PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Salimatou Doumbouya, Student and Chairperson of the University Student Senate at New York City College of Technology
1:20:25
·
3 min
Salimatou Doumbouya, a student at New York City College of Technology and chairperson of the CUNY University Student Senate, testifies about the importance of student civic engagement and the role of the University Student Senate in fostering political participation among CUNY students.
- Emphasizes the USS as a centralized institution that engages all 25 CUNY campuses and provides students with hands-on experience in policy and campaigning
- Highlights how USS opens doors for students to participate in city, state, and federal advocacy
- Describes USS as a "mini United Nations" where students become part of the larger civic community
Salimatou Doumbouya
1:20:25
Here we are, the students that everybody talks about.
1:20:29
Again, my name is Selena Tudombia, and I am a student at the New York City College of Technology, studying architecture.
1:20:36
I'm now in my 5th year, and we're the minor in business management.
1:20:42
I am also the chairperson of the Q And A University's student senate and the Q And A student trustee.
1:20:48
And I have been in this position for 3 years now.
1:20:51
I remember when I was first running a student telling me, why would elected officials even listen to you ever?
1:20:58
You're not even from here.
1:21:00
You're from Guinea.
1:21:01
And I told her, well, as the chair of USS, you're not necessarily representing yourself.
1:21:07
You're presenting the entire CUNY student community, like 275,000 students, and so many of them have a stake, so many of them have a right to vote.
1:21:20
So as an influencer, we have a lot of power.
1:21:24
And that's what the university student student represents.
1:21:27
For me, logically, tangibly on paper everywhere, it's the single centralized institution of Quni that engages every institute tuition, all of the 25 campuses.
1:21:39
Our constituency, our membership, has students from all campuses around 4, sometimes 6 students that come to represent their constituencies on the University of Southern Senate, and we get engaged.
1:21:53
For our civic engagement does not start months before or during a year, it's not a specific time.
1:22:00
It is all the time.
1:22:02
The students that come into USS sometimes are only aware of what's happening on their campuses.
1:22:07
And they want to make an impact.
1:22:09
Then they come into USS and realize, hey, listen, there is so much more going on.
1:22:13
We should go testify at the city council.
1:22:16
We should go to the city legislature.
1:22:18
Do we have an opportunity to go to DC to advocate for our international students?
1:22:22
We should actually do it.
1:22:24
The university student senate opens doors, it opens up the perspectives, and it opens up possibilities for students.
1:22:31
It is a student founded, student funded, organization where students make their own decisions on what they support and how they support it.
1:22:42
First hand, experiential learning on what policy is, on what running a campaign is because you have to run your campaign to get elected.
1:22:50
I run 3 of those, and I want 3 of them.
1:22:53
And we are about to have other elections where students are learning the process.
1:22:57
There are so many people in New York City and New York State Politics today that went through USS.
1:23:04
Everywhere we go with our scarfs and with our logo, we are being recognized.
1:23:08
Some students that come in USS and cannot stay for more than 1 semester end up joining their community board because they got a taste of how much impact they can make.
1:23:18
And because it is our space, and because we can't show what happens in there, we get to experience what we want government to be like.
1:23:25
And that is the beauty of the university student's Senate.
1:23:29
This year, we are operating under the motto of One Voice.
1:23:32
The power of one voice.
1:23:35
That bleeds into our free metro cards campaign and everything else that we're doing.
1:23:39
So our students want to vote.
1:23:40
Our students will get out to vote, and they will encourage their peers to vote because they get to experience it.
1:23:46
Nobody tells them.
1:23:47
They see it.
1:23:48
Because USS is your mini United Nations.
1:23:51
It's your mini government where you become more than just a student, you become a part of the meeting of our great city and state.