Category: Meeting Summaries

September 2015 Candidates Forum Minutes

Archivist Note: Originally published on the Elections wordpress website Sep 18, 2015 @ 00:57. “September 2015 Candidates Forum Minutes” 

 

Candidates Forum Minutes

Pensby Rep:

Candidates:

Diamond Ray

Questions:

  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What is your interest in running for his position?
  1. Diamond Ray: My first year, I participated in Tri-Co and I got connected to leaders in diversity at Pensby center, and ever since then, I have wanted to learn how I could better facilitate the communication in the groups that I belong in. How can I make certain that conversations are being had and that issues are being dealt with.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 What skills do you think you can bring to this role?
  1. Diamond Ray: I’m interculturally aware. Everyone is qualified to discuss diversity, but I’m particularly vocal. I think that it’s important that everyone’s voice is heard. My personality will help me with this position.

Off Campus Representatives:

Candidates:

Elizabeth Lorenzan & Sneha Soni

Questions:

  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What is a struggle living off campus and how would you fix this?
  1. Elizabeth Lorenzan: One thing that I’ve noticed is that becoming aware of everything that’s going on on campus, being off campus has the potential to be slightly removed, it’s important to stay connected to the bryn mawr community. One way we were thinking of improving is creating a facebook group or virtual HA Board. Post things that are happening around campus.
  • Angela Motte
  • e, 2017 How do you think you can be accessible for ALL students who live off campus?
  1. Sneha Soni: We live right at Mermont plaza, we’re as close as Brecon is! We’re very accessible and have a plan to have meetings during the day and we know people who live in Philadelphia, so that people who have to enter the city can meet with other people who are living off campus. that way they can get to know others who are living off campus like they are.

Haverford College Representative:

Candidates:

Marina Minaya & Rina Patel

Questions:

Charlie Bruce, 2016 Why are you interested in this position?

  1. Rina Patel: Because I was on both campuses so much, I was able to keep my presence on the Haverford campus, but I also strongly identify as a Mawrter. I have my foot on both campuses. Because of this, I am able to represent the Bryn Mawr needs on their campus.
  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What do you think are some challenges that you will face with these meetings?  
  1. Rina Patel: I think that the hardest part will be coordinating with the Haverford SGA. I had a job there last year, and it was sometimes difficult to be there when I needed to be because of the Blue Bus schedules. We will be conscious of this problem.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 Describe Haverford in 2 Words.
  1. Rina Patel: Bi-college
  • Hannah Chin, 2019 How would you characterize the differences between BMC & Haverford; how would you utilize/reconcile these?
  1. Rina Patel: I know Haverford has a very different approach to customs, I hope to try to utilize that. i know they have a bigger customs team than we do, while at bryn mawr we just have our two people and then the dorm leadership team. I will try to use their honors board reps and leadership team to improve Bryn Mawr’s experience.
  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 Have you read the position description in the constitution?
  1. Rina Patel: I have read the constitution. I had to dig for the position description.

2017 Class President:

Candidates:

Emma Porter

Sedinam Agawu & Alexis Wiltshire

Jess Shill & Katherine Nickols

Questions:

  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 Why are you interested in running for this position?
  1. Emma Porter: I’m really excited about connecting with my class! I find a lot of value with SGA, especially the sense of collaboration that it brings to campus.
  2. Alexis Wiltshire: Seti and I really want to focus on fostering a better sense of community-focus on having teas for transfers and Mcbrides , more accessible spaces so that everyone can access them.
  3. Jess Shill: we really want to be junior class presidents because we know that junior year is the year where everyone kind of spreads apart, especially with living abroad, so we plan to focus on us getting together for teas, sending care packages to students who are abroad, and really fostering that sense of community.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 Have you ever been to an SGA meeting?
  1. Emma Porter: I went to my first one this year, because I have previously had work conflicts, but I do not have these issues this year.
  2. Sedi Agawu: Both of us have been. I was a freshman dorm representative, which was a great position because it helped me get oriented with SGA. I think we both know SGA well.
  3. Katherine Nickols: Last year I was afraid to go to SGA because i didn’t know what it was about but i always went to plenary and i got to know (someone) and she told about what SGA did for her and how rewarding it was.
  • Lin Tran, 2016 What experiences do you bring to this position?  
  1. Emma Porter: I think that I have done a lot of planning with running clubs and helping with clubs. I have lots of experience running events and event planning, both for small groups and large. I think that it’s really exciting that we have this opportunity to speak as a class, and I hope to foster that.
  2. Sedi Agawu: Personally, I was a representative for my dorm. I also had an internship in the city, and I had to work with a lot of emails and other actions.
  3. Jess Shill: We’re both varsity athletes, so we know the necessary time management and leadership skills. Sports have also helped us with a sense of commitment. Finally, being on a team has helped us feel really connected to the athletic community, and we’d both like to expand that connection.
  • Angela Motte, 2016 Pairs: How do you work well together? Emma: How is that your strong suit?
  1. Emma Porter: I’m gonna refer to a couple of clubs in the past two years I founded two clubs singlehandedly because I am good at structuring my own time-I have a big wall in my dorm where I structure my activities, with post it notes and such,  which Is why I am really good at working individually.
  2. Sedi Agawu: Both Alexis and I are actual friends, which I think helps. that goes a long way in fostering a relationship between us. We’re similar people with a lot of the same ideas, and I think that really helps us work well together.
  3. Katherine Nickols: We are also actual friends in real life, and although we don’t live together or have a similar major, we have worked hard to stay close even though we don’t live together.
  • Lin Tran, 2016 Do you have any experience with budgeting?
  1. Emma Porter: I had a summer internship with an investment management firm, really good at excel.  
  2. Sedi Agawu: I’m a treasurer in one of my clubs right now, so I’m very experienced with budgeting.
  3. Jess Shill: I’m an econ major!
  • Delaney Williams 2017 What snacks would you have?
  1. Emma Porter: I’m partial to cookies, but I know they aren’t gluten free, so I’d also provide another snack, perhaps tortilla chips and salsa.
  2. Alexis Wiltshire: Cookies from Trader Joe’s
  3. Katherine Nickols: We;d probably take a vote, but Trader Joe’s would be a big feature.

