Baruch College’s Undergraduate Student Government welcomed two new members to the senate table this spring semester — Robert Da Rita as chair of Philanthropy, who filled Liz Barzman’s seat and Briana Staten as vice president of Academic Affairs, who filled Carlton Maddix’s seat.

Both underclassmen are excited about their new positions and are going into the positions with goals they want to meet.

Da Rita, a sophomore studying actuarial science, was previously a member of the Student Building Fund Committee, where he focused on improving the construction projects for 17 Lex, and also the vice chair of the committee.

When asked about their experience at Baruch so far, both Da Rita and Staten shared that they have loved every minute of it.

“I love Baruch. It’s been a great experience,” Da Rita said.

“At first, I wasn’t sure because it was a commuter school, but once you get involved through club life and in different organizations and you find your place — it is a great experience.”

Staten, who has only been here for one semester, shared a similar experience. “Before, I wanted to go out-of-state for college, but now that I am at Baruch and I see the environment and that I am involved, I love the community atmosphere and I am excited to be here,” she said.

Both Da Rita and Staten are also involved in other clubs outside of USG.

Da Rita is a member of the Baruch Actuarial Society and Sigma Alpha Delta and even served as the Vice Chair of the Marketing Committee in Sigma Alpha Delta before he resigned to be a part of USG.

Staten is a part of T.E.A.M. Baruch and Success Network and hopes to continue to be an active member.

When asked about his new role, Da Rita said, “As the chair of Philanthropy, I will be focusing on giving back to the community, both inside and outside Baruch.”

He aims to hold various events and wants to ensure that the events are more hands-on.

“We will be hosting food drives, textbook drives and helping out in soup kitchens and giving back as much as we can,” Da Rita said.

Staten, a freshman and previous member of the USG Marketing Committee, said she was excited for her new position.

She stated, “As the VP of Academic Affairs, I will be working with the three different schools at Baruch to improve their curriculum and their pre-requisite requirements.”

She further added that math is the subject she wants to focus on most.

“Math is one of the most failed subjects at Baruch so I want to do various events where I can help students through their Math courses,” Staten said.

“I want to collaborate with SACC to see if we can hold an event to teach students how to use calculators before exams.”

Staten emphasized that her agenda is to prioritize education for students, improve class choices and enhance the academic experience for every Baruch student here.