Through an internal election at their general body meeting, the Student Government Association (SGA) confirmed Reilly Shuff as the new senator for third-year students Jan 31. The position has been vacant since Spring of 2023.
Shuff, a political science major, gained experience working for various government internships and lobbyist groups.
“(I plan to) prioritize my relationship with the student body in every capacity,” Shuff said. “No matter if a student has a large conflict or small issue, I will work hard to have that issue resolved and treat it with the utmost urgency.”
A priority of Shuff’s campaign is the health and safety of female-identifying students on campus. During her address to the SGA senate, Shuff mentioned her hope to qualify menstrual-related issues as excused absences and uplift female voices in the classroom.
“DePaul does a really great job with gender studies and gender issues in general,” Shuff said. “I just want to make that a point and prevalent as I move on forward with my position as being a female in student government.”
In regards to gender studies, Shuff would like to make diverse educational resources more available to students.
“Reilly has some really strong goals for her role in SGA and I’m eager to see what she accomplished as Senator for Third-Year Students,” said Vice-President Avery Schoenhals.“She demonstrated a clear ability to come up with initiatives that serve DePaul’s students, and demonstrated a rare ability to articulate concrete ways to accomplish them.”
Emphasizing body positivity and safety in the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center “The Ray” was another primary point in her address. She mentioned the benefits of having encouraging posters related to body positivity in locker rooms – an initiative The Ray is currently practicing. However, she would like to place more emphasis on employee assault and sexual assault training.
“I just want to make sure that the training is checked up annually and cross-references that the employees feel comfortable navigating situations that could be at risk for students,” Shuff said.
Shuff said she would also like to prioritize safety protocols on campus and hold the administration accountable for providing transparent diversity, equity and inclusion training.
“I will be a voice for all students but sit down when it is not my time to speak,” Shuff said. “I want to give people a platform.”
With many DePaul students who commute to campus, Shuff hopes to coordinate events to strengthen commuter students’ connection with university life as well as their representation in SGA. She also said she would like to host a sustainability week to gain more momentum for environmental consciousness.
“I interviewed her and she struck me as someone who knows what she needs to be successful in a working environment like SGA and how to support other’s working needs for effective collaboration,” SGA President Parveen Mundi said. “As a fellow third year, I also shared her interest in creating events for third-year students, especially those who commute, who feel they haven’t really connected to the campus yet.”
Throughout her time at DePaul, Shuff has had four different advisors. As a result of her experience, she said she would like to help coordinate communication with advisors for students who may find it difficult to navigate this process. She also hopes to push for more career-counseling resources for third-year students, who are gearing up to graduate.
“I am excited to meet new people and have a closer DePaul connection,” Shuff said. “I haven’t really been that much involved on campus, regretfully, so I am excited to have more of a built-in family and do some good changes for the student body.”
