CSA President
Thomas Hiura ’17
What’s good?
I’m Thomas and it feels a bit surreal to be asking for your vote, but here I am doing that. Every Carl does great things, so what makes me think I’m fit to be your CSA President? In this admittedly long platform, I’ll state my case in-depth (TL;DR at the end if you don’t feel like reading the whole thing).
What the CSA President does
Previous CSA Presidents Matthew, Becca, and Marielle have told me how the role demands a constant effort that most of the campus will never see (even in spite of the all-campus emails). That’s not to say that it’s secretive stuff—I do value transparency and I promise to provide plenty of it—but the nitty gritty of meeting with admins weekly, communicating with 2000 students about their ideas and concerns, handling appointments fairly every term, and leading weekly Senate meetings amounts to an unpaid role where some 80~98% of the work done has effectively no audience. Typically, the Prez is the first point of contact for administrators who want student feedback on policy initiatives.
I think it’s important, therefore, that candidates are evaluated not just for their unique ideas and campaign pledges, but also for their ability to respond thoughtfully to unexpected situations and speak truth to power on behalf of students. There’s no shortage of great candidates this year, and I hope you’ll vote for someone who will dedicate themselves to fighting for your Carleton values and interests. In that spirit, I’d like to tell you a bit about who I am, what I’ve done, and what I’ll do.
Who I Am (skip this if you already know me, no worries)
I am a Japan-born, Oregon-raised, mixed-race bisexual agnostic theist (former Christian and former atheist). My dad is a homeless/nomadic musician in the woods, my mom has been a server at sushi bars for my whole life, and my sister is a neurobiology PhD student at Cornell. I grew up a sports fanatic and a 4-sport athlete, but I quit sports largely because I got picked on for not being able to afford expensive new equipment, and I was uncomfortable with my teammates and coaches’ misogyny. My pronouns are he/his/they/them. My family’s income status has varied from middle-class to impoverished, and I consider myself a product of transpacific immigration, mental illness, under-resourced public schools, incarceration, and divorce. I am an introverted extravert; a person who simultaneously/intermittently experiences depression, anxiety, contentedness, and enthusiastic joy.
I mention these parts of my identity because they inform who I am. They force me to approach leadership decisions in constant consideration of varied perspectives, and they inspire my greatest interest: making real connections with people from heterogeneous and diverse backgrounds.
What I’ve Done
- Currently co-chairing a working group of faculty, staff, and students to collaboratively explore implementation of a Bias Incident Response Team.
- Worked with Dean Livingston to schedule enough varied time slots for Community Conversations that all students can attend in their living areas.
- Served on CSA Senate & Budget Committee, College Council, Sesquicentennial Planning Committee, Res Life Advisory Council, and briefly on Spring Concert Committee.
- Co-led an emergency effort to create a NSW session on diversity and difference, acted in the GSC’s “Doing It Right” program, and participating in Stripped (inclusive Carleton-created body-positive stage production replacing Vagina Monologues).
- Helped advocate for a memorial to be created for Carleton students whose lives are ended too soon; this memorial will soon be built near Lyman Lakes.
- Created a storytelling project called Humans of Carleton and have interviewed 130+ people with the goal of building connections across campus.
- Spent multiple terms advocating for a name change to directors of the group formerly known as Ebony II.
- Worked as a dedicated RA on three very chill floors (whuddup 4Cass, 4Muss, 4Hue) with no net financial gain (based on a complicated external scholarship situation).
- Helped advocate successfully for a meal plan between 12 and 20 meals, improved the check-out system for student band equipment, and helped deliver flowers to every St. Olaf student in the midst of a tragedy on their campus.
- Established a strong working relationship with Carleton administrators (they’re people!) that will allow me to be an effective advocate right away.
- Consistently fought to amplify voices of Carleton students by arguing for CSA chartering and funding for new campus publications, new student orgs, and cultural events.
What I’ll Do
- Be available. If you email/Facebook me and want to meet, I WILL meet with you. I will continue reducing my formal extracurricular time commitments in order to attend campus events, club meetings, sports games, and generally be visible and approachable.
- Give everyone the opportunity to speak at Senate meetings, allow ample time for debate, and make meetings engaging, audible, and maybe even entertaining for Senators and guests.
- Expand efforts to make Budget Committee approachable, transparent, and consistent.
- Utilize Facebook, NNB, campus announcements, TV screens, tabling, and occasional posters to make CSA initiatives/events known without students necessarily having to comb through meeting minutes.
- Host town hall events on issues like financial aid policy, sexual misconduct policy, divestment, etc.