2019 Class President:

Candidates:

Lillian Oyen Ustad & Nikitha Shakamuri

Precious Robinson (Not present)

Colleen Williams & Kat Phifer

Felicia Grable

Kristian Moravec (Not present)

Margaret Gorman

Questions:

  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What are you going to do if you don’t get this position?
  1. Nikki Shakamuri: If I didn’t get this position, I would continue on the crew team and I would go for an environmental position, and the last time I went to a meeting I heard something about integrating horses into bryn mawr because they are only allowed at public universities (unsure?) and I would like to be a member of that
  2. Kat Phifer:Um, so I plan to be an active member of sga and plenary, but I am also an active member of a lot of clubs, and so I plan to stick with that. I plan to found my own club pretty soon, so stay up to date with thast.
  3. Felicia Grable: I’ll join the fencing clubs and attend other clubs. I will go to plenary and will not be resentful.
  4. Margaret Gorman: I will definitely stay involved in SGA! Student government is one of my big passions from high school that I plan to continue in college.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 Have you ever been to an SGA meeting?
  1. Lillian OU: Niki and I have been to multiple SGA meetings, both as a bryn mawr student and during in focus, when we sat through the entire  big cheese(?) forum and I went when touring, I have four under my belt now.
  2. Colleen Williams: Kat has been to the sga meetings and has been keeping in touch with that, but I actually work at uncommon during that time, so i’ll be in the back listening in, making vanilla lattes.
  3. Felicia Grable: No, I have not been to one of the SGA meetings
  4. Margaret Gorman: I went to the last one and really enjoyed it. I also went to the Big Cheese forum when I was here for admitted students day, and it was a big part of my decision to come to Bryn Mawr.
  • Lily Kay, 2019 How are you going to balance academics and extracurriculars with the commitments of president?  
  1. Lillian OU: Niki and I are both on varsity sports teams right now and were on varsity sports teams in high school, and we did Student government things in high school, I was the president and niki held various positions and leadership positions in her clubs, so we have time management down.
  2. Colleen Williams:I was homeschooled and a university in my area offered great classes, so this is actually my third year of college, so I have a lot of experience with clubs and classes in this environment. I actually founded an arabic club at my high school, so I am organized and familiar with that.
  3. Felicia Grable: I often am good at keeping track of things. I have been in many plays in high school and that takes a lot of time, and I was able to balance a lot of things in high school. I know that this is a little different, but this will just be another thing that I can balance in my schedule.
  4. Margaret Gorman: I make sure to write my events and such down, and I actually work best when I’m busy. Rushing around keeps me energized! SGA will be one of my top priorities this year.
  • Nora Dell 2019 Why do you want to be president of our class?
  1. Nikki Shakamuri: I was regular to decision to bryn mawr, what really changed things for me, was coming to bryn mawr and seeing the big cheese forum, there was a lady who would be completely open with my when I asked her questions, and we didn’t have that in high school, and having that connection with faculty and students is very important to me. (somewhat incomplete)
  2. Kat Phifer: when I actually first heard about bryn mawr, it was my dad’s idea for me to tour, and I was like ‘absolutely not, no all girls schools.’ I was looking at Drexel and other large coeds at the time. As soon as I got on campus, as cheesy as it sounds, everything changed. I think it has something to do with aga, because the students are so involved, and there’s so much leadership, and I want to be a part of that. everyone around here was also so nice and so friendly, and i want to contribute to that.
  3. Felicia Grable: Aside from the fact that I visited when the cherry blossoms were in bloom, I live in Radnor, and as the only freshman group there, we are really close and we do picnics and talk to each other, and I believe that if our whole school acted like that, it would be great.
  4. Margaret Gorman: I think that one of the best things about Bryn Mawr is our influence with SGA. I also had a really strong voice in my high school’s SGA, and it inspired me to do better. I’m sure Bryn Mawr will have different challenges, but I look forward to tackling them too.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 How do you plan to be accessible?
  1. Lillian OU: Niki and I are roommates, and she is my best friend on campus, we live in rhoads and plan on having office hours in case anyone wants to stop by, we want to keep the facebook page very active and have our emails available, and we want to use other means such as twitter because let’s face it most of us are on our phones more than we check our emails.
