Senate Centers Mental Health Awareness Amid Routine Votes
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By Lucienne Burns | March 3, 2025
Last Wednesday, the Student Association (SA) Senate met for their weekly meeting, discussing appropriations, committee appointments and the importance of mental health resources.
Additionally, a new senator, Avik Macha, was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting prior to the appropriations and legislative agendas.
While the meeting followed its typical structure of funding approvals and routine voting on bills, it notably included extended discussions on mental health advocacy and campus resources.
As for appropriations, six bills were on the agenda, granting six different organizations funding conditional on senate approval. All six were voted on and passed, approving funding requests of the Albany Sports Business Organization, the Muslim Student Association, the Ghanaian Student Union, the Forensic Science Club, the UAlbany Literature Book Club and Unplugged Discussions.
Chair of the Appropriations Committee Nazar Yevko expressed that the Supplemental and Deposit Match budget lines are not being utilized, as last week an $8,000 line transfer bill had to be passed to the New and Unfunded line.
“I am glad that line transfer passed. We needed it,” Yevko said. “Supplemental and Deposit [lines] have been a little bit underutilized, so I hope that will change later in the semester.”
Approximately 42% of the Supplemental Budget Line has been utilized this academic year.
In addition to appropriations bills, four bills were discussed and passed, assigning senators to different committees.
Kelly Gorman, the director of the Office of Health Promotion at UAlbany, spoke to the senate about this year’s Out of the Darkness walk, taking place in late April.
The walk, taking place April 26, has previously raised $37,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention according to Gorman, and specifically its local chapter in the Capital Region.
“This organization funds so much research for suicide prevention and support, and really promoting mental health in our communities through education, training and a lot of other really wonderful things,” Gorman said. “We are able to show that collectively, not just as individuals, we all belong to a community where we care about mental health, we care about suicide prevention, and it matters so much that we are going to both show up and we are going to show out.”
Gorman emphasized the importance of the walk, while acknowledging that UAlbany has placed third in a national ranking of hundreds of colleges participating in the walk.
On the topic of mental health, Middle Earth President Amaya Neuwirth spoke at the meeting to encourage participation in the walk, and remind students that they now have free access to the mental and physical health platform TimelyCare.
Pratiksha Malayil, the director of Disability and Health, discussed similar topics during her executive report, challenging the stigma around mental health and reaching out for help.
“Like many students at this university, and in this room, I have experienced periods of intense academic and personal pressure. Many students believe that these services are not meant for them, or that seeking help will make them look weak, but your leadership can change that perception,” Malayil said, addressing the senate to advertise the free resources available to students like TimelyCare.
The senate may have followed its usual routine, but the spotlight on mental health gave the meeting a different tone.
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