- Increase campus-wide visibility for forums like these which already exist.
Thank you—it means a lot to me that you read this. I’m sure the other platforms will be shorter…
Please email/Facebook me if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you!
TL;DR: The CSA Prez does a lot of important one-on-one work behind the scenes, so please vote for a dedicated person who you trust to advocate to the admins on your behalf. I have helped make many changes on campus and worked with admins a lot already. I’ll be available and approachable, I’ll listen, I’ll improve Senate meetings, and I’ll collaborate to build bridges throughout campus. I’ll make time to do important things and help others do the things they find important as well.
Tiffany Thet ‘17
Dear fellow Carleton students,
My name is Tiffany Thet, a junior International Relations/Education major from Yangon, Myanmar and I hope to have your support in voting me as your new CSA President.
From the issue of representation to its protocols on granting funding to student groups to connecting student leaders to one another, Senate is the centerpoint in bringing all of these elements together. My hope is that I can continue the work of my predecessors by being the pipeline that ties CSA together.
Goals:
The following are specific areas of improvement within Senate, a three-pronged approach in cohesion and coming together, that I plan to address in my role as President:
Cohesion of the CSA – Strengthening the Team
Turnover rates in CSA can be so high within Senate, with students studying abroad and positions being filled by new student leaders every term. Because of this, it can difficult to create a cohesive “feel” to Senate and students leaders run the risk of feeling disconnected from their fellow CSA Senators. But, ultimately, CSA Senate is a team and it needs to be a strong one – the senate can only work as well as it works together. Thus, I plan on making CSA a strong team. I want to create a team bonding atmosphere, where each CSA Senator can bond through dinners, social events and at Senate meetings. I plan on meeting with each Senator one-on-one to allow us to have the opportunity discuss their concerns, their ideas, their hopes and themselves. I hope that by doing so, CSA Senators feel more comfortable and feel that they have a strong voice and space in senate and can rely on one another to represent their respective groups and the student body as a whole. CSA senators need to be able to enjoy being there, enjoy putting the work in and this can only be facilitated by creating an accessible team. This will, hopefully, create the ripple effect of increasing interest in joining CSA and being part of the student government process.
Conversation and Action – Supporting and Reaching Students on Campus
Campus Climate and Culture is a point of ongoing discussion and evaluation and it understandable to see why – Carleton is not immune to the systems and systems of oppression we see beyond our Northfield borders. We have to dismantle the idea that conversations surrounding these topics are the only option we have, but we also need to recognize that conversations are important starting points for action. That is why I plan on using the status quo of conversations for change as a continuing medium in order to promote discussions on campus towards anti-oppression and inclusion. Campus dialogue should include topics like race, class, socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, mental health, ableism and the intersections of all these identities and topics prevalent to student life such as pressure to succeed. We need to engage and encourage students to participate in conversations that can be uncomfortable but will ultimately lead to a better understanding and appreciation of each other as peers. Should students want to use these conversations as springboards for other events, I plan to ensure that CSA can be a supportive resource available to students to reach out to as well as accessible for students to express their concerns of Senate or Campus.
Connect the Work – Connecting Student Leaders and Group
What if several student groups are aiming for the same goals? What if there were projects and events that student groups were planning that intersected with the abilities and skills of other groups? How can student organizations connect with another in joint projects and how can CSA better facilitate and support that? What will CSA’s role be in connecting the dots, the students leaders and their respective goals? I aim to answer these questions by using my position as President to be a pipeline for student groups and projects. Student groups aren’t as disconnected as one would assume, from sport clubs, to dance clubs, to activist groups to music groups, so many of the events and ideas that student activity clubs have could be amplified by connecting and potentially working with other student leaders and groups. I want to be that somebody who connects these dots and is willing to be like “Hey, this group might be interested in supporting your event by doing this, do you want their contact?” or “Hi, I think these two groups could work really well together on this, what do you think?”
Qualifications/Experiences
Current CSA CEDI (Community, Equity, Diversity, Initiative) Representative
As Current CEDI Representative, I have experience with the CSA process and how it operates. In the position that I am in, I have a better understanding on how to be the pipeline between an Administrative group (CEDI), CSA and the larger student population works and how to address student concerns on the community as a whole. My hope is to continue to expand on the work I have done in CEDI.
OIIL (Office of Intercultural and International Life) Peer Leader
Being an OIIL Peer Leader has given me the experience of reaching out to mentees and the student body alike, developing and implementing dialogue events and conversations surrounding topic such as marginalization, cultural appropriation and prison reform, and and working with other student peer leaders to come together to address such issues. Part of my job was also handling the social media aspects for the office as part of our outreach programs, which are skills I would implement to the job as well.
