Category: Elections

CANDIDATES STATEMENT September Elections: Member at Large

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!

CANDIDATES STATEMENT September Elections: 2019 Class President (s)

Archivist Note: Originally published on the Elections wordpress site. Sep 18, 2015 @ 01:28, “CANDIDATES STATEMENT September Elections: 2019 Class President (s)”

 

Lillian Oyen-Ustad & NIki Shakamuri: 

Hello Mawrters!

Our names are Lillian Oyen-Ustad (she/her pronouns) and Nikki Shakamuri (she/her pronouns) and we would be honored to serve as your class presidents. We can be reached at loyenustad@brynmawr.edu and nshakamuri@brynmawr.edu or at Rhoads South Room 102, so please contact us if you have any questions! Also, please know that we’ll most definitely be the ones to say “hi” around campus; we’re both very social people and we cannot wait to have the chance to learn more about each one of you!

A little bit of background on the both of us: Lil has been in student government since Middle School, holding Student Council President for three years in high school, and secretary before that. She applied ED with SGA being a large contributing factor alongside Bryn Mawr’s true sense of community and support. Nikki had the same type of experience. She applied Regular Decision and knew that Bryn Mawr was the school for her when she visited an SGA meeting during infocus. She has held multiple executive roles in clubs and was also captain of a varsity sports team in high school.

Being a member of the SGA in any capacity is a time consuming thing. Not only are we dedicated to serving our class as a whole, but we also know how unique the SGA is to Bryn Mawr, and plan to uphold it’s values to the best of our ability. As for time management, we’ve both done varsity sports our entire lives, as well as balanced school and extracurricular activities, so we believe we’re quite prepared to handle the load that comes with being your presidents!  Luckily, we’re roommates, and very good friends with similar schedules, so seeing each other and keeping open communication will be an easy thing for us to do.

If elected, we plan on having office hours, regularly updating the Facebook page, sending out class wide emails, creating a class twitter for updates on events, having “day in the life” on instagram, another things to keep class discussion alive. As for class events, we can’t wait to get to know more about the wonderful people in our class and give each and every one of you the feeling of a family, rather than a class. We both love food, music, and getting to know people so between impromptu dance parties, tea parties, movie parties, cards against humanity, and various other events, we hope to build the sense of family in our class.

We know that we’ve only been apart of this amazing community for a short time now, but we hope to be the kind of Class Presidents that help assure that Bryn Mawr becomes your home. For the both of us, we have been in love with Bryn Mawr since the first time we stepped foot on campus, it was our dream school, probably like many of you. We both came from close knit high schools where community was everything and after singing Hillary Duff in Goodhart, Parade Night, step sing, and surviving customs week together, we cannot wait to spend the next four years with all of you amazing people by our sides. Whether we win or lose, we will always hold SGA near and dear to our hearts as well as all of you, but we want to be your presidents because Bryn Mawr is our home, and you are our family and we want to make sure that you all feel the same way we do when you walk around this campus…respected, supported, and loved.

Margaret Gorman: 

My name is Margaret Gorman, and I am a candidate for Class of 2019 President.  I am extremely excited to be a part of the Bryn Mawr community and, whether elected or not, I plan to be an active participant in the Self Government Association.  My passion for SGA comes from my belief that we are very privileged to be able to go to a school where our voices are so respected and have so much power.  We, as students at Bryn Mawr, are responsible for creating the community that we want to be a part of; upholding the Honor Code and crafting a welcoming, safe atmosphere where students can fully engage with their learning.  I know that having a say in my own education makes me much more enthusiastic about learning.  I want to be Class President because I know that I can be a voice for the first-year class.  I want to help create this community and support the individuals inside of it.

I have experience in leadership and student government.  My high school, H-B Woodlawn, had a very unique system of governing: every week, students and teachers would gather in the library for a “Town Meeting,” during which we discussed issues and changes within our school and voted democratically on how to address them.  These meetings were run through a modified version of Robert’s Rules of Order, so I already have some familiarity with the rules that govern SGA meetings.  In addition to being an active participant at Town Meetings, I was often chair of the meetings, a job that involved regulating discussion and maintaining order.