  2. Kat Phifer: Well, for one thing, I started the class of 2019 facebook group, so I’m very well rounded in the class, I know a lot of people on campus, and I feel I am a very accessible person. I am totally okay with people stopping by to chat, and actually, Colleen is on my hall, and she’s also very good at being accessible, so we would give plenty of opportunities for people to talk.
  3. Felicia Grable: Being accessible, using email, and possibly having office hours. I will not shy away from issues, and will be available.
  4. Margaret Gorman: Because I live in Brecon, office hours there would be hard! I’d probably have some on campus, maybe here in the campus center. I’m easily accessible via email or text.
  • Hannah Chinn, 2019 What would you say are you leadership strengths/characteristics that enable you to represent our class well?
  1. Lillian OU: Both of us have held similar council-like positions in the past -keeping in constant communication with all members of the class is to make sure our class knows what goes on in the SGA and the SGA knows what’s going on in our class as a whole.
  2. Kat Phifer: I did found the chapter of the arabic club. I am a very sociable type of person and I really believe in knowing people past, what they’re going through ,and what their dreams are. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I plan to be supportive of everyone on this campus.
  3. Felicia Grable: One of the important things is writing things down. So if anyone has an issue, I will write it down, and if i need to tell anyone anything, I will write it down. Also, I will make listening important so that I can understand what is happening with my class.
  4. Margaret Gorman: I want to be open, and to make people feel comfortable talking to me. I was the chair of an advisory board for my hometown. That involved students coming to us and speaking about the changes they wanted to make in the school district, then us telling the district. I have experience dealing with both students and people in the community.
  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What does SGA stand for? How would you explain it?
  1. Nikki Shakamuri: SGA stands for Student Government Association: a way to communicate between faculty and students, a way to communicate, and unified.
  2. Colleen Williams: Student government association, and it’s a way for students to make a difference in their community, and a way for them to communicate with other people in their community, and make changes if they feel that is needed.
  3. Felicia Grable: Self Government Association- An ability to govern and trust ourselves. To enable us to be women and to enjoy campus to the full. To be ourselves as much as possible.
  4. Margaret Gorman: Self Government Association. I would describe it as our voice in our education here. We are in charge of regulating our own behavior, and creating a space in which the honor code can be upheld. Basically, we govern ourselves.
  • Lin Tran, 2016 What specific goals and actions do you have planned for this position?
  1. Lillian OU: Niki and my personal goal is to make the transition from high school to college and the next four years as enjoyable as possible by making us as close as possible so that -we’re not just people who went to school together.
  2. Colleen Williams: I am very much a fan of a tight community, I came from a tight community, and I want to foster this here. Something I’ve noticed when working here, in uncommon, is all the food waster. I’d love to work with the dining hall to create a sustainable plan  for that.
  3. Felicia Grable: One of the responsibilities of the president is to host teas, and I would like for them to be a place where we can all take and discuss issues. I would also like to have more events, possibly in the Campus Center or on the lawns.
  4. Margaret Gorman: I would like to foster a spirit of inclusion and support. We should all be aware of the resources on campus, not just for education but also for emotional support.
  • Rachel Bruce, 2018 What are some ways you hope to have 2019 work with other classes (2018, 2017, 2016)?
  1. Nikki Shakamuri: We can all have class meetings and meet outside, we can use the facebook page, and we’re both on sports teams which have upperclassmen on them, so we can use them to reach out to other people.
  2. Colleen Williams: One thing I’ve noticed about bryn mawr is that already there is a lot of communication between classes. Even in my calculus class, upper classmen will be like ‘here’s my email, if you need help, feel free to contact me’. But there certainly is room for improvement, one thing I think would be good is more class-inclusive teas. Another thing I think really helps with this is clubs, and I would like to see a club specifically for just mixing around and meeting people from different classes.
  3. Felicia Grable: Upperclassmen have already been welcoming and open to the freshmen. Having opportunities to meet them in dorm events, teas, picnics, bringing problems up with the other representatives, and making sure that the underclassmen feel accepted in their classes and clubs.
  4. Margaret Gorman: One of the things I love here is seeing the relationships between the students of different ages. It creates a sense of trust and community that lets us know the upperclassmen are friends and mentors. I hope to emphasize the duality of their role.