Member of ASIA (Asian Students in America) Club
As an active member of ASIA, I’ve had an opportunity to build up an understanding of the intersectional ties of diversity on Carleton’s campus. I’ve participated in running events such as Boxes and Walls, Lunar New Year, and International Festival, which gives me knowledge on how to run these events logistically and keeping in mind what impact they can have on campus. I am using my experiences as a member of this cultural group as a springboard for dialogue events on campus aiming to engage students in talking about their experiences on campus.
Carleton College Model United Nations Team
My participation on this debate team for the past three years here at Carleton has given me the opportunity to develop my public speaking, negotiating, collaboration and networking skills which I believe will be an essential and integral part of the job of CSA President.
But added to the, there’s more to qualifications than just activities and leadership positions in order to make an effective President.
It’s about compassion, empathy, genuine care, participation, being social, being an active listener and being willing to reach out. It’s about being willing to compromise but also being willing to stand your ground. It’s about being willing to immerse yourself in the work for the Student Body and I believe I hold these qualities necessary to do this job.
For everything that it is and isn’t, I love Carleton and care so much about the people on it – from the students that grace the east side to the Sayles lady that never fail to put a smile on my face. I care about the place that Carleton creates for its present and future students. It’s what’s given me the strength and devotion to run for this position and implement these goals, both for the short and long run.
Should you consider me, I look forward to serving you as your CSA President.
Thank you
Tiffany Thet
Ankita Verma ’17
Removed at the request of the author.
CSA Vice President
Abha Laddha ’17
Dear Carleton Students,
I am Abha Laddha, a junior CS and IR major from Kolkata, India, and would appreciate your support for CSA Vice President.
During my time at Carleton, I have been involved in a number of student organizations and I wish to use those experiences along with my time in Budget Committee to better understand how CSA can support student groups and make the budget committee experience better.
Specifically I hope to achieve the following:
Using the Rollover funds in a strategic and efficient manner: This process needs improvement given that a lot of approved projects have run into roadblocks from the administration. Therefore, I want to work with the administration before the student body votes upon the proposals so that once approved by the body projects can be executed without any hassles.
Diversify the Senate and Budget Committee: As representative bodies of the students we need to continuously work on diversity in all respects to ensure that no opinions go unheard so we can truly reflect the diverse student body we are.
Increase awareness about the relevance of CSA Senate and its impact on campus: The CSA Senate can help make our time at Carleton better and it aims to do that. But in order for that to happen it is important that the student body is informed about what CSA is doing and what it has achieved. For example, we voted for Wi-Fi on the Baldspot and an outdoor basketball court but what happened to those projects? I want to make sure that information about CSA and its meetings are available not only in the form of minutes (notes from weekly meetings) but also other online resources (Facebook page or Twitter) and campus publications. Similarly, students can easily voice concerns to the executive board or the senate through an anonymous online form.
Further streamline the funding process: The last few Executive boards have done a fabulous job of making the funding process more efficient and I wish further improve on that. The goal is to minimalize time commitment for Budget Committee members and significantly reduce the time and stress that organization leaders go through for a budget approval.
Make Budget Committee more friendly and less intimidating: Ensure that individuals are able to approach members and ask questions about the process and voice their opinions openly.
Represent you and your opinions: Last but not the least I want to strive towards ensuring that opinions of every member of the Carleton community are heard and represented in every decision we make as the CSA Senate.
My leadership experience includes:
- STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE, CARLETON SESQUINTCENNIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE
- One of two students representing the student body to help organize Carleton’s 150th celebrations.
- BOARD MEMBER, MOSAIC
- MOSAIC is the South Asian cultural group on campus and organizes some of the largest events on campus including Diwali and Holi.
- BOARD MEMBER, CARLHACKS
- Initiated and organized the first large scale hackathon at Carleton, in partnership with Major League Hacking, with over 100 participants from across the country developing over 20 applications.
- BOARD MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COUNCIL
- Organized forums and seminars to initiate and encourage awareness of pertinent issues in world politics, technology, science, and economics.
- RESIDENTIAL LIFE, RESIDENT ASSISTANT
- Worked as an RA for the last two years on 1st Goodhue and 4th Burton.
- CARLETON BUDGET COMMITTEE, MEMBER
- Served on Budget Committee from 2014-2015 and helped allocate, manage, and distribute over $65,000 in funding and helped with Spring Allocations.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours truly,
Abha Laddha
JordiKai Watanabe-Inouye ’17
Dear Carleton students,
My name is JordiKai. I am a junior CS major from Wahiawa, Hawaiʻi, and I hope to have your support in voting me as your new CSA Senate Vice President.
