The Candidates that will be on the ballot starting Thursday at midnight (Wednesday night) will be: (please look through all platforms)

Senator/Committee on Student Life Liaison

Lindsey Shaughnessy

I have served on the Carleton Student Association Senate each year I have been here at Carleton, but not every term due to the limitations of studying abroad.

Last year, my platform was on the vague side, and promised little but hard work. I have never missed a Monday night Senate meeting, and now have a firm grasp on the restrictions and possibilities of the work of a Senator. The promises I make now are informed and realistic, but also aimed at improving student life in general. While Senate, as a whole and in the long term, are looking to work with the administration to improve things like financial aid, the spring allocations process, transportation to the cities, minority retention rates, the implementation of OneCard systems across campus, “transparency”, etc., the promises I make now are largely possible to act upon as a rising senior.

It is vital to the life of an organization to keep the larger picture in mind; it is also important to bring fresh senators and ideas into our meetings in upper Sayles. However, it is equally important to elect Senators with experience and with realistic goals in mind. I have made the proper connections and nursed the appropriate relationships in order to complete my goals for the CSA while at Carleton. I urge you to consider me, and to give me your vote so I can continue the projects I have in mind for the 2008-2009 school year.

Experience
  • Four terms as a Senator-at-Large (Fall 2006, Fall 2007 to Spring 2008)
  • I have previously served on the Governance, Public Relations, Task Force, and Career Center committees
  • I am currently involved on campus with Senate, KRLX, the Political Science department, the ACT office, intramural sports, and numerous other organizations
Directives, as current liaison to Campus Activities
  • To make sure the campus’ five largest organizations (KRLX, the Cave, SUMO, Social Programming Board, and the Algol) are run efficiently and with students in mind
  • To continue working closely with Assistant Director of Campus Activities, Chris Rasinen, on issues which affect all students
  • To continue working closely with Director of the Career Center, Richard Berman, on current initiatives like the opt-in database, promoting career and summer opportunities, and advising the CC on student needs and wishesTo continue to work on Sayles 160 in light of its redesign
  • To create a paperless, emailed, unrestricted, student-edited version of the NNB
  • To increase awareness of the important decisions of Senate through KRLX
  • To fund activities and events which greatly enhance campus connectedness
  • To work with other Senators in their specialized initiatives in any capacity that I can—in particular, with ongoing projects with the Career Center and Campus Activities Office
  • To continue to listen to the opinions of other students and to direct them to the appropriate bodies, especially in the areas of student voice in Phase I of the new Arts Union, the construction of an upgraded space in Sayles 160, and in the better understanding of the budgetary process as a whole (starting with encouraging Budget Committee “liaisons” to large campus organizations to aid in the Spring Allocations process)
  • To vote in a manner which is consistent with Carleton students’ ideals in general, especially in support of programs and events which support sustainability, a better campus climate, and efficient funding of both little-known and widely-appreciated groups and events

Senator/Admissions and Financial Aid Liaison

Peter Antonov

Re-elect Peter Antonov: Admissions and Financial Aid Liaison

  1. Proven Record of Leadership
    • Four terms on AFAC, three as a liaison to CSA Senate
    • Three terms on Governance committee
    • Elections Committee
    • Interview & Appointments Committee
    • Website Committee
    • I was the first ever liaison between CSA and AFAC!
  2. Qualities That Make Me the Best Candidate
    • Insight: I’ve acquired extensive knowledge of Admissions and Financial Aid practices, both at Carleton and in the World at large
    • Discretion: I have experience in accurately representing current Admissions and Financial Aid issues to senators and students, while keeping sensitive college materials confidential
    • Perspective: As a rising senior, I have a very good idea of the institutional structure and trends at Carleton (for better or for worse), and the issues and goals we need to address in the medium and long run
    • Impact: I’ve built an good working relationship with administrators, which allows me to be influential in discussions about policy
  3. This Past Year
    • I worked on designing the Access Scholarship (which substitutes a large portion of loan aid for grant for the incoming freshmen), and ensuring that it makes the biggest difference possible
    • Based on Senator input which I brought back to committee:
      • We expanded the scope of the scholarship from Midwest only to National
      • We retargeted it provide a lot more relief deal of relief to the neediest students
    • We’ve looked at ways of increasing the number of minority applicants, and the number of accepted minority students that enroll
      • Providing more ways for students to visit for free (possibly with a parent)
      • Increasing access to senior faculty members
      • Putting in more programs like FOCUS that enhance the experience of minority students at Carleton
    • I have sought student feedback and heard to student requests about a variety of issues, and I have advocated for their interest in Senate and with the administration
  4. In the Future (with your help)
    • I am working with Whittney Smith (’10) and Jinai Bharucha (’11) on organizing an adjunct committee where AFAC issues can be discussed with students and concerned parties in a semi-private setting
    • We will track the impact of the Access scholarship on enrollment rates in the ever-changing World of Financial aid, and think of ways that we can potentially expand this program
    • I will continue to honestly and conscientiously represent the student body in Senate and advocate for students before administrators

Re-elect Peter Antonov: AFAC Liaison to CSA Senate!

Jon Fraser

I chose Carleton, back in the hurried rush of senior year, because of its shining rhetoric about being a multicultural utopia where all the students were driven, but not competitive; quirky, but not weird; funny, but not sarcastic. The other big factor was financial aid.

As it turns out, neither of these are quite as true as I thought. Need-blind aid? …depends on how big the budget is. Multicultural paradise? …depends on need-blind aid and third-party scholarships.

And that’s why I am running for the Admissions and Financial Aid committee: I don’t think it should depend on anything. I believe that Carleton should admit students based on merit, not their parents’ means. I even more strongly believe that we should create a campus that fosters challenging, positive conversations between students with different cultural backgrounds—whether from within the US or without.

None of these things will happen on their own; we have to fight the good fight to make changes happen. Vote for Jon Fraser as your liason to the Admissions and Financial Aid committee and I will fight to make our voices heard and our values known in the Class of 2013 and beyond.