Member at Large:

Candidates:

Radhika Singh (Not present)

Hannah Chinn

Delia Landers

Oona Ryle

Lilly King

Nora Dell

Questions:

  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What does SGA stand for?
  1. Hannah Chinn: Self-Government Association of the Undergraduate College of Bryn Mawr
  2. Delia Landers: Yes, the self government association.
  3. Oona Ryle: Self-Governance Association
  4. Lilly King: Self-Government Association, but we practice self governance.
  5. Nora Dell: Self Government Association, but metaphorically it gives us the power to affect change.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 Have you been to an SGA meeting?
  1. Hannah Chinn: I actually have not, because i have a meeting that conflicts with the normal times, but i talked to rachel, and she says I can find a way to fix it, so I’ll be attending SGA meetings asap
  2. Delia Landers: I haven’t either, I had family things both Sundays and I will attend the next meetings
  3. Oona Ryle: I haven’t, but I’m excited to.
  4. Lilly King: Yes
  5. Nora Dell: I have attended, I’ve been to all of the sga meetings so far this year
  • Rachel Bruce, 2018 What can you bring to the position?
  1. Hannah Chinn: I’m a freshman, I haven’t been at Bryn Mawr that long. As a freshman, I ask questions all the time, about everything, and I feel that with this questioning attitude will enable me to represent this class better.
  2. Delia Landers: I believe that I’m good at communicating and balancing schedules, which are both integral parts of this role.
  3. Oona Ryle:I know that a main part of members at large is communication-One thing I’ve found that really helps as a freshman is going up to people with a big smile on my face and asking questions. If you do that people generally want to talk. That way I will know what people want.
  4. Lilly King:I have a lot of leadership experience, I work at a summer camp with 10-12 year olds, which are thankfully very different from college students, but I am used to working with many different personality types, and will be able to communicate with many different types of people as a member at large in SGA.
  5. Nora Dell: In the past, I’ve held the position of communication director. The big thing about that is that you learn how to put things in ways that people understand, and being able to communicate.
  • Angela Motte, 2017 What is one duty of being a Member At Large?
  1. Hannah Chinn: To represent the general population of Bryn Mawr who can’t be at the meetings.
  2. Delia Landers: To go to all of the meeting and to be a vote.
  3. Oona Ryle: To vote, to connect people and let them know what’s happening at SGA meetings.
  4. Lilly King: To represent the community and allow them to know what is happening.
  5. Nora Dell: To go to meetings and represent the community at large.
  • Lin Tran, 2016 Why are you running for this position? Why do you think this position is important?  
  1. Hannah Chinn: If you want complete honesty, I didn’t know what this position was until someone nominates me and I went to the page and looked it up and thought it would be something I’d like. I like to communicate and I think I could be or seek to be a good representative of Bryn Mawr.
  2. Delia Landers: In the month that I’ve been here I’ve really enjoyed meeting different types of people and all different sorts of people. i’ll really enjoy that in this role you have outreach and the opportunity to connect to the community as a whole.
  3. Oona Ryle: I actually found out about this position from a flyer on the board. I had never heard of this position, and my high school didn’t have an effective SGA and I want to be a representative.
  4. Lilly King: I think it’s a good opportunity to transition into a larger role in SGA. It’s not as big as some, but it’s still very important. I really want to give back to the community.
  5. Nora Dell: I didn’t actually feel like I was a part of this community until i came to sga meeting and sat down and realized that students can have a real voice and it made me feel like a real member of the community and I want to represent them well.  
  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 Y/N: Are you going to plenary?
  1. Hannah Chinn: Yes
  2. Delia Landers: Yes
  3. Oona Ryle: Yes
  4. Lilly King: Yes
  5. Nora Dell: Yes
  • Katherine Nickols, 2017 Describe what makes you a good communicator in one sentence.
  1. Hannah Chinn: I believe that at the core of every communication is understanding and I seek to understand people as they are.
  2. Delia Landers: I believe that I am a good listener and I am good at talking to people. I love to talk.
  3. Oona Ryle: I’m an active listener.
  4. Lilly King: I’m a good listener and I believe that I’m good at finding solutions to problems.
  5. Nora Dell: I can take complex ideas and turn them into simple things.
  • Sedinam Agawu, 2017 What can SGA do for you? What do you hope to get out of an experience like that?
  1. Hannah Chinn: I hope to improve my leadership skills, I have never been in one where I had to solely represent someone, and I am eager to see what this position will do to me.
  2. Delia Landers: I’m actually on the board of an international organization, and I sometimes have trouble getting things done there. I hope that this role will help me develop my leadership skills.
  3. Oona Ryle: I’ve never been in something like SGA before, and though I’ve held leadership positions, it;s never been a representative position before, and I think I can learn about people and how to understand people.
  4. Lilly King: I’m in a similar position to this one but my school didn’t have anything like sga or anything like this. I’m looking forward to be a part of sga and be able to communicate with new people. i think it’s exciting just to be involved in it.
  5. Nora Dell: At the end of four years, when I leave, I want to be able to be proud of what we’ve done.
  • Angela Motte,  2017 What is one thing that makes you happy?
  1. Hannah Chinn: Ice cream.
  2. Delia Landers: Spending time with my friends-like hannah, she’s my roommate.
  3. Oona Ryle: My dog, pancake. she’s two, and very cute.
  4. Lilly King: Spending time with my little sister Jessie. She’s twelve
  5. Nora Dell: Listening to Bollywood music
  • Rachel Bruce, 2018 How would you try to be accessible to the community?
  1. Hannah Chinn: I’m doing a lot of things, bryn mawr is a really exciting place, I signed up for like 84 clubs at fall frolic, I recognize a lot of people in the room, and I would check up on people, see how they’re doing and see how I can represent them more fully.
  2. Delia Landers: I think that everyone kinda accesses information different ways, so i want to make things very accessible. Also, like hannah, I’m doing a lot of different things and have met lots of different people.
  3. Oona Ryle: I think that I definitely use social media and email to connect with people. I would make a shirt with my name on it and wear it all the time.
  4. Lilly King: I think that SGA is a bit of a misconception among the frosh. I’d like to spread information about what it really is and encourage more people to come to meetings and events such as plenary. I would probably communicate using social media, as well as conversation.
  5. Nora Dell: I agree with dispelling fear about the meetings, we also have great network, and there’s no replacement for face-to-face communication. I would also  use the blog.