Following Nayely’s role as VP, I’d like to continue to increase Senate’s communication and transparency with students. For instance, a project I was involved in recently was updating CSA’s website. With this new day and age, it is important that we keep the website up to date and reader friendly. This project has made information regarding CSA more accessible. It is the right of students and the obligation of Senate for CSA to be transparent. With that being said, the following are specific areas within Senate, namely Budget Committee and Governance Committee, that I would like to address in my role as Vice President.
Goals:
Create more concrete guidelines for funding Spring Break Trips.
Over the past years, organizations on campus such as CANOE and Hot Nova travel over spring break. The guidelines for funding Spring Break Trips is outdated and is in need of updating. An important aspect, in this respect, is to make these trips accessible to everyone who would like to partake. Refining the guidelines would make this point clear. Additionally, along with the work that Nayely and CSA Senators have done, in a more general sense, I think it’s important to make clear what Budget Committee is looking for in funding request. Putting this information in a more organized manner on CSA’s website for instance is just the first step. This will allow for groups who request funding come prepared with answers for questions Budget Committee or Senate may have, ensuring that all student groups have access to CSA’s financial resources.
Create a system or position for student organizations to allocate financial aid to student participants
Additionally, and currently, there is not an easy way for student organizations to provide financial aid. Right now a method is, students emailing other students requesting financial assistance. I find this to be a significant privacy concern. Students should not have to disclose their socioeconomic status to other students. Because, offices such as SAO don’t have the time to handle all student org requests, a solution would be to create a paid position. The staff member would be a mediator, this way there is more confidentiality around one’s financial status. Regardless of the implementation, I would like to create a better system for student organizations to hand out financial aid.
Leadership Experience:
- Information and Technology Services Liaison, CSA Senate
- Engaged in multiple meetings with Janet Scannell, Chair of the ITS department at Carleton, and chairs from other departments on campus to discuss the email/calendaring migration; created spreadsheets of quantitative and qualitative data
- Support Associate Supervisor, ITS
- Act as an intermediate tier of support before the supervisors at the ITS Helpdesk
- Update ITS related wiki pages
- Plan training for new hires
- Web Sloth, CANOE
- Update CANOE’s website and facebook page with events and photos
- Master of the Schedule, Carleton Math Competition Planning Board
- Coordinate with administrators regarding logistics of events
- Plan the schedule for the event
- Reserve rooms for events and weekly meetings
Closing Remarks:
I firmly believe that when Senate becomes a more transparent and supportive of students, then they will have the information and tools necessary to support or challenge the ways Senate approaches issues.
Ultimately, I care about Carleton and its students and would like to push Senate towards accomplishing greater strides in diversity, transparency, and accountability.
I look forward to serving you as your CSA Vice President.
JordiKai Watanabe-Inouye
CSA Treasurer
Jeremy Keane ’17
Hello, my name is Jeremy Keane and I am a junior Political Science major from New York City running for CSA Treasurer. In this position, I will serve as liaison between your interests and the administration. I aim to improve the campus climate and address the concerns of the student body by effectively managing CSA funds and presiding over the Committee on Student Projects.
There is a disparity between the needs on campus and the resources that are being made available to us at Carleton. I will be brief and cut to the chase about what I plan to accomplish if I’m elected your Carleton Student Association Treasurer.
My goals would be to:
- Lobby for the improvement of mental health resources on campus by working with SHAC to increase the hours of counselors.
- Offer liaison positions with CSA to all cultural groups so that CSA can allocate funds to them and thus can be a platform for the involvement of all unique student voices.
- Establish committees of senators to focus their efforts on specific issues and student projects.
- Advocate for student groups and projects and help them get appropriate funding.
- Allocate funds to help extend the hours of campus facilities such as the Library, Sayles, Weitz, and other academic buildings.
- Work with CSA to argue for more transparency in the way the administration enforces the sexual misconduct complaint process and the drug and alcohol policy and how it deals with campus climate issues through working with the Office of the Dean of Students.
Thank you for your consideration.
Class of 2016 Representatives
Angely Guevara ‘16
I’m Angely Guevara, a senior CAMS major from California, and I have been your Class of 2016 CSA Representative for the past two terms. You may or may not know that, and I would be honored to spend the last term of our senior year making sure you really do.
I’m still interested in representing you, and with this last term, it’s really a time where our voice has to leave a legacy. I understand the need to leave a mark and make this term really positive and meaningful. I share the collective campus need for student experiences and learning to be the very best of what we expect Carleton to provide for us.
