SGA Recap: Senate Discusses Antisemitism, Gaza, Ice Cream And More

By Anthony Curioso and Patrick D. Lewis

Three weeks after its controversial first meeting of the 2025-26 school year, the SGA Senate convened again for a record-breaking session on October 27. Ultimately, this meeting would make history by surpassing the record set this past February for the most legislative items considered at a single senate session—seven in total, compared to the previous record of five. Those seven were not without drama.

Highlights from the public comment portion of the meeting included students voicing their opinions regarding several of the resolutions on the agenda, with the most common topics being Resolution 004 (A Resolution to Advocate For a Ban on Clubs in Support of a Nation(s) Committing Genocide), sponsored by junior theology major Joshua Ortiz, and Resolution 007 (A Resolution to Adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism as an Educational Tool), sponsored by senior nursing major Felipe Avila. Student Body President Michael Kish, a senior business and philosophy major, concluded the public comment period by requesting civility and decorum from the senators and the public as the meeting progressed. Several speakers also expressed hope that meetings could become less controversial.

Senator Ortiz introduced Resolution 004 (A Resolution to Advocate For a Ban on Clubs in Support of a Nation(s) Committing Genocide) by presenting highlights from a 75-page document promulgated by the United Nations, which accused the State of Israel of war crimes, and by stating that this resolution would further align the University with settled Catholic doctrine. 

“We have to remind ourselves that we are a private Catholic institution,” said Ortiz. “As I’ve presented in this resolution, both in the Vatican II documents, an ecumenical council, as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the indiscriminate attack on civilians should be condemned and is not in line with Catholic Social Teaching whatsoever.”

Criticism of this resolution came from Senator Avila and Bennett Bert, a senior politics major, who said he believed what SGA said on the topic of the war in Gaza was irrelevant in the end and that he thought the body should spend its time working to improve student experiences instead. Avila is the president of CUA’s chapter of Students Supporting Israel, which faced protests after inviting two Israeli servicemen to campus earlier this month. Ortiz was one of the leaders of the protest and was removed from Heritage Hall during the event after he began giving a speech against it.

After more than 40 minutes of deliberation, the senators’ vote of 18-4 on Resolution 004 sent it back to the Student Resources Committee, at which point many audience members left the chamber. 

Austin Janssen, a junior politics major, sponsored Resolution 005 (A Resolution to Create a Student-Run Ice Cream Shop) and said he hoped that passing the resolution would spur the SGA Executive Branch to take action on the matter. The senators’ vote on Resolution 005 of 17-4 resulted in its passage, with one senator not voting due to being out of the room on a point of personal privilege.

James Mazza, a sophomore majoring in accounting, presented Resolution 006 (A Resolution for LC’s Reform), which called for a task force to be established to create a uniform philosophy syllabus for LCs. Mazza said he had received support from multiple philosophy professors. He defended the resolution by arguing that the proposed policy changes would promote greater fairness for students. However, Mazza quickly moved to refer the resolution to the senate committees, as several details within had not been fully resolved, including speaking to the Dean of Philosophy and ironing out logistical issues with the resolution. The senators then voted unanimously to refer Resolution 006 to the Academic Affairs Committee.

Next, the senators debated Resolution 007 (A Resolution to Adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism as an Educational Tool), sponsored by Senator Avila. 

Avila defended the resolution, which he said “should be a pretty straightforward resolution,” by stating that the IHRA definition of antisemitism is a relevant educational tool and its implementation would be an excellent step toward combating antisemitism on the CUA campus. “It’s not a speech code…it’s simply an educational tool,” he said. 

Senator Bert praised the resolution, as did Dion Sinodinos, a senior majoring in media and communications. Emma Bonney, a sophomore politics major, offered criticism, along with both senators who represent the School of Theology and Religious Studies. After amendments to correct grammatical errors and further controversy over the method by which senators would vote on Resolution 007, the senators voted 14-7 to strike down the resolution via a sticky-note-ballot vote with one senator abstaining.

The voting procedure was once again the subject of controversy, with competing motions made as to how to vote. 

In comments posted to Instagram, Bert said, “Last night, the SGA Senate voted with overwhelming margins (under the cloak of a secret ballot) to reject a resolution that would have been a significant step toward ensuring that antisemitism has no place on our campus. Sadly, instead of the senate using its voice to advocate for the prevention of hate in our community, the vast majority of senators squashed this resolution.”

In her defense of Resolution 008 (A Resolution to Designate a Pryzbyla Center Table for Student Government Association Senators to Meet with Constituents), Bonney, as the sponsoring senator, stated that this would be a great way to connect with her constituents. This resolution received praise from Senators Janssen, Hermes, and Otto, and the senators ultimately passed it by a unanimous voice vote.

Jack Hermes, a junior business major, sponsored the final two resolutions of the evening: Resolution 009 (A Resolution to Adopt “Murphy’s After Hours”) and Resolution 010 (A Resolution to Add the Metro U-Pass to 2026-2027 University Budget and Explore Corporate Sponsorship). 

Hermes’ defense of Resolution 009 stemmed from his satisfaction with the resounding success of the first two iterations of “Murphy’s After Hours” on the preceding Thursday and Friday and from his belief that its expansion would greatly benefit the broader University community.

“Students showed up, the atmosphere was fantastic, and everything ran safely and responsibly under University supervision,” Senator Hermes said. “Here’s what we’re really doing: reviving a decades-old Catholic University tradition [by making a space] where students, faculty, and clergy gathered in fellowship over a beer.” He added that students drinking on campus would be safer than drinking off campus.

Hermes also said that he thought students should be employed to run these events, including working as bouncers, something that raised eyebrows in the chamber.

“It creates a real opportunity for student employment,” he said. “Service positions, event staff, these are valuable jobs that build professional experience in hospitality and event management. I also think that if students are, you know, let’s give this off the record, the ones at the door, right? Maybe people who are more likely to, you know, sort of turn their back on some things. And last Thursday, it proved that this works.”

Hermes defended Resolution 010 by stating that this legislative item is already subject to an upcoming Board of Trustees vote later this semester and that student support would help influence the budget decision on this matter toward a favorable outcome for the student body. Notably, the Board will be looking at the issue due to former Student Body Vice President Clare Tong’s advocacy.

On how Resolution 010 would help students get out into the greater DC community, Hermes shared, “We’re in one of the world’s great cities, yet many students stay trapped in our little Brookland bubble because every trip costs money they don’t have.”

Support for the U-Pass program was an about-face for Hermes, who in the previous academic year led the opposition movement to the project, saying it was a “socialist” policy that he saw as violating Catholic teaching. 

Ultimately, the senators voted to pass both of Hermes’ resolutions by unanimous margins.

Following the conclusion of the legislative agenda, updates from Student Body Vice President Catherine Weatherwax, a junior politics major, included her typical reminder that those who passed legislation meet with Frances Noory, a senior social work major and the Student Body Secretary.

Highlights from the open floor period at the end of the senate meeting included several senators voicing grievances about the lack of respect and decorum exhibited on the senate floor, updates from the committee chairs which they were unable to share at the beginning of the meeting, and Senator Hermes sharing brief information about the conversations he is having with the Department of Public Safety as part of his role as the commissioner of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) that represents CUA within the DC Government.

The next senate meeting will occur on November 17 at 8:15 p.m., again in Great Room B at the Pryzbyla Center.