I was also elected by my peers to serve as representative to the Student Advisory Board (SAB), a group of students who meet with our county’s School Board to discuss issues within the school system.  As a representative on the SAB for four years, I was able to have input on issues such as budget, transportation, and scheduling.  In my senior year, I became chair of the SAB and led the meetings.  At the end of the school year, I gave a presentation to the School Board about what we had accomplished and what our goals were for the future.  A short article about my presentation can be found here <http://tinyurl.com/opxhr6e>.

I also have spoken at three School Board meetings as an advocate for my high school during a lengthy process to solve the school system’s overcrowding crisis.  A video of me speaking at a school board meeting can be found here <http://tinyurl.com/p8jbm7q> (I am Speaker #2 under Student Speakers; skip to 1:30 minutes to avoid the speaker guidelines).

I know that being class president will require me to effectively listen, communicate, and manage my time.  As an SAB representative, I listened to the opinions of my peers and relayed them to the other students on the SAB as well as to the School Board.  I was also committed to service with my school’s Action Team, involved in school plays, and an active member of a writers’ group.  Because of these experiences, I understand how to effectively coordinate a number of commitments and how to prioritize my responsibilities.  As I said during the Candidates’ Forum, I am always happier when I am a little bit busy.

I will bring enthusiasm, experience, and passion to the SGA as Class President.  I want to foster a sense of trust, inclusiveness, and community within our class and within Bryn Mawr as a whole.  I look forward to learning more about the Bryn Mawr community — especially about the Class of 2019 — during my years here!

I can be reached at mgorman1@brynmawr.edu or 571-289-7691.  Please don’t hesitate to email, text, or call me with any questions you may have!

Felicia Grable: 

My name is Felicia Grable (fgrable@brynmawr.edu 202-297-0014) and I am running for Class President of 2019. I am interested in this position because I believe in giving everybody a voice and unite us as a class, especially as we are the new faces on campus. I live in Radnor 3rd and I have a small customs group but everyone comes from different walks of life. All of us accept different roles; some of us lead and others are content to follow. However, we all band together, enjoy each other’s company, and make sure we include everyone. That’s what I want our whole class to be like. I want people, extroverted or introverted; to feel as though they could approach me with any problem they have and feel as though I could properly express their concerns and feel as though we are all together.

I know that being president is more than being a friendly face; it’s also about being a leader and someone who people can look up to and trust to bring the community together. That said I know this is no easy job, as it requires dedication to the class I am representing. Organization is key to keep on top of thing such as meetings and teas. I have a little bit of experience in representing my class back in England when I was form captain, comparable to class representative, in sophomore year. As I have said before, the best ways to make the most out of this position and make it better is being easily approachable and listen to the needs of everyone and by doing so, making our transition into the Bryn Mawr community a smooth one. I want everyone to speak up, even if they have quieter voices, and bring any concerns to me.

One of things I want to do, as president, is to solidify what the position has achieved and what the SGA has achieved in the community. I would like to make sure that everyone is included in the teas that I will host, including those in our class who live off-campus and even McBride students. This all part of the job of SGA to make sure that they accurately represent the student body and mediate between the college and the students. They also serve as problem solvers and we are in a unique position where we can control how students are treated when they break the Honor Code. I hope to be one of those representatives that work towards helping the community.

Colleen Williamsn & Kat Margaret Phifer 

Hello, Mawrtyrs!

Our names are Colleen Williamson and Kat Margaret Phifer and we are running for the Class of 2019’s Co-Presidents. We are very excited to run for this position! Our goal is to equally represent every student in the Class of 2019 and to create a safe space where everyone feels welcome to share their voice. We are organized, dedicated, and welcoming people who want the student body to feel comfortable coming to us for anything. We take this role very seriously, but also want to have a lot of fun with it!

Kat (she/her): In high school, I was the president of the Vocal Arts Club and the president and founder of the Spoken Word Poetry club, as well as the secretary of my school’s a cappella group. I have a lot of experience with leadership and organization. Along with these, I was, and continue, to be very active in theater, dance, vocal arts, and social justice. I am very involved around campus, which helps me know what is happening as well as what is working and what needs improvement. SGA is very important to me and, in my opinion, is an integral part of our Bryn Mawr experience; I want to make it a bigger part of the lives of the greater student body!