Charlie Liu

I’m Charlie Liu, a freshman from Shanghai China, and I’m writing to apply for Admission and Financial Aid Liaison. Hope this platform would show you more information about me as an applicant.

I have been working as a student employee in Admissions Office throughout my freshman year, and working closely with Student Financial Office on financial aid stuffs. In this year, I worked in close contact with staff in Admissions Office on filing application folders, stuffing mails, arranging prospective students visits, and getting in contact with President Office, Business Office, Facility Office, International Student Office, Printing and Mailing Office, etc. So I think my first year experience of working in Admissions Office would definitely contribute to my liaison work. In the fall, I was promoted to take charge of the Stuffing Room in Admissions Office, which proved my capability of working satisfactorily and efficiently. When I was applying for Cambridge Seminar in Econ Dept., my supervisor promised to write me a recommendation letter. I think it is also because of my good work that she approved my request for recommendation. Moreover, I will continue working in the Admissions for 10 hours a week in my sophomore year. So my connection and experience would get even better and better.

Also, as a Starr Scholar, I’m receiving a scholarship of around $42,000 every year. I think this gives me a unique perspective and advantage when working as the Financial Aid liaison, in terms of helping prospective students who want to apply for financial aid and assisting the office to sort out qualified students for financial aid. Furthermore, my leadership activities in high school all prepared me for such a liaison position. So I think I would do great with this job.

In addition, I have some tentative plans for my liaison work. One thing I’m very proud of the Admissions Office in the enrollment process is the campus visit system. I would like to assist the Admissions Office to improve the already excellent campus visit program, so that prospies would have more colorful activities to participate on campus. Besides, I would like to provide student workers in Admissions Office and Financial Aid Office with more opportunities to communicate about their individual works so that the filing and stuffing work in Admissions would be more efficient. Last, I still feel pretty sad about the low amount of endowment we receive from alumni and parents. So I would like to connect the Career Center and Alumni Office as well in order to raise the endowment amount. With more endowment, the job of Financial Aid Office would be much easier, and Carleton would gain better reputation in lower income families.

Thank you for trusting me, giving me this opportunity to apply for the work, and speaking out my ideas of working. I’ll do my best if elected.

Emogene Schilling

Aside from writing the application (and being accepted), coming to Carleton was relatively easy for me—I had ample access to a college counselor and information about liberal arts colleges. Unfortunately, access to these resources is uncommon. Most high school students have to vie for attention from college counselors and many do not consider liberal arts colleges an option. As an Admission and Financial Aid Liason, I will be sensitive to this issue and support increased visibility of Carleton for high school students in large, urban, and rural school settings.

Experience
  • Various volunteer positions in schools/organizations:
  • Minneapolis North High School
  • Bruce Vento Elementary
  • L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion Elementary
  • Salvation Army of St. Paul
  • Northfield High School
  • Northfield Middle School
  • Mounds Park Academy
  • 4 years of high school student council
  • 1 year president
  • Established a “how-to” handbook
  • Established open meetings
  • Improved efficiency of social planning activities
  • Increased visibility in the community through community service projects and fundraisers
  • 1 year vice president
  • 2 years class president
Issues
  • Increase high school students’ access to Carleton admission information
  • Maintain open dialogue about college access on campus and in the admissions office

Senator/Intercampus Liaison

Erika Pearson

The biggest problem I see with current relations between Oles and Carls is a lack of communication, specifically regarding the sorts of speakers, events, concerts, etc., occurring on both campuses. My first priority as Intercampus Liaison will be to set up a centrally located bulletin on both campuses that will advertise the events scheduled on the other side of the river on a weekly basis.

Overall, I’d like to serve as the Intercampus Liaison on CSA because as a former St. Olaf student myself, I believe I possess a unique understanding of the student body and general climate at St. Olaf, which will allow me to effectively facilitate communication between the two campuses. I want to serve Carleton students by making available to them the opportunities that exist across the river.

Senator/Education and Curriculum Committee

Robert Martin

About Me:

My name is Robert Martin, and I’m a freshmen. As CSA secretary, I’ve been to every senate and budget committee meeting this year. I know how the CSA works and am ready to start working to make it more accessible to students. I’m running for the liaison seat to the Education and Curriculum Committee. Vote for me anytime Wednesday, May 14 to Sunday May 18!

On Senate:

CSA has the potential to be a greater forum for discussion and a better representative of Carleton students. The college is going through an intense period of change with more projects coming down the line than any one student can comprehend. Senate can be a resource of information and an advocate to the administration.

To do this, senate has to expand and improve its ability to communicate with students and with the administration. As secretary, I’ve tried to make the activities of senate more accessible. I helped create the senate vlogs, although I know a lot can be done to improve them.

I know the minutes are boring, I write them. Students don’t have time to sift through the workings of senate. If elected, I will create a blog where I compress the activities of the CSA senate to a readable snippet. I hope that this will be an easy way for students to respond and give their input on senate.

Curricular Review:

Carleton is currently undergoing a curriculum review for the first time in 40 years, and most students don’t even know about it! Three faculty proposals for a new set of graduation requirements have been submitted, and the ECC is now focusing on key topics of discussion.

I have been working to encourage student participation in the discussion process. I am currently drafting a summary of the design proposals, so students won’t have to read through the 45 pages of formal proposals. My goal by the end of this term is to create a formal written response to the proposals with as much student input as possible. In this way, students can have a voice during the summer.

ENTS:

Where is the Environmental Science major??? Despite years of discussion and preparation, the ECC has still not approved the ENTS major. There is some discussion that it will be delayed until the curricular review is completed, a process could potentially last for years. The ECC needs to know that students are eager to see Environmental Science recognized as a major.