Radhika Singh’s answers to the questions poised at Candidates Forum

  1. What does SGA Stand for?
    1. SGA stands for Self-Governance Association.
  2. Have you been to an SGA meeting?
    1. Unfortunately, I have not. I missed it due to a few prior commitments!
  3. What can you bring to the position?
    1. I like interacting with people and making new friends whether I go. Also, I prefer giving any project I do, a very creative angel to it so that it stands out and looks differently appealing.
  4. Name one duty at being a member at large?
    1. Getting to vote as a freshman.
  5. Yes or no, are you going to plenary?
    1. Yes
  6. Why are you running for this position? Why do you think it’s important?
    1. I am running for this position because I think that is really important and helps me get involved in council activities very early on. It is important to me because I like having a voice and being the voice of people in my community. And I have been doing the same back home in India, hence this is a way to get involved, meet new people and have great experiences.
  7. What’s one thing that makes you happy?
    1. Dancing
  8. Describe what makes you a good communicator in one sentence
    1. Being approachable and understanding as to where people come from and their backgrounds is something that has helped me get closer to people.
  9. What can SGA do for you? What do you hope to get out of an experience like that?
    1. SGA can help me love Bryn Mawr more and get super attached to the school. It can help me build new friendships and be exposed to the running of our school. And I hope to gain knowledge, time management, patience and friends out of this experience!
  10. How would you try to be accessible to the community?
    1. By email, phone calls, text messages and if need be – office hours.

Faculty Representatives:

Candidates:

Melanie Bahti & Erin Saladin

Questions:

  • Charlie Bruce, 2016 What experience do you have working with faculty?
  1. Melanie Bahti: Okay, so i’ll speak for both of us. Erin actually served as faculty rep before, and she’s done research with people in her department, so she has a lot of experience in that area. I was a member of the honor board, and I’ve participated and communicated with faculty through that. I am also participating through the teaching and learning initiative.
  • Lin Tran, 2017 What do you see as a possible challenge to position and how do you plan to address it?
  1. Erin Saladin: We were talking about how we see a desire to communicate between the faculty and students but sometimes this communication can be difficult. So we want to get started right away and begin to facilitate these conversations from the beginning.
  • Elizabeth Vandenberg 2016 You’ve been involved in SGA for a long time; why do you want to continue to stay involved?

