The Student Government Association office is already buzzing with movement when I walk in at 10:30 a.m. It is a drizzly, grey morning but that poses little interference with those inside, who are deciding on all matters of FSU. I enter the Office of Governmental Affairs (OGA) and am greeted with a warm smile from its Director, Stefano Cavallaro. I return the smile and sit down in the chairs before his desk, preparing for our interview. It seems that the outside weather has no bearing on Cavallaro’s mood as he begins to ask me how my cold is faring, the little sunlight available streaming through the windows of his office. He has much to smile about these days. Cavallaro was recently slated as the Ignite Party’s candidate for Student Body President, a decision he calls “an incredible honor.”
“To be slated for student body president is unbelievable. People put so much trust into me and I take it as a challenge to continue leading and helping students at Florida State.”
Cavallaro is slated alongside Vice President Gerald Johnson II and Treasurer Jorge Rendon. Should the candidates be elected, there are several things, Stefano says, they want to accomplish. Some highlights of the working platform are creating student rates and prices in Tallahassee. “We’re working toward creating student deals in the community and tying it into Tallahassee revitalization and kind of connecting these small, local restaurants and businesses…to get student rates that will match the 42,000 students here.”
Another goal the trio will aim for is the funding process for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). “We think it’s just too hard for RSO’s to get funding from student government and there is so much disconnect. We’re really looking to find a better, more accessible process so more folks can access the benefits and the resources of student government.” Those are but two of the future plans on the agenda Stefano assures.
“We’re still working on the platform and one thing, too, is that we’re working to create a platform that has things we feel are important to accomplish and complete. We also really want a lot of stuff we do to come from students on campus. From the people we’re representing so we can find needs and problems that we may not always see but can be brought to our attention to fix and make better. This campaign is really trying to build a platform from the ground up and trying to be representatives for our students.”
Advocating and working toward university advancements is nothing new to Cavallaro who is currently OGA’s director. “OGA is the advocacy and education wing for student government,” he begins, further adding that OGA advocates for issues at the local, state, and federal level. “We work a lot with making sure that Rosie, our Student Body President, is in the know about the political workings that are happening outside of the university that affect the university.”
A few of OGA’s efforts include working for instate tuition for veterans, a break pay scholarship for veterans, and other things such as monitoring bright futures and tuition rates.
Talk of the campaign moves on to the Ignite Party at Florida State, the party he, Johnson, and Rendon are slated with.
“The coolest thing about Ignite is that it’s like a family,” he begins, his sunny grin returning. “There are so many different people and it has so much diversity…people who bring all kinds of different perspectives and backgrounds and all work together to make FSU better…everyone comes together for the same goal.”
He also says that one of the aspects he likes most about the party is its clear and focused purpose.
“It’s free of ideology, of cliques. It’s really just about getting the most qualified student leaders together to bring about the most positive change to our campus. The canvas is clear. Ignite is simply looking for candidates to paint the picture of what is the future and what the experience at Florida State is going to be.”
I mention that student government at FSU can sometimes be surrounded by a perceived aura of mystery. What do people really do in SGA? How could students, who are not involved, go about being so or finding more information about SGA in general?
“The SGA website always displays the open positions and one of the best ways is to walk in the SGA offices and talk to anyone. My door is always open, the current executive branch’s doors are always open, and the senators’ doors are always open. There are also so many different ways to get involved more than what people see as ‘positions.’ We have phenomenal agencies and bureaus who represent all students on campus and if you find passion in your culture or your heritage, the agencies are perfect for getting involved. There are so many avenues and ways to get tapped into student government.”
The student government website is full of information regarding open positions, position descriptions, officer biographies, and current SGA initiatives. The Student Senate, which meets Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., is always open for all students to attend and their minutes are posted on the website. The curious student has many options and sources of information if they look. I ask Stefano how he became involved in student government; perhaps fellow students may follow in his path.
“I got involved in student government the spring of freshman year when I was slated and ran with the Ignite Party after being encouraged by my big brother in Alpha Tau Omega. It has been fun and I kind of got the student government bug. I really found my passion and my niche where I could really do good work through student government for our university and for our students…to serve others and work hard for causes that are greater than myself.”
I remark that with all his student government work and his double major in Accounting and Political Science, it must be hard to relax and find time for himself.
“It’s not easy but I’ve chosen to be busy and I enjoy being busy,” he says, “but to relax I love playing IM sports. I love sports of all types. Whether that’s pick up football with a couple of guys in the fraternity or signing up to play intramural softball in the spring. This past summer I played soccer and I’d never played soccer in my life but it was a ton of fun to just go out there and run and have a great time.”
I comment that, for being only in his junior year, he has had quite the number of experiences and good times at Florida State.
“I’ve had a truly blessed FSU experience. It has been exciting. I’ve met a ton of great people here, met my girlfriend here of two and a half years, tons of friends, and professors who have taken an interest in me and have helped me succeed in school. It’s tremendous when you’re looking back. We go to such a special university whose focus is on students. That students can do so many great things and truly get experience in their activities that will directly correlate to success when you look to get a job one day and advance in life.”
For more information about SGA visit http://sga.fsu.edu/
To learn more about the Ignite Party, visit them on Facebook or email: igniteparty@gmail.com