If you have any comments or would like to discuss the senate or ECC, please contact me, martirob@carleton.edu

Cat McMurtry

CSA Experience:
  • Student-at-large on the Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) since winter 2008.
  • President of Phase II (Carleton’s Multiracial Student Association) since fall 2007.
    • Co-President of Phase II from fall 2006 – spring 2007.
  • Resident Assistant since spring 2006.
    • Worked on 1st Burton (2006-2007) and 5th Watson (2007-2008).
    • Created and moderated the Fishbowl Discussion on Diversity (fall 2007).
  • Wellness Center Internal Review Committee member since spring 2008.
  • Member of the Black Student Alliance and the Coalition of Women of Color since fall 2006
  • Served on the Housing Selection and Advisory Committee (HSAC) winter and spring 2007.
    • Helped facilitate Room Draw 2007.
  • Club athlete from fall 2005 – spring 2006 (crew and women’s lacrosse).
  • Ebony dancer spring 2006, spring 2007, winter 2008.
ECC Issues I Support:
  • A RAD requirement that incorporates understanding differences and their accompanying power dynamics.
  • A writing portfolio that allows students to choose which three or four pieces they would like to submit, provides meaningful feedback, and occurs fall or winter term sophomore year.
  • Writing and speaking requirements taken for credit.
  • Club sports for P.E. credit.
  • An ethical inquiry distribution requirement.
  • A system through which students hold professors accountable for the quality of their instruction.
    • As it stands, professors are not required to create, distribute, read, or hand in course evaluations and student input is considered only when solicited through the tenure review system.
    • I propose making course evaluations thorough, brief, required, and mandatorily reviewed by department chairs to ensure quality instruction in the classroom.
CSA Issues I Support:
  • Physicians on staff at the Wellness Center, extended hours, more clinical psychologists, free condoms, and nurse practitioners on-call after hours.
  • Printers accessible to residents on the East Side 24 hours per day.
  • Coffee shop hours at the Cave every day.
  • Paper towels and hand soap for residents in houses.
  • Issues that the students I’m supposed to represent deem important!

Student-at-Large/College Council

Paul Ellebrecht

Student opinion is just as important as the opinion of faculty, administrators, and alumni. We encounter problems everyday and our opinions are critical in order to make effective decisions on college policies.

  1. I believe that it is important for student opinions to be incorporated into college decision making.
    • As part of the ECC I helped incorporate student opinion by working to host a meeting with the faculty design teams and through the creation of a moodle site.
    • It is important that everyone feels welcome and comfortable on our campus, no matter what their beliefs or affiliations. A majority (55%) of the student body recently took the campus climate survey. The results from that survey will be important in policy making decisions over the course of the next year. Even though a slight majority of the campus took the survey, it will still be important to make sure that student opinion is heard when discussing the results of that survey.
    • Students should have better access to the Board of Trustees. Although this is something that the CSA has been working toward, it is necessary to continue to push this issue in order to make sure that student concerns are heard at the highest levels.
  2. I believe that the CSA budget should be used to benefit students.
    • The money for the CSA budget comes exclusively from the students. Because of this, the CSA budget should be used to fund activities that benefit and are supported by the student body.
    • There are many student organizations that are an enormous benefit to the college as well as Carleton students. In these cases, the college should take a more active role in supporting those programs.

If you have any questions, please email me, ellebrep. I would be happy to talk about suggestions that you would like to see implemented on campus.

Other info about me:

  • Sophomore POSC/IR major
  • ECC and Student Budget Committee Member

Please vote Paul Ellebrecht for College Council Student at large.

Peter Ladner

Ben Barclay

Why?

Addressing need-blind admissions at Carleton. Creating more sustainable initiatives. Raising retention rates. Increasing the transparency of the College and the accessibility of the CSA Senate. Ensuring that students have a voice in campus decision-making. Making Carleton more affordable. Equipping our new dining service to serve both the highest quality and variety of food possible. These are all immensely important issues which the Carleton community faces, and are also matters which the CSA Senate and the College Council have the power to address. I’m running for the Senate/College Council Liaison position because I believe that I can fully represent and assert the interests of the student body while also infusing both with new ideas and a spirit of reform.

Qualifications:

I’ve been involved in Carleton student government since the fall term of my freshmen year, serving on the Committee on Student Life (three terms), the College Council (three terms), and the CSA Senate (six terms). In these positions, I helped bring the crepe maker service to campus, sought to make Carleton more affordable, assisted on the initial planning for the Arts Union and new dorm project, and approved Carleton’s carbon neutrality statement. I have also had experience with several different organizations and student jobs on campus. In these roles, I’ve addressed the Budget Committee and Senate as an outsider, and can understand why many think that both bodies—as well as the College Council—need to be listening to Carleton students more frequently and carefully.

A Plan for College Council:
  • Bring back the student voices: Students are routinely underutilized and underrepresented in decision making at Carleton, and are sometimes entirely shut out of the process. For instance, in the recent Director of Campus Activities candidate search, not a single student served on the search committee, yielding sub-par candidates in the campus interviews. To effectively assert student opinions, I propose establishing a permanent student body liaison to the Board of Trustees, the Administrative Council, and the Dean of Students and Residential Life offices. These students can help ensure the return of the freshman off-campus experience (like the pre-frosh trips), prevent rash and student-unfriendly policies from being pursued by Residential Life (such as the recent elimination of 200 Northfield Option positions), and assist in hiring the best possible staff.
  • Work to positively change the campus environment: The College Council must not pigeonhole and shy away from the issues of college affordability and a hostile campus environment, and if elected, I will keep these issues on the forefront. The debt which the average student takes on to attend Carleton will be substantially higher than most of our so-called “peer schools” this year, since many institutions have eliminated student loans entirely. This student debt also has an immense impact on campus culture. Additionally, the campus climate survey will hopefully offer Carleton an opportunity to address the tension and hostility on the campus. As a student, senator, and College Council member, I plan on bringing innovative ideas to work to do just that, while also listen to other students for their input.
A Plan for Senate and Student Life:
  • Accessibility: Work with the Senate officers to make Senate meetings more accessible. Though Senate’s agenda is published in every week’s all-campus email, I am of the firm belief that at least ten minutes of each Senate meeting consist of an open forum for any Carleton student to address the whole of the Senate. The Carletonian should be given greater access to the Senate and its officers to better monitor the activities of student government as well as the CSA student organizations the Senate supports. These reforms would not only make the Senate a more effective institution, but would also make all senators more accountable.
  • Tangible Changes: I’m currently working with a group of senators to renovate Upper Sayles to make the environment more “livable.” As a senator, I would also work to restore the Carleton Responsible Investment Committee (CRIC), which monitors the social responsibility of our endowment. I also plan to propose a student task force on improving Carleton’s campus climate, which will be student-controlled and will solicit student ideas and input and propose changes in this area.

