Archivist Note: Originally published on the Elections wordpress site. Sep 18, 2015 @ 01:25, “CANDIDATES STATEMENT September Elections: Member at Large”
Nora Dell:
Hello everyone,
My name is Nora Dell (she/her) – I’m a first year representative from Pem West – and I’m running to be one of your members-at-large.
I decided to run for the position after attending my first SGA meeting a couple weeks ago. We were in the middle of the meeting when I realized how important SGA is at Bryn Mawr. It gives us the power to affect real change, rather than being passive bystanders in our community. And I think that’s extraordinary. I realized I had a voice. I realized we all have a voice. I realized I genuinely cared about our community – something I had been waiting to feel since I accepted the offer of admission.
One of the most important things I’ve come to realize about any organization is communication. Past experiences with communication include Communications Director for my high school orchestra, where I communicated with over 200 people about events and scheduling. I’ve also spent the past two years tutoring calculus and physics. And one of the most valuable things that teaches you is how to convey complex ideas in a way everyone can understand. This is just one of the skills I will bring to the member-at-large position, and by extension, the undergraduate community. I will do my best to make sure accurate information is widespread.
At the end of the day, that ability to affect change is what makes me want to be in student government. On the other side of that, however, it places a great responsibility on the SGA to take thoughtful, beneficial actions. If elected, I will do my best to ask important questions, to make sure no issue or concern goes unnoticed – to be your voice on the representative council. I will try my hardest to be able to look back on every action we took, every debate we had, and say that the community is better off for it.
With those sentiments in mind, I ask for your vote.
Contact me at ndell@brynmawr.edu . I check my email all the time!
Radhika Singh:
Good Evening! My name is Radhika Singh and I am a first year student at Bryn Mawr College. I use she/her pronouns and I am running for one of the posts of “Members – At – Large”.
Being a part of the Bryn Mawr community for the last month, I have understood and learnt the need for a community and a true ‘home’ in which we can trust one and another with our deepest fears and also overcome them by voicing our opinion. Being part of this community has helped me realize the vast nations and cultures that we represent and the need for having such a large population of international students only aids in trying to imbibe newer thought processes and perspectives.
Through my research papers in high school in business and psychology on understanding human behavior, helped me transcend my learning to the fields of sports, dance and community service. As the captain of the Throwball team, knowledge of my opponent’s weakness and teamwork helped us win tournaments. Being a trained Bharat Natyam dancer, I have to be prepared to understand the emotions of the audience and make them feel the same emotions as the character in my act is feeling. In dance performances (solo as well as group), I delved into medieval and contemporary history and literature to embody the protagonist’s spirit. Understanding the composition of the audience aids me in choreographing dance sequences; fast paced for younger audiences; deeply emotive for elders; and all this contributes to the success of my performances!
Community service at SAVERA, a school for the mentally challenged, made me unwrap the magic of trust. I taught cooking, painting, and dancing; thereby breaking through their silence, through my unconditional love. While this earned me the Certificate for commitment and dedication at the Interact Club, it also made me understand how trust, whether between persons or a brand and a consumer, is important. During my junior and senior year at high school, I jointly planned a Fund Raiser for SNEHA, a non profit organization. This was a joint initiative planned in coordination with Society for Nutrition, Education & Health Action (SNEHA), theatre artists and children living in urban slums to showcase the life of a woman and her pains, dreams, challenges, hardships and determination in her journey from a child to a woman.
To summarise, I did a lot of research in understanding human behavior and helping my community with a understanding diversity, giving back and being open to newer ideas.
Being a part of ‘Member-At-Large” will help me interact with the larger student body and learn about their skills and talents. I feel that being exposed to SGA meetings and decision-making in college with help me share some of my experiences and also gain knowledge and love for my true heart for the next four years – Bryn Mawr College and hopefully teach me responsibility and give me friends for a lifetime! Hence, I wish to be a part of the Members-At-Large community.
Lilly King:
Hi everyone!
My name is Lilly King (she/her; class of 2019) and I am running to be a member-at-large on the SGA representative council. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns (…or even just to talk I love Grey’s Anatomy, BuzzFeed, and Katy Perry) at leking@brynmawr.edu.
