifollet@syr.edu