The Carleton we leave behind has to be sustainable for current and future Carls. As a current senator, I’ve seen the planning and goals that our campus has for classes beyond our own, and am committed to both us and those that follow, making sure that they learn and experience in ways similar or even better than what we’ve seen.
As an RA, I also understand the current need for spring term’s lack of rules to be a safe, enjoyable, and productive experience. I am familiar with the balance between having an awesome time and making sure people stay safe and respectful during this. Sustaining a balance of both fun and practicality during senior spring is important to me on both a personal and a leadership level.
It’s imperative for me to emphasize how much YOU matter in this. With me as senator, there’s no lost time in me learning about senate, trying to develop momentum–I’m ready to go and ready to do the best that I can for you.
I hope I can count on your vote.
As always, let me know if you need anything! (my email/my ear/my mailbox = always open)
Eric Hazoury ‘16
MAKE SPRING TERM GREAT AGAIN!
Ideally, the statement above would suffice as my platform. But since we strive for a bit more substance here at Carleton, I will try to (briefly) expand:
Since I was a freshman at Carleton, the administration has rapidly decreased the availability of Northfield option, tried to ban Rotblatt, stopped serving alcohol at the Cave, and systematically ruined any semblance of a safe space for students to gather for social occasions. While we can’t reverse all of their misguided and uninformed policies, we can elect someone unafraid to relentlessly defend all of our beloved traditions as the spring term senior on the CSA floor. I will also make sure we keep campus and the CSA safe, equitable, and available to all.
Do not let Carleton become yet another cookie-cutter Midwestern liberal arts college, abandoning the few traditions that make us truly unique as we assimilate, losing our identity somewhere in between the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Princeton Review’s Best (hah) Colleges in America.
For those of you who don’t know me I:
- Am a dual citizen of the US and the Dominican Republic
- Have served as the student-at-large on the Safety Committee for the last three years
- Am a certified EMT in the state of Massachusetts
- Am a member of the swim team
If you want to know where I stand on any issue, please email me at hazourye@carleton.edu .
Class of 2017 Representatives
Madeline Geitz ‘17
Introduction and Experience:
Hey, ya’ll. My name is Madeline Geitz and I’m an Asian Studies major from Oberlin, OH. Outside of class, you’ll probably find me in the lounge of the Wellstone House of Activism (of which I will be spring term/2016-2017 house manager!), working in the Archives on First Libe, or taking long nighttime walks around Northfield and the surrounding area. During the 2014-2015 school year, I served as CEDI (Community, Equity, and Diversity Initiative) Liaison to the CSA Senate. During this time, I served on multiple committee/interim appointment working groups, was a member of CSA Governance Committee (which I hope to be re-appointed to), and was a one-term leader of the campus outreach working group.
Platform:
Increase Senate Outreach
CSA Senate tends to only be recognized in relation to controversial CSP initiatives or Overheard at Carleton posts. It’s my hope that CSA Senate will increase outreach such that policy decisions are not only available to all students, but presented in a format such that they are accessible and easy to engage with. As a class representative, I will make it my goal to direct interested students in engaging with CSA Senate to effect campus change and will always be open to ‘17ers input on Senate initiatives.
Administration Transparency
My main goal, should I be elected as your class representative, is to work on programming student-administration town hall meetings (such as those presented around changes to financial aid metrics and sexual misconduct policies), particularly on the topics of Carleton’s medical, mental health, and disability services and financial aid.
Ryan Gorey ‘17
Hello class of 2017!
My name is Ryan Gorey, and I would be honored to serve as a representative for the class of 2017. Experience:
I am the Director and a Co-President of the Carleton Mock Trial program, which is a very active student-run academic team on campus. My time in mock trial has given me experience in listening and advocating effectively, efficiently, and professionally with others.
I’ve also worked in a number of different divisions of student life at Carleton, including working as a Gender and Sexuality Center Associate, working as a Residential Advisor, working with the Title IX team, and serving on the Expanding Awareness and Diversity Training Workgroup. This has given me a broad and thorough view of where Carleton operates well, and where (and how) it can improve.
Goals and Motivation:
I would strive to make Carleton as accessible as possible for all students. This means directly confronting structures that perpetuate inequity, whether that is socio-economic inequality, institutionalized racism and sexism, homophobia, insufficient resources allocated to student support divisions and mental health services, inadequate support for survivors/victims of sexual misconduct, and any other number of issues that impact our community (far, far more than I have named). I also understand that I am by no means an expert in these fields. I would do my best to serve as a mouthpiece for the leaders who already spearhead and discuss these issues regularly around campus.