Colleen (she/her): I was the founder and treasurer of an Arabic club in high school; thus, I have experience with budgeting and leadership. I am also a very active member of multiple dance groups and am passionate about sustainability. I hope to create and improve sustainability projects around the campus. I am a very fun-loving, open, caring person and I would love to talk to each and every one of you about questions, comments, concerns, or just saying hi!

E-mail us with any funny kat (ha!) videos, cake recipes, or topics actually pertaining to our campaign: cwilliamso@brynmawr.edu, kphifer@brynmawr.edu. Thank you; we hope to see you around campus! J

CANDIDATES STATEMENT September Elections: Off Campus Representatives

Archivist Note: Originally published on the Elections wordpress site. Sep 20, 2015 @ 12:45, “CANDIDATES STATEMENT September Elections: Off Campus Representatives”

 

Sneha Soni & Elizabeth Loenzana: 

Hello, our names Sneha Soni and Elizabeth Lorenzana and we are excited to represent the off-campus community at Bryn Mawr. We hope to expand the Bryn Mawr community by fostering communication between the Mawrters living off-campus and the Bryn Mawr community. We’re living off-campus for our second and third years, respectively. We have many ideas for all our off-campus commuters, whether you live as close as Mermont, as far as Philadelphia city, or even at home.

Having lived off-campus for multiple years, we understand the joys and struggles that come with not living in a dorm. Since Bryn Mawr has a tight-knit dorm culture, it can be hard to maintain on-campus participation at community events. We plan to foster awareness of the non-residents, who can often be forgotten.

In addition to being an intermediate between the off and on-campus communities, we hope to introduce fellow non-residents to each other. We’d like the off-campus community to be aware of other non-residents that live around them and build relationships that they can count on. We’d also like to expand our community and strengthen our relationship with the McBride students.

With our experience, we can address any questions about the logistics of living off-campus, about finding student-approved housing, and finding potential roommates. We also welcome all questions concerning room draw, financial aid, and budgeting.  We live as close as Brecon and are always available to meet and talk with anyone living off-campus now or looking to live off-campus in the future.

Thank you, we look forward to representing our off-campus Mawrters.

Sneha and Elizabeth

ssoni@bmc, elorenzana@bmc

Thank you,
Sneha and Elizabeth

Emergency Elections November 2015 Minutes

Archivist Note: Originally published on the Elections wordpress site. Nov 20, 2015 @ 10:03, “Emergency Elections November 2015 Minutes”

 

Committee on Public Safety Nominees:

Tali Laurence ‘19 & Anushka Robinson ‘19

Nolan Julien ‘ 18

Q&A Minutes:

  1. Charlie Bruce ‘16: Why are you running for this position?

Tali: I’m running for CoPS head because when I came onto campus I heard a lot of great things about campus safety but now there are all these things about race and issues and as a student, I feel like I am in the position to do something about it. I want to see things that I could do about it and I am a student and this is the first time where I have the power to do something.  

Anushka: I was nominated to the position and in light of all the racial events at Bryn Mawr as somebody who these issues directly affect I felt like I should be part of a position that makes this campus more safe and inclusive for all of us undergraduates, postbacs, and students and bring the campus together.

Nolan: I would like to run for this position because I feel like as a prominent student leader on this campus I would do very well in communicating campus safety ideals to students and vice versa. Because of my strong communication and leadership skills, I feel like this position is perfect for me because I have such a passion for creating long lasting and positive relationships with students and faculty all over Bryn Mawr’s campus.

2. As you have all remarked, there have been tensions between Campus Safety and students of color on this campus. What would you do to improve that relationship?

Tali: Well, i’m aware the the cops head is the liaison between student body and campus safety. So my first goal would be to talk to the students of color on campus first to determine why they felt uncomfortable, what they feel can be improved and bring those responses back to campus safety and ask them how they would feel on their side of the situation and how they would handle it. And get them to empathize with the students on campus so that no one feels that they are being attacked. I think that as a 3rd person going in between I have that ability to ease and at least be a communication between cops and students of color on campus.