Melanie Bahti: Being involved in SGA is really important to me, and I’ve gained a lot from the positions I’ve held, and even the meetings I attended as a freshman before I held a position. I feel really connected to the student community, and I’d like to feel just as connected to the faculty.

SGA Meeting November 15th, 2015 PART ONE

The following is PART ONE of a summary of the SGA meeting, held at the campus center on Sunday, November 15, 2015.

 At 7:10PM, Charlie Bruce called the meeting to order. After roll call, meeting proceeded to announcements, which are as follows:

 Emergency Elections are ongoing right now! Nominations for COPS head and Election head end at 9AM November 16th. Candidates forum is at the campus center from 6-7 on November 19th. Voting starts next week, and lasts from the 23rd to the 24th of November. Email elections@brynmawr.edu to nominate someone or if you have any questions!

 The November appointments round is here! Please go to the appointments blog, appointments.blogs.brynmawr.edu for committee descriptions, and for general information about the appointments process. Email gbsmith@brynmawr.edu with questions!

 SPECTRA is hosting a movie screening of “You Can Play” in honor of LGBT+ month. They are promoting the inclusion of all athletes in sporting events regardless of sexual orientation. The event will be held in the Campus Center from 7 to 8:30PM. Confirmed – K-Cass will be there, and there will be snacks!

 In other sporting news… Basketball plays Nazareth at 1PM on Saturday.

Swimming competes against Washington College on Saturday at 1pm. Swimming has also been raising money, through “Owls Fight For a Cure”, throughout the semester for breast cancer research. All proceeds are donated to Bryn Mawr Hospital. They raised about 500 dollars in the fall season. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far. Swimming is hosting an upcoming “Relay for a Cure” – to which KCass will be coming. It will be held on December 2nd.  

 The Fall Student Dance concert is this Saturday, November 21st  at 8PM in Marshall Auditorium! There will be free food! Contact jschan@brynmawr.edu and ksegal@brynmawr.edu with questions or concerns.

 The Information and Stewardship council wants to make sure that everyone knows about “Securing the Human” on moodle. You should have been getting emails about learning how to stay secure online. Please take a look at the program and encourage everyone else to do that as well. Contact esaladin@brynmawr.edu for more information, or if you have any questions.

 There will be a “Coming Out of the Closet” fashion show, hosted by Zami, at Thomas great hall from 7-9pm on November 19th. Contact mcarrera@brynmawr.edu for more information, or if you would like to model.

 Sociology is currently conducting a faculty search, and as such, will be hosting three guest lectures at Bryn Mawr. The First one was Monday, November 16th, in Dalton 300 at 4:30. The next two are coming up on Thursday 11/19 in Dalton 119 at 4:15. And the third is on Monday 11/23 in Dalton 119 at 4:15. The sociology department highly values student input and encourages anyone who is interested to go. Email the sociology major rep., Miranda Smith, at msmith13@brynmawr.edu for more information.

 Next, we moved on to “Your Two Cents”:

 Coco Wang and Chanel Williams, the Class of ’16 co-presidents, took a straw poll on a potential change to the name “Garden Party Girls”. A quick background for those who are unfamiliar: Garden Party Girls are underclass people who help seniors organize their table on Erdman Green, the morning of graduation. Coco and Chanel are looking into changing the name because not everyone identifies as female. Their straw poll showed significant interest in changing the name. Email cwilliam02@brynmawr.edu and/or ywong10@brynmawr.edu

 Following Coco and Chanel, Charlie Bruce brought up the change in layout. This week, we used a circle set up, but that excluded a lot of people who arrived late and had to sit or stand outside of the circle. Charlie took a “fist of five” opinion of the new layout, which is a work in progress. We have decided to revert to the theatre set up at the next SGA meeting. Email cebruce@brynmawr.edu with suggestions.

 Next, we moved on to “Community Guidelines”.

Last week, we talked about how Roberts Rule’s of Order is not very accessible to people who are unfamiliar with it. In other words, the vocabulary is not part of our vernacular, which can make people feel isolated. Thus, we are going to set up community guidelines for participating in conversations. We took suggestions on these new community guidelines, which included the following:

            Identifying yourself when you speak, so everyone in the space knows who you are.

            Not talking over anyone.

            Trust Intent – we all come to the SGA meeting with the assumption that everyone is here with the intention to talk toward resolution. We trust that we come to this space with the intent to be productive.

            Use I Statements.

            The 48 hour rule – Sometimes, someone will say something to you, but you are emotionally affected. So you take 48 to respond, after you have had time to process it, with more fully formed thoughts. (Is this a good wording?)

Email cebruce@brynmawr.edu with more community guidelines.

 The meeting then turned to a discussion of recent events concerning posters that were put up over campus. Which will be detailed in PART TWO of this summary. 

