Running unopposed, Tannu Punn is going to be the next SGA Vice President at SUNY Cortland!
Tannu Punn is a Junior from Staten Island, majoring in Political Science with a minor in English. Currently, Punn holds a position on the SGA cabinet as the Coordinator of Student Advocacy (COSA). She speaks for the students and strives to work toward resolutions to meet student needs. In her next term as VP, she envisions a fair and involved student government.
Previous Experience
As well as her current position in the SGA cabinet, Punn has been a State Representative for the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and worked on campus as an EOP tutor. Her transition from the Coordinator of Student Advocacy is set to be smooth, seeing as the new position holds a lot of similar responsibilities.
In an interview with The Dragon Chronicle, Punn told us “The biggest takeaway from my experience with this position [COSA] is that it is truly difficult to please every student, but what matters is the effort put into these concerns and communicating the results with the students — even if the answer may be difficult. To carry this into my position as Vice President, I will be sure to reassure students that everything will be done in our power to meet agreements with the heads of our university.”
Additionally, Punn has hosted SGA events in the past. One stand-out was her Advocacy Forum, where students were given the opportunity to have questions answered by the administration and faculty which included Res Life, Disability Resources, Provost of Academic Affairs, and more.
Aspirations
Punn has made it clear that her past experience will heavily impact her new role, which will ensure the success of all students equally.
In the Candidates Forum hosted as the last SGA Senate meeting, Punn told the audience that her initial goal for next year is transparency, “I want everyone to know exactly what we do, students should be allowed to have questions and get answers. It should be clear that we [SGA] are here as a student voice, but that the students know they have a voice apart from us as well.”
Punn also went over how she hopes SGA can become a more involved part of the SUNY Cortland campus, something that has been previously criticized by the student body. “I plan to have our Cabinet and Executive Board utilize our Club Coordinators, which is currently used in communications with the Presidents of the clubs — but the plan would be for members of the Cabinet and Executive Board to attend club meetings, especially annual meetings clubs may have such as Relay for Life, Award Ceremonies, and BHM events.”
The next VP also detailed that her term will not just be about getting the club involvement up, but the general student body. She plans to host tabling events, since “tabling is the best strategy not only to hear student concerns but introduce ourselves, explain what we do, and invite more student involvement with SGA.”
Reasoning for Running
When asked why she wanted to run for Vice President, Punn told us that she “wants to be able to get answers and satisfy the wants of the students” as well as learn more and prepare for her career path.
Going into further detail, Punn wants to act as a proper liaison between the Senate and administration/faculty and “prioritize the need for inclusivity and acceptance on campus.”
If you want to hear more from your next SGA Vice President, consider attending the Senate meeting on April 16th after the voting period closes!
Don’t forget that the Student Government Association elections are open to all SUNY Cortland students from April 3rd to 5th on Cortland Connect. To make an informed decision before you vote, take a moment to check out the profiles of other candidates in the News Section of our website!