Kyle Rosenblum, one of three candidates for the position of Syracuse University Student Association vice president this spring, is hoping that the slogan of his and SA presidential candidate Ghufran Salih will spread across campus.

The slogan “why not now?” was born out of Rosenblum and Salih’s belief that they had the passion and ability to run, despite only being sophomores, and were inspired to take the chance, Rosenblum said. Now, the pair sees it as a way to empower students.

For Rosenblum, mental health was the catalyst in wanting to make a difference on campus.

“I was thinking about mental health on campus and why I wasn’t doing more,” he said. Rosenblum, a sophomore psychology major, said his passion for the subject drove him to become more involved on campus.

The vice presidential candidate reached out to current SA Vice President Angie Pati and joined SA as co-chair of the organization’s health and wellness subcommittee.

Rosenblum said supporting mental health is important because of its large scope of influence on individual lives. Rosenblum now aims to connect with and work on a wide spectrum of issues, he said.

“I saw the role of vice president (as) giving me the opportunity to hear from students about a wider variety of issues than just health and wellness, and giving me that platform to be able to make an impact on this campus,” Rosenblum said.

Rosenblum and Salih, a sophomore information management and technology major, met each other through mutual friends during the second half of their freshman year, but didn’t become close until Welcome Week 2017.

The pair, who are both orientation leaders, were on a retreat when the whole group decided to take a night hike. Salih, who described herself as super clumsy, was afraid of tripping in the dark.

Salih said she approached Rosenblum and asked, “Can you just watch out for me?”

From that moment on, the two candidates became close friends, even going out on a kayak together, at Salih’s suggestion.

“I’d never felt that sort of connection with a person until like that specific kayak trip,” Salih said. “The only person I could imagine running with is Kyle.”

In addition to his position in SA, Rosenblum is a campus tour guide on a member of Orange Seeds’ executive board. Cole Massie, the duo’s campaign manager, met Rosenblum when the candidate joined Orange Seeds, a community service organization, during his freshman year.

Massie said one of Rosenblum’s strengths is his dedication to listening to students across campus.

“After going to a meeting, Kyle will literally have three pages of notes that he’s written down,” Massie said.

Erin Gavle, a sophomore newspaper and online journalism major who helps manage the campaign’s public relations, said she feels that the styles and personalities of the two candidates also work well together.

Salih, Gavle said, is often attuned with how people are feeling and has an awareness of what needs to be done, while Rosenblum has an ability to develop realistic solutions to facilitate long-term change.

Rosenblum said the campaign process has taught him a lot about the Syracuse community. Working with Salih, he said, has expanded his view of the campus.

“I’ve learned so much from Ghufran through this process,” Rosenblum said.

Published on April 4, 2018 at 9:29 pm

Contact India: irmiragl@syr.edu