SGA Meeting November 8th, 2015

Hello Everyone and welcome back to another SGA recap!

 At 7:10 on November 8th, 2015, SGA President Charlie Bruce called the meeting to order. Shortly thereafter, Secretary Angela Motte conducted roll call. We then proceeded to announcements, of which there are several.

 First: Emergency Elections! Positions up for election are Election Committee Head and COPS Head. The nomination period started on Sunday, November 8th at 7:56PM and will end on November 16th, with a duration of approximately one week.  Candidates forum will be on November 19th from 6-7pm. Elections themselves will take place in the days right before thanksgiving! Email elections@brynmawr.edu to nominate someone you know for these positions!

 Second: The November appointments round is almost over! Wednesday the 11th at midnight is the last day to submit your applications! Positions up for reappointment: The McBride representative to the Financial Aid Advisory Board, positions on the Dining Services Advisory Board, the Alcohol Concerns Review Board, and the Customs Committee, as well as the head of the Customs Committee. We are also looking for members of the class of 2017 and 2016 for appointment to the Traditions Committee.

 Note: You can hold both an elected position and an appointed position simultaneously. 

 Visit appointments.blogs.brynmawr.edu for more information and access to the application. Contact gbsmith@brynmawr.edu if you have any questions!

 Following announcements, Shakari Badgett conducted a straw poll that gained a visual majority on the question ‘Would you guys want to host a panel with campus safety to ask questions about recent events or to ask them questions about their jobs’.  

 Next, Seven Sisters Representatives Elizabeth Vandenberg and Emily Spiegel gave a recap of the recent seven sisters conference and told us how we are going to improve our relationship with the other colleges.

The seven sisters conference is an annual meeting of representatives from the seven sister schools. This year it was at Barnard, and included workshops on leadership, inclusion, and diversity. Attendees of the conference had the opportunity to hear alumnae, including Bryn Mawr’s own Peaches Valdes, speak. The purpose of the conference is to help the schools’ student government organizations keep in touch, and to update each other so that we may all improve our organizations.

 The conference itself has been around since 2009, and the location of it rotates alphabetically, every year, through Barnard to Wellesley. The document that established the conference is the Constitution of the Coordinating Board for the Seven Sisters Coalition.  But the coordinating board itself hasn’t existed for a long time, so at this conference, representatives deciding to reform the coordinating board, start pooling our resources, and start moving toward becoming a more coordinated body. Representatives elected a president pro-tempore.

 Next year, the conference will be hosted at Bryn Mawr! Elizabeth Vandenberg ‘16 and Emily Spiegel ‘18 will be planning the conference, and are creating a temporary committee for this purpose.

 There will be three representative council votes next week in response to the seven sisters conference. In the first, we will be voting to re-affirm the constitution of the seven sisters. The second will to elect or re-elect representatives to the seven sisters coordinating board. The third will be to establish a temporary committee for the planning of the next seven sister’s conference, at Bryn Mawr. Note, any undergraduate student is eligible to be on the planning committee.

If you are on the representative council, it is suggested that you consult with your constituents on these issues. Contact seven sisters representatives Elizabeth Vandenberg, Emily Spiegel, or the SGA EBoard (sga@brynmawr.edu) with any questions or concerns.

 In other news, President Charlie Bruce had an announcement from the President of Barnard’s student government organization. This year, at Barnard, there will be no winter break housing for students who are not athletes or tour guides. This leaves a significant number of people without anywhere to go over winter break. Barnard’s president asks Bryn Mawr alumnae and students who are in the greater New York area to open our homes and our hearts to those without anywhere to go. In the coming weeks, Barnard’s SGA will be discussing this issue, so stay tuned for more information.

 In old business, at last week’s SGA meeting we brainstormed ways the college could increase revenue and decrease spending. Our suggestions have been typed up and sent to Kari Fazio, the Chief Financial Officer, and she would like to extend her thanks to members of the representative council! If you have any additional comments or suggestions, please contact her at kfazio@brynmawr.edu

 In other old business, President Charlie Bruce is looking in to making the SGA Executive Board a paid position for those with work study. Bear in mind that the E-board at both Haverford and Vassar is a paid position for those with work study. We are looking into this because a position on the E-Board often requires hours equivalent to a part-time job, making positions less accessible to those on work-study. We believe that the SGA and the E-Board should be all inclusive. Email cebruce@brynmawr.edu with questions, comments, or concerns.

 At this SGA meeting, we launched Bring-A-Friend-To-SGA-Day! It was a great success – many people came who do not usually attend SGA meetings. This year, the SGA is trying to become more focused on outreach and inclusivity – in the spirit of which, this event was held. Headed by the Members-at-large, attendees broke into five groups and talked about what the SGA can do to increase attendance, and to make SGA meetings feel like an inclusive space where anyone can raise a point.