Evan Rowe

IT’S TIME TO MAKE COLLEGE COUNCIL WORK FOR US

The College Council is supposed to be Carleton’s highest and most representative on-campus governing body. Composed of students, faculty, staff, and administration, it’s supposed to be the final stop before the Board of Trustees on all non-curricular issues. But it’s not doing its job. The oversight being exercised is minimal, and the accountability is all but nonexistent.

College Council meetings are generally 45-minute-long feel-good sessions. Information is presented by administrators and staff, heads nod, and that’s that. No votes are taken (save the symbolic and unanimous), no substantive debate ensues, nothing. If College Council is to be a meaningful body that truly represents students (and faculty and staff, for that matter), there must be change.

College Council ought to meet significantly more than the once per month it currently does. Real debate ought to occur, and votes ought to be taken on substantive, not just symbolic, issues. There needs to be expanded and institutionalized oversight capabilities for College Council – if ResLife makes a bad decision (inconceivable, you say?), students shouldn’t be dependent on the goodwill of a random sympathetic administrator to overturn it. And there ought to be a student veto on major policy decisions taken by the College – and I mean this quite earnestly.

The administration does a generally decent job of running the school, and I’m certainly not suggesting that we turn Carleton into an autonomous student commune – there’s a reason we don’t go to Antioch. But if College administrators really value the independence, the intelligence, and the maturity of its student body like they say they do, then they ought to give us the power to make more substantive decisions for ourselves.

How can I get it done? I’ve been on Senate for more terms then I’d care to admit. Along with three other fearless students, I helped the Dining Task Force choose Bon Appetit. I’ve worked with a lot of faculty, a lot of staff, and a lot of administrators. I have the expertise and the dedication to accomplish these goals, and I won’t quit until I do.

In the past, College Council has been the final on-campus non-curricular decision-maker. It used to mean something. That it doesn’t today suggests that students no longer possess the systemic influence they once had in running this institution. Vote Evan Rowe for CSA Senate/College Council Liaison, and I will do my utmost to make sure that we own our education on the big issues as well as the small.

Senator/Environmental Advisory Committee Liaison

Vera Chang

Global Ethics major, 2009

Experience
  • Dining Contract Negotiation Board: member and leader of Sustainability and Social Responsibly taskforce (2007-2008)
  • Food Truth: founder and president of student organization (2006-present)
  • Environmental Advisory Committee: communications leader; designed Carleton’s sustainability website; contributed to development of Carleton’s sustainability principles (2007)
  • Phase II: Carleton’s Multiracial Student Association president (2005-2006)
Goals
  • Incorporate sustainability into all aspects of Carleton: I will work to accomplish the objectives of the President’s Climate Commitment by developing a plan for attaining carbon neutrality, proposing projects to reduce the college’s greenhouse gas emissions, and integrate sustainability into curriculum.
  • Sustainable food on campus: I will continue to work with Bon Appétit to improve dining services to incorporate more sustainable practices, increase student input and programming collaboration with dining services, and push for the Carleton student farm proposal.
  • Sustainability Revolving Fund: I will continue to promote and advertise the fund, build the fund with alumni contributions, and increase performance of the fund.
  • Increase communications on campus: I will represent a diverse range of interests, voices, and groups and bridge communication between the multicultural and environmental community

Senator-at-Large

Colin Bottles

I am running for senate because I want the opportunity to represent you, the Carleton student body in the next academic year. It is my understanding that CSA basically does two things: 1. Allocate money from the Student’s Activity Fee for the use and benefit of students, and 2. Strive to be the voice of the student body in a larger conversation with the administration of Carleton. As one of your senators, I will take very seriously my role as an intermediary between you and the administration.

I don’t want to insult your intelligence or my sincerity by listing off a bunch of campaign promises that I may or may not be able to make good on. I will say, however, that I am committed towards making Carleton a safer and more comfortable place for all students. I am committed towards strengthening support systems for students and making Carleton an easier place to thrive. I am committed towards funding environmentally sustainable initiatives and funding programs that foster dialogue and growth outside the classroom. If you have any questions about specific issues, and want to know where I stand on them, please email me at bottlesc@carleton.edu.

I feel my time at Carleton has prepared me to act on your behalf. I have been an RA for two years, am a captain of the Men’s Rugby Team, will be a SWA next year, and am engaged in the larger Carleton community. Though I possess no prior experience on CSA, I feel confident in my ability to represent you next year. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to email me. Thank you for your time, and thank you for reading this far.

Jake Devereux

Tuition is too high and academic burdens are too intense for this not to be a school of, by and for us, the students of Carleton. I, to the very best of my ability, swear to protect students and student interests and fight any apathy or exploitation in opposition to our hopes. I will not make false promises.

Why me?
  1. I will bring a fresh perspective to the Senate as I am running for the first time and will dedicate myself to fixing what must be fixed.
  2. My general outlook is realistic and skeptical which will assist me in making sure the decisions of the Senate are both thoughtful and useful.
  3. This college has treated me well but I know Carleton must improve. I care too much about this place to see our optimism squashed by indifference. Come to me with your thoughts and wishes and feel free to criticize me. I recognize that I need to be as responsive and open-minded as possible to be an effective Senator.
What I care about?