Anushka: So my first goal would be to increase transparency in this process. I know two things: it hasn’t not been not transparent because I know that the coalition has been trying to show their requests and why but also have cops let student know their initiatives and what they are doing. But I would want cops to be aware when students bring these issues to them what they can do and why they are doing them. Because of the nature of these meetings have been spontaneous I would want to have a more regulated process where we could have a more streamlined process for the benefit of all the students on this campus.

Nolan: As a student leader and a student that is very interested in law and solutions on this campus I believe that I could use my experiences with CS – both positive and negative – on consensus with both the students and officer to cohabitate and create safe spaces for all students. Because i have had personal experiences with cs officer, I would be able to reach out to them on a personal and professional level to be able to translate some student concerns on campus as well as hear cs concerns to students and translate that in resco meetings and sga meetings that I will be attending weekly.

  1. Rachel Ofili ‘16: How do you want transparency to come about?

Tali: So transparency i feel should go both ways so I would love for both sides of the situation – coalition and cs – to openly express what they are feeling in a respectful and polite manner and also send out after every meeting write down every that was discussed, decided about, what’s in the air, what I don’t have all the information for, and send out all that information to the school and see those responses. I know to be transparent about a situation I would want as much info on it and talk to students who are also not on the coalition and write that down so that everyone on campus would able to know about it.

Anushka: So I’m going to speak in general not just of the coalition but also of other students group if they have an issue with cs, I would definitely try in terms of transparency to make sure the campus is aware of any issues are brought up and make minutes and make those minutes aware to the campus. As for the coalition, I would want to make sure all cs plans of improvement – the process if shown to students and student are participants and that students are aware of every stage that is going on in these talks and the process.

Nolan: So in the case of campus safety – because their staff is relatively small – I believe that it would be a goal of mine to make sure I spoke to every campus officer and employee of that office so that I understood where they are coming from an officer’s perspective and at the same time also relay my own personal emotions with my cs with my negative and positive reactions since I believe it’s important to focus on both of them so that we can focus on what maintained and what can be improved. As having positions on both sisterhood and NAACP boards and being able to have personal and formal conversations with many students that have had negative interactions with cs, I feel that i would be able to relay that information to cs and again be able to gain their insight therefore creating more transparency between the two groups and thus having a more positive and solution driven environment.

4.Charlie Bruce ‘16: What is your favorite fruit?

Tali: Alright, my favorite fruit is the grape. Specifically crunch grapes like the one you get out of the fridge.

Anushka: Mangoes

Nolan: My favorite fruit is the pomegranate because you can open it up and see all the seeds and have them make up one thing … like Bryn Mawr. Like different shapes of seeds – students seeds, health keeping seeds, hahahahahahaa.

Elections Head Nominees:

Genesis Perez ‘19

Q&A:

  1. JoyAngelica ‘17: How good are you with using Moodle?

Genesis: I use moodle everyday so I think that I’m really good at using it. Yeah.

  1. Delaney Williams ‘17: How good are you at responding with emails?

Genesis: Really good – I check my email like 5 times a day. When I get something I need to respond to, I usually respond in 2 hours.

  1. Charlie Bruce ‘16: Why are you running for this position?

Genesis: I originally wanted to run for COPS because I got nominated but I took it because I want to get involved with sga and I think that it’s another good way to be involved with the Bryn Mawr community and I really love Bryn Mawr and I really want to be involved and it’s a good opportunity to do so .

  1. Anushka Robinson ‘19: Do you think that any improvements need to be made to the elections process at bryn mawr?

Genesis: I haven’t really been involved with the elections process but I vote. I mean, I guess any improvements – I guess I would ask the improvements of the old elections heads. I would take the suggestion and try my best to accommodate to them.

  1. Charlie Bruce ‘16: Since you are a first year, I am interested – what previous leadership positions have you had?

Genesis: So I was the head and co founder of a spiritual club so it was a student internship group of a Christian group. I was the captain of my tennis team and I was also really involved with volunteering for feeding the homeless.

  1. Tali Laurence ‘19: How do you increase the number of students voters on campus?

Genesis: I think that I would send out emails just to remind people that this is the time for voting, don’t forget to vote, people like social media so I would post reminders on twitter, instagram, and fb. Social media outlets to increase number of voters.

7.Nolan Julien ‘18: What is your favorite mode of communication?

Genesis: Texting. I do like texting.