In my three years here so far, Carleton has become my home – It’s exactly for that reason that I wish to hold Carleton to the highest standard possible.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my candidacy, and for taking the time to vote.
Class of 2018 Representatives
Malia Molina ‘18
Aloha kākou, ko’u ‘ohana ma Carleton!
Hey everyone, my name is Malia Molina! I go by the pronouns she/her and I would love to be the Class of 2018 representative. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m from Hawai’i and I identify as Native Hawaiian. Though I haven’t had much experience with CSA or a lot of other extracurricular activities, I know I can contribute not only my cultural and personal perspectives to the Senate, but also those of my peers and classmates that are essential to this campus.
Currently, I am a co-founder of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance, a fairly new club that provides a space for individuals who identify with or are interested in indigenous cultures. With my involvement in this club came the responsibility of being a member of the Cultural Planning Board, a group in which all cultural clubs on campus come together to support one another through planning events and addressing cultural issues on campus. From being apart of these groups, I would be able to offer CSA valuable opinions on ways that every campus community are affected by decisions made within the Senate.
If elected as our class representative, I assure you that you will always have my open ear and full attention to things that concern you about our class, CSA, the school, or just anything in general. (Seriously. Like I love talking and helping other homies out so if you ever need a friend, I’m here.) One of my biggest goals I hope to accomplish is addressing the diversity of CSA and this campus and the role of us, as students, in decisions that are being made on our behalves. By diversity, I not only mean diverse between different races and gender-identities, but also people of different socio-economic statuses and upbringings. I feel that it’s important to incorporate people with any ideas – be it weird, different, or literally out of this world – when making decisions because really, no one deserves not to be heard.
Specifically, I want to contribute to providing our class with more awesome social events to get to know each other and to just, straight up, have FUN because we all understand that that is the only way to stay sane while balancing all of our academic obligations at Carleton. In addition, I am always thinking of new ways we can improve the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of students. If that just so happens to include more happy rooms into dorms, I’ll see to it. Healthier but tastier options in the Dining Halls, I’ll try my best with Bon App. Feeling safer about being at different social events, I’ll make sure have resources there for you. Baaaaaasically, anything – whether it’s minor or something really bothering you – I will commit myself to getting it done and/or resolved.
Being that I’m 3,500 miles away from home, Carleton’s community is my family. This family includes you, no matter if I know you or not, because, ultimately, we all contribute to making this campus’s environment a better one. To be frank, I am and always will be anyone’s friend and though winning this election would be stellar, I would, more than anything, just love to be able to represent a group of people that I genuinely care about. If any of you have any questions or just want to talk, please email me (molinam2@carleton.edu ) or shoot me a Facebook message and I’ll be there. Mahalo for reading this and I hope to get your vote!
Lillie Schneyer ‘18
My name is Lillie, and I would be honored to be your class of 2018 representative! I’m a sophomore from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I haven’t quite decided on a major yet (the clock is ticking on us, I know) but it’s either SOAN or American Studies. I’m currently writing this in Mexico because I’m on Carleton’s SOAN study abroad program! If you need proof that I care a lot about Carleton and this position, then I’ll let you know that I’m writing this platform on my phone because I have the stomach flu and a sprained ankle and can’t walk to an Internet cafe (#dedication).
Not to state the obvious, but as a representative of the class of 2018 I think that my most important job would be to represent my class. To that end, I think my ability to pay attention, listen attentively, and connect with many groups of people are what really qualify me for this position. Talking with and listening to my classmates to me is the biggest part of the job.
That said, I would bring more than just other people’s opinions to the table. If you don’t know me, I work in the library, as a program director with the CCCE, spend too much time with my friends, and am currently learning an unbelievable amount from my study abroad program. I’m also committed and patient with discussion, qualities that are necessary for a functional student governing body.
There are also a variety of issues that are personally important to me and that I would like to work on in Senate. These include:
- Communication between the administration and students: Carleton is a school with an activist student body and constantly changing college policies, so it would make sense for students to be eager to be involved and discussing every part of these processes. This is often true, but there is still a lot happening that doesn’t draw enough attention. For example, there’s currently a group revising Carleton’s sexual misconduct policy. This issue has directly or indirectly impacted most of campus, but the group initially lacked applications and many people still don’t know the policy is being revised. A community as passionate and opinionated as ours should be eager to participate, so I think this lack of involvement is indicative of a gap in communication between the administration and students. Figuring out how to bridge that gap is definitely a job for the senate.