This is a time of transition for Carleton. New dining services, dorms, academic facilities, the Campaign for Carleton and our pledge to sustainability will all present new opportunities. I view many of these developments as fundamentally necessary to ensuring that this college is accessible and receptive to all students in addition to being sustainable and friendly to the natural world. To conclude: I care most about making Carleton the place we would all like it to be and know it can be.

McKay Duer

Vote McKay Duer for CSA Senate!

To the Carleton Student Body:

I am McKay Duer and I want to represent you. Your voices need to be heard. I’m sure you’ve seen that statement many times, but if I get elected I will promise to be available at almost every hour of the day to hear your qualms, your ideas, and your questions either by phone or email. I want to get involved in the CSA because I know I can make a difference; I have opinions and ideas and I am not afraid to stand up and talk about them. I will give my time, whole-heartedly, to this organization to ensure that it is the best it can be and I will represent you, the students of Carleton to the fullest extent possible. You and I are what make this school as special as it is and we and help to shape its’ policies, activities, and atmosphere because it is us, and our opinions, that count. That being said, I want to be one of the voices that speaks on your behalf, that represents your needs, and protects your interests. I am an enthusiastic, hard-working, determined, cheerful, approachable, and focused person and I can promise that I will do a good, even great, job if YOU elect me, McKay Duer, as a senator of the CSA.

CURRENT ISSUES I SUPPORT:
  • Continue to unify the One Card so everywhere, even the vending machines in dorms accept One Cards as payment; because let’s face it, people want late night snacks and your not always carrying change or in a reasonable distance from the snack bar.
  • Extend WiFi to other parts of campus as is proposed, this is the first step to making the entire campus wireless, which is something that needs to happen.
  • Improve campus sustainability, we are on the right path, so let’s keep rolling.
  • Provide better funding for student clubs and club sports so we continue to have many campus activities to participate in and funds to make our participation possible.
WHAT I HOPE TO DO:
  • Establish wireless internet connection EVEYWHERE on campus so if you want to sit on the benches behind Bolio, float in the Lakes, lay on Bell, or sit in a lounge with your computer you can have the internet at the tip of your fingers.
  • Improve handicap access in Carleton facilities. After being on crutches for 6 weeks last spring I realized how unfriendly the Carleton buildings can be for people on crutches or in wheel chairs, most elevator systems are not available for public use and many places have far too many stairs without any ramps; let’s change this.
  • Establish a daily ice cream spot at the LDC like Burton currently has; and for that matter, since we are changing food providers, I will make sure real ice cream at meals continues in Burton, is added to the LDC, and that mint chocolate chip/cookies’n’creams/cookie dough ice cream are ordered in higher quantity.
  • Improve facility hours, particularly in the “study hotspots” like the Library, the CMC, and Willis; attempt to make them open 24 hours a day during finals and open later (past 1am) during a regular school week.
  • Ensure that students still have the option to live off-campus after the new dorm has been built, building a new dorm to accommodate Carleton students is a good idea. I want to make sure, however, that this new dorm does not make it impossible for upperclassman to live off campus if they really want to.

Jordan Epstein

In my mind, Carleton is all about students and making our short four year experience here as fulfilling and fun as possible as possible. In other words, Carleton is all about us. Or at least it should be. But the only way to ensure that this vision of Carleton continues to exist is to elect fun, responsible, and down-to-earth senators who have students in mind and care about getting real things done. I present to you Jordan Epstein, CSA Senator.

SO what will I do?

  1. New Student Week and pre-Frosh trips
    • Right now, I’m working on the Senate’s First Year Experience council, and we’re looking at everything from diversity events to brother/sister NSW groups to Sayle’s dances to make frosh’s first week at Carleton as fun and welcoming as possible. We’re also looking into a more comprehensive Freshman Year Experience. And as a senator, I will bring pre-frosh trips back.
  2. Club sport P.E. credit
    • Why can varsity athletes get 4 years of P.E. credit, while the most dedicated lacrosse or Frisbee athlete can only get 2? Does that seem fair? I think the requirements for P.E. credits need to be revisited, and I believe club athletes deserve credit for the amount of work and effort they put into representing our school in their sport.
  3. Security and fines
    • This one is a little bit more washy, and I would love to hear some more feedback, but I’ve heard a lot recently about security overreacting to situations, taking down names, being unreasonable in handing out fines without adequate warning, and otherwise making perfectly safe Carleton students feel miserable. This directly contradicts my belief that Carleton is all about us, us learning, and us having a good time. So I’ll try to do something about, and you can help!

Finally, a little bit about me. I’m a senator right now, and an RA, but more importantly I love Carleton. I hope you all do too. Vote Jordan Epstein for CSA Senator!

Tim Foran

Qualifications/Experience:

I am:

  • a rising senior with plenty of experience in campus politics
  • a club sports athlete who will continue to advocate for and better the club sports program
  • a concerned student who takes campus politics seriously
  • an International Relations major

I have:

  • represented the students on the CSA Senate for three terms
  • represented the students as a student-at-large on the budget committee for one term
  • represented CSA Senate and the students as a senator on budget committee for one term
  • represented the students on the Dining Contract Review Committee for one term
Plans

I plan to:

  • Continue to work to improve the status of club sports on campus
    • Currently, another senator and I are working with the administration to change the club sports credit policy to allow club sports to count for full P.E. credit
    • I will work the Wellness Center review to gain increased training access and services for club sports athletes, while not in any way impeding the current service for varsity athletes
  • Continue to pursue an agenda of fiscal responsibility balanced with student needs
    • As the senator on budget committee, I am in a unique position to both understand the guidelines that budget committee uses to allocate funding, but also to interpret unique situations that may make sense, but are impeded by those guidelines. I will continue to be fiscally responsible, while working to fairly fund student groups and their projects.
    • We don’t want to get to spring term and find that we have no more money to allocate to student groups. I will work to ensure that such a budget crunch does not occur.