From these breakout groups with members of the community, we learned that people usually don’t come to meetings because of the time they are held, and because they seem intimidating.

SGA meetings are held at 7pm on Sundays, in the campus center, which is a prime homework time, and also makes it hard for people who live off campus to be there.

Some students are intimidating by the setting and the arrangement of chairs, which makes it hard for people in the back to hear or make statements. Some didn’t know who was on the representative council. Some just felt unwelcome in general. Some things people thought would be helpful include: a list of commonly used SGA terms on the projected slide, as well as a short description of each section of the meets, and more outreach directed toward people who do not regularly attend meetings.

 When we returned from bring-a-friend-to-sga-day break out groups, three more items were brought up in new business.

 First, the people who give out the keys to the SGA kitchen will have a little card with a checklist of things you should do to keep it nice, if you are using it. Like putting everything away, cleaning up after yourself, or turning off the lights.

 Also, if you attend an SGA meeting, please try to keep your use of electronic device at a minimum, unless you are using it for the meeting.

 Lastly, next week we will discuss the language used at SGA. Roberts Rule’s of Order are not made up of the most accessible language. While at the seven sister’s conference, we learned that Mount Holyoke had everyone come together and write out a set of community guidelines to change the tone of conversations. Bryn Mawr’s SGA would like to do the same, so the representative council was asked to think about it and come to the next meeting with ideas. These guidelines would be announced at every meeting.

 Following that announcement, the SGA meeting was adjourned at 7:55PM, Sunday, November 8th. 

SGA Meeting November 1st, 2015

This Sunday, November 1st, president Charlie Bruce ’16 called the meeting to order at 4:13 PM, in the campus center. The meeting was held earlier than the usual 7PM due to a schedule conflict with Lantern Night. Congratulations to the first years, McBrides, and new transfers!

 Several Announcements were made following roll call.

 First, the Erdman party has been moved to December 4th. There will be boxes in every common room for a tampon and pad drive for the homeless – please do not move these boxes!

 Second, Sam Heyrick would like to thank the over 500 people who made it to the social committee (SoCo) Halloween party!

 Lastly, the November appointments round are upon us again! Positions up for reappointment: Traditions Committee (Class of ’17 and ’16), Financial Aid Advisory Board (McBride Representative), Dining Services Advisory Board, Alcohol Concerns Review Board, Customs Committee Heads, Customs Committee. Please visit appointments@brynmawr.edu for more information about the appointments process and for position descriptions. Email gbsmith@bmc if you have any questions.

 Following announcements, the remainder of the SGA meeting was devoted to ruminations on the budget. Vice President Gabrielle Smith and Treasurer Linh Tran attended a budget committee meeting with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Kari Fazio, who asked the representative council to brainstorm ideas pertaining to where the college could reduce costs and increase revenue. In short – what do students like and want to keep, and what services are not really being used.

 In preface to the brainstorming session, the council looked at an expenditure breakdown and a revenue breakdown of the college’s budget. Several key points to note from that are that student tuition only covers 47% of the total revenue needed to fund the college each year. Gifts and endowment income make up most of the rest – 37%. The college’s biggest expenditures are on instruction (37%), institutional support (17%), academic support (14%) and student services (11%). In recent years, the college has made a small amount of surplus, but not enough to be significant.

 Given that student tuition only makes up 47% of yearly revenue in the college’s operating budget, there comes a day, called “Give a Hoot Day” when the college ceases to operate using student funds, and instead entirely relies things like Alumnae support and endowment income.

 So! Bearing all that in mind, the representative council floated around the following ideas, trying to conceptualize what CFO Kari Fazio described as “the college of the future”:

 We could have less, more sustainable landscaping, a re-evaluation of dinning services for more efficient food production and cooking, better insulation in the buildings, an updated heating system, and an increased reliance on college produced solar power.

 In this discussion, we also learned that The Lusty Cup and Uncommon Grounds actually loose money, but are kept open because students like them.

On a similar note, it was proposed that in addition to 24 Canaday, the college introduce 24 hour Collier and Carpenter, for majors whose field is not housed in Canaday.

 On the fundraising front, it was clarified that alumnae fundraising is actually quite successful –“Direct expenses for fundraising were $4,207,000 in 2015 and $4,195,000 in 2014.” Which yielded about $8,000,000 in donations. Remember, however, that this is only one source of income for the college.  

 If you have any ideas regarding how to increase revenue, and decrease spending, please email sga@brynmawr.edu

 Following this discussion, the SGA meeting was adjourned at 4:54 PM.