- Dialogue: For a small campus, we sometimes have a lot of disagreements. There have been many excellent opportunities for discussion, and I would love to continue and further publicize those. It’s much healthier for our community to discuss our disagreements directly, and providing a space for that is crucially important. We are, after all, pretty stuck with each other so we should probably figure out how to effectively talk.
- Carleton’s connection to the rest of the world: As a Carleton student, it can be challenging to find ways to really get out and interact with the rest of the world. We have a lot of talent, passion, and opinions on campus, and I think it’s really important to provide the opportunity for us to put that all to use. Supporting student organizations and groups that do this already is a priority, as is starting new initiatives to promote engagement.
I’m obviously not around campus right now, but if you have any questions please feel free to email me! Wifi in Guatemala is actually even less effective than eduroam, but I’ll do my absolute best to get back to you quickly.
Thank you so much for your time!
Class of 2019 Representatives
Clara Buck ‘19
I’m so thankful for the incredible people I’ve met in the short time I’ve been at Carleton. I can say with heartfelt confidence that the Class of 2019 is exceedingly capable and deserves the best from its governing body and administration. As students we are the lifeblood of our school and it is important to me that the school is accountable to us. For this and other reasons, all stemming from how much I care about the wellbeing of my peers, I hope to represent the Class of 2019.
Goals:
Broadly speaking, I hope to leverage my position in order to be a mouthpiece for the class as a whole, especially for those of marginalized races, socioeconomic classes, genders, sexualities, mental and physical health, and other identities whose voices are underrepresented. For this reason I will hold office hours and intend to be available to anyone who wants to talk about ideas, concerns, or questions they want me to bring to the senate.
I am very concerned about increasing transparency among the administration, senate, and other bodies of power at Carleton. I believe in increasing funding for underappreciated departments, in expanding physical and mental health resources, groups that serve as spaces and platforms for marginalized students.
Of course, it is not possible to hear from every single member of the class, and thus I believe I will be good for this position because I have the ability to take extra caution in thinking about how my decisions as a senator will impact different types of students.
Qualifications:
I have been involved both fall and spring term in several student activist organizations, in which I attend weekly meetings, table in Sayles, hold leadership positions, and speak at organized events. The interactions these organizations have had with administration have also given me perspective on how power flows at Carleton and the avenues through which to accomplish tangible goals.
My main academic interests are in math and physics. As a woman engaged in science, I have experience in finding ways to have my voice heard while also ensuring that discussion is productive. I’m able to hold my ground while also remaining thoughtful.
I may or may not be Lyman’s confidante
I am currently enrolled in the course “Discussions about Community and Diversity,” in which my peers and I have been learning about and discussing social identities and how they function on campus. I am very experienced in engaging in dialogue about identity in society and at Carleton. This is an area that especially interests me, and I will implement my understanding of others’ experiences to make decisions that will have positive impacts for all involved.
Thank you for your consideration,
Clara Linne Buck
Eavan Donovan ‘19
My name is Eavan Donovan and I am running for CSA Class of 2019 Representative
Goals:
- My first goal is to increase the communication between the Class of 2019 and Representatives. Although CSA minutes are released online, a simple biweekly summary of what occurred at the latest meeting could help every member of the class stay informed. Opening more lines of communication through office hours and social media as well as being open for discussion are all important goals of mine.
- Along with the first point, I aim to keep the class aware of opportunities to make a difference on campus by utilizing CSA funds such as through proposing a student project or requesting funds to attend and present at a conference. I hope to add transparency to the process of requesting funds, so that underclassmen can utilize these funds just as upperclassmen do.
- Streamlining Carleton’s Campus Calendar is another priority of mine. Often one can find academic or sporting events on the online calendar but musical, cultural, or even events open to Carleton students at St. Olaf are difficult to identify. It’s important for students to have access to all campus events and updating the calendar with such events is critical. I plan on forming a working to group to identify the best solutions for the calendar issue and work with the appropriate staff to improve Carleton’s Campus Calendar.
Experience:
I have served my first term on CSA Senate as one of two interim Representatives. As a result, I am familiar with the weekly activities in Senate. In addition to actively serving on Senate, I have also worked closely with Student Projects Committee by proposing ideas that will positively influence Carleton’s student body. For example, I played an important role in bringing the bikeshare program to this winter ballot, a program I hope will provide high quality bikes, free to use in and out of the Arb. Overall, I am a hardworking and responsible individual who hopes to represent you as your Class of 2019 Representative. Thank you!
Yazari Gutierrez ‘19
Who am I?