Trevor Hill

To the Carleton Student Body:

I am Trevor Hill and I am a member of the class of 2011. I am a varsity baseball player and enthusiastic participant in activities on campus, but I hope to become more involved in campus change. Recently, I found myself complaining about some issues on campus and decided that I might as well do something about it. The beauty of being a freshman is that I will still have three full years to improve campus life at Carleton. I am motivated, hardworking and energetic; I am honest, open and flexible. The ideas I have listed below are only some of the many thoughts I have for how to improve Carleton. Some of my plans may not be possible due to budgetary or administrational constraints, but I will wholeheartedly push for every idea I believe in. Please read my ideas below and I hope you will vote for me as your CSA Senator.

Current Initiatives I Support:
  • Sayles Revitalization Project . . . The Sayles-Hill Campus Center should be a vibrant center for student life, but has become tired and outdated. A rethinking and remodeling of the area is desperately needed to restore energy and usefulness to our campus center. A redesigned seating area downstairs and new furniture upstairs would go a long way to improving Sayles.
  • Lawn Furniture on the Bald Spot . . . The lawn furniture recently placed on the Bald Spot has been a big hit and I hope to expand the initiative. I would like the Senate to purchase additional lawn furniture for the Bald Spot and other campus locations, such as near the Lyman Lakes. Hopefully, we can push the college to put money into furniture as well so that not all of the money comes from the Senate’s budget.
  • Campus Sustainability . . . I am pleased with Carleton’s current level of sustainability, but would like to expand recycling and composting efforts on campus. Composting in residence halls is an idea that has been explored and is an issue I support. I also support the Green Fund proposal and hope that you will vote for it on the ballot.
  • Career Center Review . . . I have sought help from the Career center on multiple occasions, but have found the help I received to be less than desired. I understand that the Career Center is working to establish better contacts with alumni and I support this effort.
New Initiatives I Hope to Bring to the Table:
  • Expand Cooperation between the CSA Senate and Campus Activities . . . Through expanded cooperation between these two offices, I hope to improve funding for social events on campus, such as the Spring Concert. Recently I have heard grumblings for a more high-profile Spring Concert act and I hope to explore the feasibility of this request.
  • Rethinking Meal Plans . . . Many students, myself included, are excited about the selection of Bon Appétit to service Carleton’s dining halls and snack bar. I believe that now is a great time to redesign the meal plan options for students.
  • Dining Hall Snack Hours . . . I am aware of several other schools whose dining halls have drop-in snack and drink hours. The idea is that students can drop in at times when no meals are being served (for example, at night after dinner); drink machines and snacks such as cookies would be available.

Mack Kolarich

A position with CSA offers me the opportunity to make a difference in the Carleton community and represent voices that have not been heard or are often misrepresented. My time at Carleton has highlighted areas that need direction, and I have the drive to focus the college`s initiatives on the correct areas to implement serious, lasting change for the betterment of future Carls. It is our future that is at stake; we must protect it at all costs, and ensure that all potential students have the same, if not better, opportunities when they arrive.

I want to accomplish serious decisions on serious issues. Carleton`s future is not something we can play with on the beach. We must assure that, with each issue that arises, we reach a complete understanding with regard to each side, and take into consideration Carleton`s future in our decision. I want to accomplish: a succinct agenda that addresses important issues, detailed and lasting decisions that represent the will of current and future Carleton students, and a solid foundation of collaboration with other students to guarantee successful outcomes in the future.

I have extensive experience in speech and debate as well as strong abilities to thoroughly analyze each argument in an area, find weaknesses, and dissolve the issue down to an appropriate, reliable, and coherent decision. I will do my utmost to guarantee that each argument is fully represented and that each fact in a decision is accounted for.

Vote for what you believe. Vote for Carleton`s future. Vote for me…Mack Kolarich.

Moshe Lavi

My name is Moshe (Emilio) Lavi, an Israeli freshman and I run for the Senate in order to be elected as a Senator. I have vast experience in Student Government and I wish to serve and assist the student community of Carleton College as well.

Student Government:

Vice-President of the Shaar-Hanegev Regional Youth Council; Member of the Student Council in Shaar-Hanegev High School; Member of the Pedagogical Board in Shaar-Hanegev High School; A founder of a revolutionary and democratic student-staff based group called “Althing” that promoted constructive reforms in Red Cross Nordic UWC (Norway).

Other positions:
Chair of several organisations in RCNUWC: Just Ice Magazine, Refugee Media Service; Vice-chair and secretary of the “World Today” service (RCNUWC); An age-group leader in the Israeli Scouts (Tribe Sinai, Sederot); Chosen to represent the Israeli National Committee of United World College in the aforesaid RCNUWC.

In Carleton:
Member of the Lens Magazine Business Team; Member of the Micro-Finance Club; Member of the Debating Society; Member of the IRC (participated in HMUN); Member of the JSC Board; (will be) an ISO leader in the summer of 2008.
The following are issues I will promote if elected:

