Facing a second term in office, Student Assembly President Zora deRham ’27 described her vision to connect the Student Assembly with student concerns.
deRham beat out three other candidates with a campaign focused on institutional knowledge. Reflecting on her win, deRham said, “I’m definitely honored that Cornellians have chosen to place their trust in me again and give me a little bit more time to … effect some change.”
The sophomore is from Connecticut and studies agricultural sciences. She first secured her seat on the Assembly in fall 2023 when she was elected as a freshman representative. deRham inherited what she described as “an Assembly that had a long history of infighting” and credited her “greatest accomplishment so far” with changing that tone.
“Hands-down, my greatest accomplishment so far has been maintaining a much more collegial Assembly … [that is] communicative,” deRham said, noting renewed ties with peer organizations through the State University of New York and the on-campus Residence Hall Association.
Looking ahead, deRham’s most outspoken pledge is to restore meal swipe access to Trillium Dining Hall — an amenity removed around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to deRham. The Assembly passed Resolution 31 in February, urging Cornell Dining to offer a meal swipe option and provide pre-boxed meals to pick up at Trillium.
President Michael Kotlikoff formally acknowledged the resolution in early April and committed Cornell Dining “to exploring the feasibility of an additional pickup location for meals to-go on central campus.”
“Trillium meal swipes affect so many students,” deRham said. “I … campaigned on it when I ran for freshman representative, and I intend to keep pushing Cornell Dining until we have a green light.”
She expects negotiations to run through 2026, working with the Assembly’s Dining Services Committee, athletics administration and other on-campus parties to bring “a real show of force” to the bargaining table.
deRham also turned her attention to the Assembly’s chronic voter turnout problem.
“We hover at under 10-percent voter turnout, [but] a lot of our peer schools are closer to twenty to twenty-five percent,” deRham said, referencing other SUNY campuses. “Even if that changed the outcome, I think that’s healthier for the Assembly and for the school to have higher engagement in the elections.”
To reach that mark, deRham outlined her plan to revive ice-cream-social pop-ups, build a semester-long calendar of outreach events and require every Assembly member to complete constituent engagement projects as mandated by the charter. deRham also expressed interest in revamping a bi-weekly newsletter and a more active social-media presence to reconnect the Assembly to its constituents.
When asked about pressing issues facing students, deRham highlighted rising costs on campus as another component of her overarching agenda to address with the administration.
“The everyday out-of-pocket expenses of being a student at Cornell just don't make sense relative to our peer schools,” deRham said. “They harm the student spirit when there's always something to pay for, whether it's a meal at Trillium or laundry in the dorm, parking … [or] gyms — there’s so many things that fall into this out-of-pocket expense bubble.”
With a byline funding cycle worth over $6 million approaching, deRham said that she will work with the incoming vice president of finance to alert student organizations “months in advance” about documentation requirements, easing all parties involved into what deRham called an otherwise tedious and difficult process.
Throughout all initiatives, deRham stressed that her style of leadership is rooted in clear communication and collaboration.
“I want my effort to be known in a way that inspires my colleagues to do the same,” deRham said. “I'm into … prioritizing Assembly outreach because a group of 20 is much more effective than just one or the visions of one.”
deRham clarified that she does not intend to run for a third term. When asked what legacy she hopes to leave when her term ends in 2026, deRham seeded her hope in amplified engagement.
“Student Assembly is effective. Student Assembly is powerful. Student Assembly is beautiful,” deRham said. “And more people need to know about it because it's so valuable to everyone.”
