For SUNY Oswego Student Association (SA) Vice President Alanna Hill, this year provides a chance to be the bridge between SA President Takayla Beckon and the rest of the senators, by continuously pushing legislation that could help the student body.
Hill came to SUNY Oswego with the intention to get involved in SA after not being able to gain a spot on her high school student government. The ability to impact class shirts, school events and other things around her high school interested her all the way back in the 8th grade. So, after not being able to experience that in grade school or the first semester of her freshman year, she was able to join as a senator in the spring.
“From there I found out I really enjoy the people,” Hill said. “I really enjoyed what we did and getting to know the campus more than a normal student would.”
Hill acknowledged that senators can take initiative but still wanted to be in a position to do more for her junior year. She then ran for SA President in spring of 2021 against Beckon, who went on to win the election and Hill was eventually elected to become the vice president.
“It is a lot more difficult because you have to go up through the SA President to get a big project started,” Hill said. “I kinda wanted to be the person who does that and comes up with all the initiatives for the year. So, I wanted to be president and prove that I could be president because I was told it wouldn’t be a good idea. Saying I didn’t know the campus well enough. I wanted to prove that person wrong.”
As vice president, Hill will have the responsibility of controlling the senate and running the weekly SA meeting in Lanigan Hall. However, she takes the responsibility further.
“In my opinion, the job of the vice president is to support the president and their initiatives,” Hill said. “So, over the summer the president decides on a bunch of projects they want to accomplish over the year. I talked with Takayla about what her projects were, which ones I liked and which ones might not be achievable within a year. From there because I feel passionate about what her projects are, I am doing everything I can to support her.”
Hill also said how certain senators will naturally gravitate to certain projects because of their background. A theater major might support an arts or music event passionately. The biggest challenge is finding more senators after that and she is trying to constantly overcome that to push projects along.
“Oz got talent” and an empowerment initiative are the two projects Hill is most confident about this semester.
Hill is not going to pursue politics after college. She is planning on becoming a teacher and her goal is to teach at her high school. Hill said her experience in SA has helped develop her public speaking skills and has prepared her for interacting with different types of people.
“For one the confidence and speaking in front of other people,” Hill said. “Talking to people I don’t know and immediately getting thrown into helping them without talking before. Working with strangers; trying to help strangers. Those two things have helped the most. You need to be able to critically think and manage money as well. I intend on becoming a teacher and the whole speaking to strangers part and helping them relates directly to that.”
