By Ella Policastri

Tucked in a corner of the University Memorial Center, members of the student government are working to support their CU Boulder peers. CU Student Government operates under a unique model: three presidents rather than one.

John Masulit is the president of internal affairs.

“One of the biggest parts of student government is our $35 million budget,” he said.

The presidents work in a shared governance, a system where students, faculty, staff and administrators share responsibility in university decision-making. Last spring, the group banded together to remove a campus statue of Football Coach Bill McCartney. The statue was controversial because while McCartney led the Buffs to a championship in 1990, he supported Amendment II of the Colorado Constitution, which barred local governments from passing anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Masulit and the group sent a letter to the university chancellor asking him to put a statue somewhere less prevalent.  

Camden Sharkey is the student government president of external affairs. He credits shared governance with prioritizing campus safety. He and others went on a campus safety walk where they looked for issues like broken lights, unsafe walkways and making sure emergency communications like the CU Safe App were working.   

“If students don’t feel safe walking across campus, it affects their ability to succeed here,” Sharkey said. 

Giana Guido is the third member of the executive branch with the title of president of student affairs. In addition to her position in student government, Guido is working with Boulder District Attorney Micheal Doherty and Congressman Joe Neguse on immigration clinics for students. Guido says the clinics are to inform students of their rights so they know how to respond to situations like those in Minneapolis.

“The best thing we can do is promote self-agency, activism and student leadership,” she said.  

In the past, members of the student government have been criticized for lack of transparency. The new officers are promising to change that and have launched a Transparency and Literacy Project. They created a new webpage that outlines CU’s student government responsibilities and actions.  

“Having everything in one place actually helps,” said Evan Pollachek, a CU Boulder sophomore. “I think this will increase a lot of engagement and serve students by informing them about where their $500 student fees are going.”  

Edited by Avery Kinnison