Adolyn Cofie will no longer serve as president of the Student Association due to “personal reasons,” according to a Tuesday email from the SA’s two remaining executive board members.
Cofie, a senior political science and philosophy major, had a wealth of SA-related experience, including stints as interim chief of staff, assistant entertainment director and entertainment mentee. The reason behind her departure is unclear.
Former SA Vice President Alyssa Palacios will serve as president in her place. Palacios will be tasked with naming a new vice president, who must be approved by the SA Board of Directors. Palacios has requested that SA staff members who are “interested in being considered for nomination” for vice president notify her of their interest by Jan. 21.
SA Treasurer Sayan Trotman will remain in her current role.
“We appreciate Adolyn’s contributions to SA as president and a longtime staff member,” Palacios and Trotman wrote in an email to SA staff. “We are grateful for her leadership and we wish her well. SA will continue to support clubs, provide services and organize first-rate events and programs.”
On Sept. 16, Cofie and Palacios’ HERstory Party won the 2020-21 SA e-board election with 489 votes, beating out the R.I.S.E. and Dreem Team parties. Trotman, also of the HERstory party, won the treasurer election with 405 votes.
In a September interview with The Spectrum, Cofie said she wanted SA to become more advocacy-based and less focused on entertainment. She proposed collaborating with other student groups, like UB Athletics, the Intercultural Diversity Center and Blackstone Launchpad, on student advancement initiatives.
“We feel that collaborating with these [campus groups] in UB would help us not only be advocates for more students, but to get more students to know who we are and know what we’re about,” Cofie said.
Cofie said she would use her other experiences — she has also served as a Faculty Student Association board member, Black Council member and event coordinator for the Pre-Law chapter of the National Black Law Student Association — to bolster the SA.
But her departure comes just 13 days before the start of the spring semester, leaving the organization with little time to reorganize.
“The UB Student Association is — and always has been — a team endeavor made possible by many student government and club leaders,” Palacios and Trotman wrote. “Together, UB’s undergraduates will make the most of the spring semester. We expect to make announcements regarding upcoming activities and opportunities in coming days.”
Justin Weiss is the managing editor and can be reached at justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com
Justin Weiss is The Spectrum's managing editor. In his free time, he can be found hiking, playing baseball or throwing things at his TV when his sports teams aren't winning. His words have appeared in Elite Sports New York and the Long Island Herald. He can be found on Twitter @Jwmlb1.
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