  1. Wellness Centre: This is not a trustworthy institution and thus should be revised.
    • Adding Hours; At least one staff on call during the nights.
    • Arranging more workshops and lectures in the areas of mental and physical health.
  2. Student Parliament: I believe that the democratic procedure in small communities needs to be more communal than representative.
    • Institutionalising a Student Parliament that will convene every 3 weeks or so.
    • All students attending will be able to vote on vital issues, rather than letting the Senate have all the power of voting.
    • No student will be obliged to participate, but students who care about vital issues will have the power to be part of a communal decision making process, that will reflect the student body better than it is now.
  3. Transparency: Continue the work in the area of transparency and allow students to be exposed to all the documents that should be available to the public. By creating a student parliament there will be a need to improve the level of transparency on campus, and thus clause 2 & 3 goes together at that matter.
  4. Diversity: In the long term, I will try to work with other students from relevant committees in order to create a possible plan this college could take in order to promote more diversity within the student body and the faculty staff.
  5. Social and Political awareness: the Senate should not only foster democracy and student government but also promote the awareness of students in events that occur outside campus.
    • Create a special committee that will deal with funding to student groups that are established in order to fundraise money/good to victims of natural and human made disasters.
    • Improve the political and social discourse on campus.
  6. Transportation: The current transportation system from the campus to the cities lacks the ability to serve the students properly.
    • Designate weekdays in which student will be able to drive with a bus to the cities in order to avoid problems with flights, visa-issue appointments and other important errands.
  7. Smokers: I think that smokers on campus should have designated closed-sheltered smoking areas, in which one will be able to smoke in peace and warmth (especially during winter term).
  8. I support P.E. credits for club sports.
  9. Any other sensible proposal/suggestion from other students: I am willing to take the time and listen to you, in case you have a sensible proposal or suggestion on hand.

Syed Sadaf Sultan

Vote for Syed Sadaf Sultan for CSA Senator-at-Large!!!

My three main goals as a Senator would be:

  1. Facilitate in the development of the Wellness Center. Transform this failing department into a properly function one. Ensure that the Center is not only adequately staffed but is also flexible in its hours of service.
  2. Achieve a comprehensive renovation of Upper Sayles with up to date gaming machines and various other amenities.
  3. Create an alumni-student board for the Career Center that would generate a certain number of internships and post-graduate opportunities for students every year.

I have three terms of experience as a Senator that has provided me with invaluable experience about how to get things done on campus and especially in collaboration with other senators on CSA.

I believe my experience in the CSA would equip me to fully address pertinent issues on campus starting from day one.

So, please cast your vote for me if you wish to see realistic change on campus, and change that will be here to stay.

Kelsey Sloan

Vote Kelsey Sloan for CSA Senate!

I want to make the important changes needed on campus to bring about a stronger and more successful Carleton community while maintaining the characteristics that make Carleton great.

Experience:

Though this is my first time running for Senate, I am very involved on campus and in the community with different organizations and groups. I have been an RA, a member of a varsity and club sport team, a volunteer with various ACT programs, and am very involved in the events and programs that make Carleton the diverse and interesting school that it is. I know many different types of people at Carleton and feel qualified to represent my peers.

The Issues:
  • Club Sports: This has been a hot discussion topic for my entire Carleton career and I want to help bridge the gap between the services varsity sports enjoy and the needs of club sport athletes. Our campus is made up of many athletes in various disciplines and after seeing both sides, I see the need for club athletes to have the medical support and recognition via training services that varsity athletes already enjoy.
  • Computer services: I will work with the SCIC and the student population to improve the status of the GoPrint system and improve printing services campus-wide. I understand many students are unhappy with the change, but by voting for me I promise to increase contentment with this new program and evaluate the current setup in order to effectively move forward.
  • Dining Services: We are moving into a new era of Carleton dining. Though Sodexho has not always satisfied our needs, it is important to hold onto the great services they did offer and make sure that we incorporate the strengths into an improved Bon Appetit that will truly serve the Carleton community.
    • Discussion of changes to the Snack Bar and dining hall setups – I will be the voice of the Carleton community and effectively help to change our facilities to address our wishes.
  • Communication with CSA: Senate and the student body should be inseparable, relying on each other for support and decision-making and to assure the proper allocations of resources and services that will benefit Carleton students. This means that the Senate must be more available and more connected to the community through stronger dedication to incorporating the campus into CSA decisions. Students should participate in all the decisions of the Senate. I will be a strong contact for Carleton.

Kelsey Sloan for Senate! I will be your voice to bring about the change you want. I am always available to answer your questions, so don’t hesitate! Send me an email at sloank@carleton.edu.

Weiqi Tan

Weiqi Tan for Senator!

Experience
  • 1 term as vice-chair of Singapore Club
  • 2 terms on the Housing Selection Advisory Committee
  • 2 terms as co-Program Director of the CAC Clothes Closet (ACT)
Plans if elected
  • New Dining Experience
    • As the campus awaits the arrival of our new food provider, we are all hoping we will finally get some proper food. I hope that the dining experience for the students will really take a turn for the better in the following year and the years to come (especially in the near future when fewer students will be able to obtain Northfield Option and hence will have to be on-board) and will be actively soliciting input on any concerns and complaints you might have in the following year with our new food provider.
  • New dorm rooms
    • Our two new dormitories are scheduled to open for occupancy by Fall Term 2009. Although they will already be in the middle of construction in the next school year, I’ll make sure your voice will be heard if there are any furniture, electrical appliances etc that you want to see in our new dorms (especially for current freshmen and sophomores who will be juniors and seniors by then and have a good chance of living in the new dorms!)
  • Wellness Center
    • I will be committed to lengthening the office hours for the Wellness Center and to improve its red tape, cutting down the waiting time just to see someone at the Wellness Center, to make sure your health will be better taken care of.
  • Vending Machines
    • Ever frustrated in the middle of the night at the CMC and wishing you had one dollar bills or some coins to buy some snacks to save your life? I will be committed to providing the vending machines we have on campus, whether in the academic buildings or the dorms the option of using the OneCard.

Vote me! Because:

I promise to be accessible and approachable in person, in emails.. and in all facets of my life. I am willing to listen to you, will take you seriously and will make your voice heard.

Last but not least, I support the weekly Senate office hours that have been recently implemented this term where CSA officers are accessible and there to take note of any issues you might want to be addressed in Senate meetings. I propose to take these office hours to study breaks that follow a schedule which alternates around the dorms.

Because we want you to determine how the school should be run.

Please feel free to email me with any suggestions at tanw@carleton.edu

Dominic Vendell

To everyone interested in Senate candidacies for fall 2007 to spring 2008, hello! My name is Dominic Vendell, and I am junior History major and Women’s and Gender Studies major at Carleton College. I am running for a Senator-at-Large position as I have become passionate about the possibilities for student governance to become involved in creating change on campus for justice, equity, and well-being among Carleton students.