A few weeks ago, on parade night, when the rest of the freshman class and I walked through the tunnel of Martyrs, we were welcomed home. But I was far from home; I’m from Massachusetts, where my high school had a stigma associated with having different opinions and where the student government had no influence in the administration’s decisions. Thus, I’ve never been a part of a community, where the administration, and the faculty in general, have been interested in the student body’s ideas. Even more so, I’ve never been a part of a community where the students readily await their turn to speak because they genuinely care for the well being of their school. What I’ve realized is that Bryn Mawr is a home. Your customs group becomes your family and the owls on the Rock Arch are your honorary pets. Here, students are strong, powerful, and opinionated…and that’s okay.
I would love to have the opportunity to be one of your members-at-large because I want to give back to our community. I will act as a liaison between the eboard and the student body to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. Because there are some misconceptions about the SGA events and about the association in general, I will encourage each every one of you to stand up for your believes, to speak up for yourselves, and to show up to SGA meetings so that you can experience how empowering it is to be a part of a community that supports you and your voice. In addition, I want to meet and form connections with new people, and to have the opportunity to collaborate with them and to also contribute individually to SGA.
I have experience working with peers my age and with young adults who have different personalities, maturity levels, and priorities. I am a strong leader, but I also know when to step back and led others lead the way. In addition, I am creative, flexible, and organized. I am friendly, empathic, and a good listener. I can resolve conflicts and find solutions and I enjoy organizing and implementing events. I am dedicated to this position and the responsibilities that come with it and hope that I can be an active part of a rewarding system that positively impacts others.
Hannah Chinn:
My name is Hannah Chinn and I’m a current freshman (yay Class of 2019!) This year, I’m running for Member-at-Large. The SGA is one of the things that first set this college apart for me — simply the idea that at BMC, students hold both authority and responsibility for themselves and each other. I’m interested in seeing more about how self-governance works and in being an active member of the Bryn Mawr community.
A Member-at-Large’s responsibility is to vote, to serve the community through active participation in SGA activities, and to be representative of the student body as a whole. As Member-at-Large, I would do my best to listen and understand the people around me, build connections, and represent the community to the best of my ability. I know I’m a freshman, but one of the benefits of being a first-year is that everything is new… I am constantly asking new questions, approaching new things, and pushing myself to my limits. For many students, the SGA can sometimes seem intimidating or unapproachable — my hope is that by listening to others, reaching out, and starting conversations, this will change. In this position, I would work towards a more understanding, more approachable, and more fully representational SGA.
Delia Landers
I am a current first year at Bryn Mawr, and I am running for member-at-large. When I was looking for colleges I wanted somewhere that respected the students, and allowed them to be independent. When I heard about the SGA I realized that Bryn Mawr had exactly that community I was seeking. I am so excited to be a part of the SGA and hope that being a member-at-large will be the role I play in it this year.
I am excited for taking on the responsibilities of a member-at-large. Having my vote count in meetings is very important to me, I am very passionate about this school and I want to play an active role in improving it. I am also looking forward to the aspect of the position which includes reaching out to the entire student body to tell them about what is happening in the SGA, and accurately represent them. I have loved getting to know the BMC community in my 1st month here. I believe that the relationships I have already made and the relationships I hope to make in the future will help me to learn what the student body wants from the SGA. I will work hard to reach out to as much of the community as possible and accurately represent them. Thank you.
Oona Ryle
My name is Oona Ryle, and I am running for the position of member-at-large. I am a first year, and have already been affected by the positive impacts of our SGA. I’m running for this position because I love how students at Bryn Mawr don’t have to jump through hoops to make change happen, and I want to be a part of the process of making it even easier to have your voice heard.
The primary purpose of this position is to represent the views of the student body and to be an active (and passionate) member of the SGA. I love this school and I love talking to people, and I’m very excited about the prospect of being elected.
Although I haven’t been a part of the SGA before, I have had experience with facilitating conversations and connecting people. I was in a leadership group that worked with high-schoolers struggling with their transition to a new school. I was also captain of my lacrosse team, and acted as the go-between for my team and my coach. From these, and from being an active member of multiple clubs and organizations, I have learned how to effectively communicate with people.
If elected, I would use my experiences to provide services and information to the Bryn Mawr community, along with spreading my love for SGA and our school to other students.
I am excited to become a more active and dedicated member of Bryn Mawr’s community – in whatever form that takes.
You can contact me at oryle@brynmawr.edu. Thank you for your time and consideration!