Laughter fills the Student Association headquarters in the Schine Student Center on a Friday afternoon as representatives chatter about new ideas and the weekend to come. President Dylan Lustig looks on as he stands against the open door of his personal office.

The relaxed tone Lustig set for the 56th session stems from his push for a personable atmosphere, where the assemblymembers can connect as people, friends and students, not just as representatives.

Lustig said he is not trying to stray too far off from traditions set by SA presidents before him, but he would also like to add a little ‘spice’ to the organization. He said he wants to play music before the meetings start or open with a conversation about how the weekend was.

During his campaign for presidency in November, Lustig told The Daily Orange he values a ‘living in the moment’ philosophy for leadership that was inspired by his great uncle, a World War II veteran. Lustig said his great uncle recently passed away, which reinforces his perspective and his need to care about people.

This philosophy has also helped Lustig realize the need for balance in running student government, he said. The past two presidents, Neal Casey of the 55th session and Jon Barnhart of the 54th, have provided Lustig with two very different examples of leadership.

Lustig and Casey agree Barnhart’s ability to relate to the student body and the assembly was his leadership strength.

PJ Alampi, chair of the Student Life Committee, was the Board of Elections and Membership Committee chair under Casey, and an assemblymember under Barnhart. He said Barnhart was very interactive with students, and his name was widely known on campus. Lustig is similar to Barnhart in this way, Alampi said.

‘The biggest thing, without a doubt, is finding that right balance between being the one who is the representative of the students and the one who is relaying their voice to the administration,’ Barnhart said.

Barnhart admits, however, he lacked in organization and clear planning for accomplishing goals — a trait Barnhart, Lustig and Alampi agree Casey mastered.

‘I sat with people and talked about new ideas, where Neal gathered actual reports from everybody,’ Barnhart said.

Casey said he calls this a results-driven approach because he actually delivered programs to improve life on campus, like the bus systems to local grocery stores. Casey also reached his goal of filling the assembly to its full capacity.

Taylor Carr, Lustig’s chief of staff and Casey’s chair of the Student Life Committee, said he thought of Casey’s administration like a business model.

‘It was like he was the CEO of the business, cabinet was the senior management and then it would trickle down,’ Carr said.

A top-down approach and a strong opinion are characteristics Casey said he exemplified during his presidency.

‘I appreciated Neal’s dedication to achieving results. I think, however, he shut a lot of people out with his leadership style,’ Carr said.

Lustig said he does not believe Casey’s leadership style is effective because Casey did not include assemblymembers on decisions enough and was slightly out of touch with the assembly.

Casey’s ability to work with the Syracuse University administration, however, is a trait Lustig admires greatly and hopes to continue in the future.

Because Lustig has witnessed two leadership examples, Alampi said, he will be able to make a connection with the student body and the administration.

Carr said he thinks Barnhart was the perfect mix because he had the respected professionalism of a leader, yet his door was always open, and there was room for fun as well. He said he encourages Lustig to mimic Barnhart.

In choosing his cabinet, Lustig, like Barnhart, sent a campus-wide email detailing the open positions and information on how to apply. Lustig also included his personal cellphone number in the email. He said this was a controversial action that several of his colleagues questioned.

‘If someone has an issue they need to talk with me about, call me. That’s what I’m here for,’ Lustig said.

Casey said he did not send an email because when he assumed the presidency, he knew exactly who he wanted for each cabinet position. He added that although Lustig sent the email, all but one cabinet position were filled by individuals who were already members of SA.

‘Creating your cabinet is a really important task. You only have one year, so you have to get it right from the start,’ Casey said.

Barnhart said that because Lustig is a sophomore he is likely to hold his presidency for more than one session. There is a greater opportunity to accomplish goals because this administration has the possibility of being here longer, he said.

Alampi and Lustig admitted they are part of a group that likes to joke around and have fun, but they know when to focus and get work done for SU. They said taking the time to have fun is not a characteristic that will get in the way of their leadership.

Although Alampi is confident Lustig’s laid-back attitude will not harm the organization, Carr said he worries people will stop taking Lustig seriously. He said he hopes to see Lustig grow into a leader who can balance fun and work.

Said Carr: ‘I also find it important to remember that we are students, and we are here to have a good time as well.’

rebarill@syr.edu 

Published on January 25, 2012 at 12:00 pm