Hi my name is Yazari, or you can call me Yaz. I fell in love with Carleton during the summer of 2013, where I spend my days in the Carleton Science Institute Program. After completing that summer, I knew Carleton was the school for me.
Why should I vote for you?
- Did 4 years of student government, making me experienced with communicating with the student body.
- I feel it is important to have a representative that has an understanding of being a low-income, first generation, person of color. This way everyone’s voice can be taken into account.
- I truly do see Carleton as home, however, I want to make sure that Carleton feels like home to everyone, not just me. As a CSA rep, I can help make this community become just as comfortable to everyone.
- I love puppies and kittens. Also, I will give you candy. Promise.
What will you do if you win?
- I do not believe in sugarcoating anything. If you want to know what is happening in terms of the CSA, I will be upfront and share what it is appropriate for me to share.
- I will do my best to communicate your appropriate points/interests/problems to the proper higher authority.
- I will give you candy!
In short, as your class representative, I will listen to you and make sure your voice is being heard.
Thank you- merci- gracias- for your consideration,
Yazari Gutierrez
Feel free to email me/come talk to me with any question! I truly do love meeting new people.
Riley Irish ‘19
Yo,
I’m Riley Irish and I am running for CSA senate as a representative of the class of 2019. I have only been at Carleton for a term and a half, but I have quickly come to love it here. The best way I know of to show that love is to work to make it an even better community. So far this has meant being a member of multiple activist groups on campus and working with members of every class year at Carleton to further the struggle for climate and social justice. Now I want to expand this role by being a part of CSA and taking on the duties of a class representative.
If elected my guiding goal would be to make sure Carleton is a safe and welcoming place for all of its students. I want it to be a place where everyone can say that they belong. As a part of this I would focus on working with student organizations which act to improve campus climate and student health. Another one of my focuses as a senator would be to hold the college accountable for the promises that they make to students and make sure that the progressive values which Carleton often advertises are being backed up by concrete actions.
On an honest note, I really hate the title of senator. It creates the image of someone who is superior to those they are working for. If I am elected, I promise to be an accessible and open servant of the class of 2019. I plan to hold office hours every Monday from 3:30 to 4:30PM where anyone can come and talk about ideas that they want to have brought to senate, questions they have about campus happenings, or just random stuff that is on their mind. In the case that those times don’t work I would gladly make an appointment to meet anywhere on campus via email. Please contact me (irishr@carleton.edu) if you have any questions about my platform or why I am running.
Thank you for your consideration,
Riley James Irish
Dylan Murphy ’19
My name is Dylan Murphy and I would like to represent the Class of 2019 in the CSA Senate. I want to run for CSA Senate because I feel I could voice our collective class ideas, thoughts, and feelings best during Senate meetings. Obviously our class is a veritable bastion of diversity and unequivocally the best class to ever grace Carleton’s halls (if you believe everything the Admissions office says). Given the diversity of voices within our class, I believe it is important that all voices be heard.. With that in mind, I have a few ideas regarding how we can further incorporate all voices within the Carleton community:
Mental Health:
In the 2015 Minnesota Student Health Survey, it was revealed that approximately 36% of the Carleton community had at least one mental illness that was diagnosed within their lifetime or the past 12 months. This is a community that struggles with inherent invisibility and self-advocacy, because of the challenges that come from having a mental illness.
Specifically I want to work and to destigmatize mental health by working closely with existing student organizations like MHAC, and with SHAC and Disability Services..
Inclusion of fringe members within the Carleton Community:
During the course of my particular community conversation, one of the things that kept coming up during our discussion of “the Carleton Climate” was the tendency of Carleton’s community to suppress or invalidate certain viewpoints or opinions. While certainly some opinions and viewpoints are more worthy of critical thought and analysis than others in a college environment it is however essential that everyone feel free to speak their minds as a dialogue between conflicting viewpoints is always better than a communal agreement on the same points with no real progress being made on the issue.
To address this I’d like to work to foster discussion spaces where all viewpoints are welcome and are given their due consideration. The community conversations were geared towards this, and I want to build on that to progress a dialogue that is ongoing is needed to address issues as they come up rather than as outpourings of righteous anger where everybody gets upset and no real change happens.
Help raise visibility for the BIRT team:
Up until now Dean Livingston’s Bias Incident Response Team has been rather opaque about its motivations, abilities and plans. I believe that while it is a great idea and could be very useful within the carleton community, it could be more open to student input and be more visible within the wider campus community.
Communicate with the Title IX Visioning Team:
I would like to work with the Title IX Visioning Team to help make it a vehicle for students to voice their opinions and thoughts on the campus issue of sexual assault and communicate with the administration.