As the new school year is approaching, the newly elected USG officers are preparing for their positions for the 2012-2013 academic year. They went through three weeks of extensive training over the summer that helped them learn more about USG and provided them with the tools that will help them be successful this upcoming year.
The first part of training consisted of getting familiar with USG and how it operates, meeting with the USG business staff and working on articles for the USG summer insert. The second part of training included meeting with the Student Life & Campus Life staff, and some of the Buffalo State Deans. At those meetings USG officers and Buffalo State staff discussed ways to engage students in campus life initiatives and identified problems that students are facing and ways to resolve them.
Part of the second half of training was done at Whispering Pines, the USG owned camp in Franklinville, NY. During their stay there, they met with Paul Knapic, the camp manager who gave them a tour of the grounds and introduced them to the history of the camp. They also discussed what each one of them had accomplished over the summer and what plans they had for the upcoming year.
Some of the officers already have previous experience on USG, and some are brand new to it.
The president, Sara Garfinkle, has been part of USG since her freshman year. She started out as a senator, then moved to vice president for Community Affairs, and then in her junior year, she became president of USG. She is currently a senior and serving her second term as president. Sara is originally from Long Beach, NY. She is an exceptional education major with a concentration in English.
Christina Germann is the Interim Vice President. She joined USG as a senator in January 2012. She is a junior majoring in elementary education.
Justine Britten is the treasurer. Justine began serving as a Senator in September 2011 and was appointed Vice Treasurer in November 2011. She is originally from Brooklyn, NY. She is a sophomore and a business major with a concentration in management.
Andrea Wright is the Vice President for Student Life. She started out as a senator last year. Andrea is a senior majoring in fashion and dance.
Mariya Yankova is the Vice President for Public Relations. She is a senior majoring in journalism and minoring in Spanish. She has no previous experience on USG.
The other three positions haven’t officially been taken yet but there are senators who are currently running for them.
Daisy Rochez is running for Vice President for Academic Affairs. She was a senator last year. Daisy is a senior majoring in psychology and Spanish.
Trivet Jarmond is running for Vice President for Campus Affairs and Government Relations. He is a sophomore majoring in psychology and has no previous experience on USG.