For the past three years, I have been engaged in a number of different formal and informal activities. Much of my energy has been devoted to work with the Gender and Sexuality Center in order to raise awareness about a variety of issues surrounding gender and sexuality and create a welcoming atmosphere for all students. As an associate with the GSC, I have come to realize the importance of the First Year Experience in enabling students to form active and supportive communities. In addition, as a member of the antiracist student group Uproot and a participant in a number of informal activist efforts, I have become passionate about bringing communities together to discuss how to expand our understanding of difference and power and to create spaces of development for all students. Finally, my short time on Budget Committee has made me more familiar with CSA protocol and procedures, and I am committed to navigating governance for the advocacy of different groups at Carleton.

As a Senator, I would be interested in encouraging our administration as well as students to dialogue about how to deepen the First Year Experience. Advocating for the greater dissemination of information surrounding student experiences, ranging from diversity and power relations, sexual health, and identity formation, during the First Year Experience is key. Continuing from the first year, student governance must interact with the administration to involve students in significant changes to the College, including the admissions process of providing access to students of different financial backgrounds, new proposals for the Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, and publication of the results from the recently completed Campus Climate Survey.

Two crucial methods from my point of view of making these changes for justice and well-being on campus is providing more spaces in different community environments for input about college policies and, in part, accomplishing this goal by working with bodies like the Office of Intercultural Life, the Gender and Sexuality Center, and the ACT Center. Frequently student groups with an interest in change, whether it be on issues of racial equity, sustainability, or sexual violence prevention, primarily raise awareness among students without knowing how to find a way through college policy. My experience on Uproot has solidified my interest in connecting communities with administration to broadcast their voices on how Carleton is being shaped.

If you have any questions about my perspectives or goals in running for Senate, feel free to email me at vendelld@carleton.edu, call me at 520-256-1120, or stop by Watson 306. Vote for me!

Brandon Walker

WHY ELECT BRANDON WALKER?
EXPERIENCE.

It’s been an honor to serve as your student liaison on College Council and the Education and Curriculum Committee. Over the past two years, I’ve worked to make curricular development more student-oriented, endorsed Carleton’s commitment to environmental sustainability, and solicited your views on the college’s need-blind admissions and financial aid policy. If elected as your student at-large representative, I will combine my years of experience on College Council and ECC to better promote and encourage campus dialogue regarding intercultural issues pertinent to the preservation of progressive Carleton values.

A CHANGE IN FOCUS TO HELP CHANGE CARLETON.

I’ve decided to redefine my role on senate. Committing myself to discussions surrounding campus climate, student retention, and curricular reform are the structural pilings of my platform. It is time for Carls of all backgrounds to join hands and work together with hopes of making this place a worthwhile experience for all students. As a community, we must show trustees, administration, and faculty that we stand behind an institution committed to fostering the fundamental growth and prosperity of its student body.

OBSERVATIONS AND IDEAS
  1. Continue to encourage student-driven curricular development. Two years ago, I ran on the platform of curricular reform via student engagement. As your ECC liaison, I worked with other student members of the ECC to form a student-oriented curricular design team. We solicited your input, crafted several suggestions to be considered by faculty-led curricular design teams, and encouraged faculty to strongly consider your suggestions. Upon reading proposed curricular models on moodle, however, I realized that the lines of communication were dropped between faculty and students. Frankly, there exists an explicit division between students and faculty regarding each party’s interpretation of an ideal liberal arts education. Under the supervision of current student members of the ECC, these issues have been brought to your attention. I plan to continue to work with student members of the ECC to create a more effective way of displaying the three faculty-drafted curricular models.
  2. Encourage a pledge of Environmental Sustainability. As Carleton works to become more environmentally friendly, the CSA should support a campus-wide commitment to environmental sustainability. As a community, it is our obligation to make environmentally-sound decisions in our daily activities. Under the auspices of Ben Barclay, Eliza Berry, and Bessie Schwarz, the Pledge of Sustainable Conduct challenges the greater Carleton community to consider such decisions with the help of campus-wide agreement. Through the encouragement of active measures to improve our environment, Carls are leading the campaign to educate the greater community about this vital concern.
  3. Continue discussion of need-blind financial aid. Frankly, this matter falls far out of senate’s jurisdiction; however, as your voice we hold the social capital necessary to demand immediate conversation with trustees and administrators. It is my hope to continue conversations with college administration regarding the future of need-blind financial aid at Carleton. The fruits of a liberal arts education should be accessible to all who meet requirements for admission.
  4. Can we talk about this? Retention, Campus Climate, and Intercultural Dialogue. Senate must create an open forum in which these topics can be discussed. Through the passing of a resolution on retention, climate, and curricular reform, the structural support for active dialogue has been set. It is my hope to further strides made by our current administration through the establishment of an ad-hoc committee charged exclusively with engaging student body in discourse regarding intercultural issues on campus. We must actively pursue means to improve campus climate as a community. Furthermore, senate must hold itself accountable for recommendations it makes to college administration.

Senate is the voice of the student body. As that voice, we are obligated to address issues pertinent to fostering a healthy environment for Carls from all backgrounds. The passing of Monday’s resolution on retention, campus climate, and curricular reform is a bold statement of change. It is a call for college administration to vehemently explore options at reversing abysmal retention rates for African American students, strongly investigate methods in which curricular reform could help foster stronger dialogue regarding intercultural issues, and most importantly, it holds the Carleton Student Association accountable for the charges it makes to trustees, administration, and faculty.

If reelected, I will continue to tackle these and other issues with full aggression. By electing Brandon Walker, not only are you acknowledging your dedication to the continued growth of Carleton College, your trust in my leadership further underscores the need for communal accountability.

VOTE BRANDON WALKER FOR CSA SENATOR AT-LARGE!