Meet the New Coordinator of Public Affairs

By Summer Tyler

Bella Pizza, a junior communications major, grew up volunteering and working to improve her small-town community's events in her hometown of Warwick, NY. Working with community members allowed her to share new ideas to help engage young people and encourage growth at these events.

Bella Pizza sits in the Purchase Student Government Association Conference Room. (Photo by Alex Del Cueto)

Pizza has been recently appointed to the Purchase Student Government Association (PSGA) position as Coordinator of Public Affairs, which entails having a public relations position that is responsible for planning events on campus.

Growing up, Pizza always wanted to be a part of event planning. She's always very hands-on and independent when it comes to working in her desired field, and being involved in leadership and teamwork is her main priority.

"Arts management is a minor I'm doing…it coincides with event planning; that's why I'm taking that minor. Before I went to Purchase, I did a lot of event planning at the Warwick Valley Community Center. I got a lot of experience there," said Pizza.

She continued, "Another experience that made me want to be an event planner and do PR [Public Relations] was working at the Warwick Center for Performing Arts since I danced there for a few years. I would teach classes and help with putting the shows together. I was always very involved with the arts and planning events. I think that was the start of my realization that I wanted to get more involved. Now, being at Purchase, being an RA [Resident Assistant], we have to hold events each semester for students. Now that there's a PR position at Purchase, I really wanted to be a part of that," she said.

There are several responsibilities that come with being the Coordinator of Public Affairs. Pizza is in the works to shadow the current PSGA Coordinator of Public Affairs and hopes to learn more about what it takes to take on this role.

"I know that being a part of the PSGA, you have to sit as a chair representative of the PSGA. You have to show up to the PSGA meetings every Wednesday," Pizza said.

Bella Pizza listening in on a meeting. (Photo by Alex Del Cueto)

Sedajah Lance-Stewart, the current PSGA Coordinator of Public Affairs, talked about the responsibilities that this position requires.

"Most of my responsibilities are: approving event & flyer requests, making posts for the Instagram and managing DMs [Direct Messages], drafting and sending out BEMS [Blast Email Messaging System], and chairing PR and Public Art Committee, also planning events for PSGA PR," said Lance-Stewart.

Pizza was part of an internship at Pell Wealth Partners, which is a part of Ameriprise Financial Services, for about a year, where she worked as a marketing Intern and developed their marketing department and helped it grow.

"I was interning there, and I was doing marketing. I had to develop that internship into a job because they left it really up to me," said Lance-Stewart. "They didn't really give me a lot of tasks, so I had to make myself busy, and I had to propose things to them. Their marketing department wasn't developed much, so I came there and developed it for them. So, I guess I've always been very hands-on and independent when it comes to working… I've always just been really involved in leadership and teamwork and all that."

Thomas Dachik, a senior communications major and journalism minor, discussed how he feels about Pizza taking on this new role in the PSGA.

"Bella's experience on the Finance and PR committees for the PSGA helps her understand both the monetary and personal aspects to bringing students a fun and engaging college experience better than anyone," said Dachik. "But even beyond that, her character says so much more about her. She can handle pressure well and doesn't get rattled, and she's just a lovable person with a sweet and outgoing personality that brings light to anybody she encounters. We need more people like her at Purchase."

One of Pizza's goals for next year is to table at all the Conservatories and see what conservatory students would like to see for the following years that they're here. Pizza discussed how she feels a lot of conservatory students are really busy and often don't care to go to events that don't interest them or don't resonate with them.

One part of this position requires tabling, which is where the Coordinator of Public Affairs sets up a table in Campus Center North in hopes of getting to talk to students. She believes that by talking to more conservatory students, she could better understand their interests and get their input.

"A lot of conservatory students are so busy that they don't really care to go to events that don't interest them or that don't resonate with them. So it would be nice to get their input, and I think I could only do that if I go into the conservatories and talk to these students," said Pizza. "I feel like they really don't do much on campus from what I've heard, and then also my friends in conservatories, they're just so busy. Maybe that could grow the campus community."

Pizza spoke a lot about what she has in mind for the upcoming Fall 2025 semester, including how she plans to reach out to students and get everyone more involved in attending events.

"I believe a lot of campus is isolated. I've heard that from a lot of people, too. They feel the same way. I just think that it would be really nice to see a stronger community here between all students, no matter what your major is," said Pizza. "That was one plan I had for next year. I also think about holding more events that cater to a broader variety of students who hold different interests because we always see the same students that come to these events, and I think we need to broaden that, so I just think expanding idea."