Winter 2020 Platforms – Carleton Student Association

My name is Andrew Farias (He/Him/His), and I am a junior double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Houston, Texas. Over the past three years I have served in many roles on CSA, but this year I am running to be your 2019-2020 CSA President! My identities as a first-generation, queer, trans person of color have influenced many of the experiences I have had during my time at Carleton and further encouraged me to lead in several of the organizations I absolutely love being a part of. I sincerely enjoy the work that I do in each of the roles I serve in, and I hope that as your CSA President I can encourage the student body to engage within the Carleton and greater Northfield communities beginning with a few of the initiatives I have outlined below.

Goals, Priorities, and Initiatives

Land Acknowledgement

Work with students already invested in this project and with administration to acknowledge that our campus’ land was stolen from indigenous persons.

Work with CCCE Fellow Alle Brown-Law to continue drafting a land acknowledgement for Carleton
To follow in accordance with St. Olaf’s movement and add a land acknowledgement statement on the Carleton Website
To urge campus organizations and offices to recognize land history at large events
To ensure that the work several students on campus have done in this movement is publicized so that more people can become aware of our campus’ land history.

Divestment and Sustainable Investments

Divest from fossil fuels and pursue Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing principles.
Work with Divest Carleton Students and Alumni to continue to push for the college to divest from both direct and indirect holdings in fossil fuels
Continue conversations with the current administration, CRIC, the Investment Office and the Board of Trustees to find a sustainable solution for divesting from fossil fuels
Work with the Board of Trustees and Carleton College Investment Office to move towards more environmentally and ethically minded investments

Environmental Sustainability

To make Carleton an even more environmentally-conscious campus.
Continuing Carleton’s commitment to becoming Carbon Free by 2050
Decreasing the usage of disposable containers in the dining halls and Sayles
Advocating for more environmentally focused academic courses
Working with Councilwoman Suzie Nakasian on the construction of a passenger rail, connecting the City of Northfield to greater Minnesota

Leadership Experience On Campus and in the Community
Carleton Student Association (CSA), Environmental Advisory Committee Liaison, CSA Textbook Library Working Group, Secretary

In my first year in CSA, I served as the CSA Secretary wherein I attended biweekly Senate and Budget Committee meetings to take detailed meeting minutes for online publishing. I also moderated and distributed the All-Campus Email twice each week (which y’all maybe read!) Now I am the Environmental Advisory Committee Liaison, which is a role I have been in for the past two years as we approve budgets, review projects, and support initiatives that align with the campus carbon-free Climate Action Plan. As a Working Group Leader for the CSA Textbook Library, I have spent many hours sorting, cataloguing, and providing books to the student body, which I believe should be accessible to all students. As a member of SPC, I have implemented a reusable thermos pilot project along Sustainability Assistant Emma Leither, where we provided over 200 thermoses to students that otherwise would not have had access in an effort to reduce disposable cup usage in the dining halls. Now, I am also leading an initiative to celebrate 1 Years of Student Representation in the Spring term.

(We have Senate meetings every Monday from 7-9 p.m. in Evie Hall – come thru!)

Environmental Carls Organized (ECO), Co-Leader

As a co-leader of Environmental Carls Organized (ECO), I have enjoyed pursuing many campus projects – one of the the most notable being the Fall Term Campus Farmers Market that brought community vendors to Carleton to access fresh and local produce. We have arranged documentary film screenings within the the Northfield Citizens Climate Lobby that analyzed the correlation between climate change and conflict within international spheres and captured the ways Americans were responding to the United States’ decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement. ECO has also hosted bake sales and donated proceeds to Stop Line 3, an environmental campaign opposed to the construction of a pipeline on tribal lands that would contribute to climate change with deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gasses.

(We have meetings every Wednesday from 8-9 pm in Sayles, 253 – come thru!)

Latin American Student Association (LASO), Member

At LASO, I engage in weekly meetings to discuss Hispanic cultural events on campus for students. In the past, I have assisted in the planning, preparation, and photography of events such as Día de Los Muertos and end of term study breaks

(We have meetings every Thursday from 6:30-7:30 pm in CASA – come thru!)

Queer Peers/Queer, Trans People of Color

I have mentored three LGBTQIA+ students on how to navigate queer spaces at Carleton while addressing challenges and concerns they may encounter. I am also a member of QTPOC where was discuss queer experiences we have at Carleton and at home in our own communities.

(We have meetings every other Tuesday from 6:15-7:15 pm in QTPOC House – come thru!)

Fellowship in Christ (FC), Treasurer

I appreciate the opportunity to attend religious services at Carleton and in Northfield where we can find moments of intersectionality between our identities. At the FC Treasuerer, I manage budget for campus-wide religious events such as chapel services and Christian interest house get-togethers.

Divest from Fossil Fuels, Co-Leader

Over the past several terms, I have worked alongside my peers and alumni to get the organization back up and running. We are currently drafting an updated resolution on divestment and are holding events, like a workshop on how to organize issues important to students. (Saturday, February 15 1:00-5:00 p.m. in Sayles-Hill, Room 253)

(We have meetings every Thursday from 7:45-8:45 p.m. in Sayles – come thru!)

Swipe Out Hunger, Program Director

If you know one thing about me, it’s that I help lead Swipe Out Hunger, wherein student meal swipes are converted into donations to combat food insecurity. Last year, we collected a total of 1,545 student meal swipes during the 2018-19 school year, equating to over $3,400 in donations and this past term we collected 627 meal swipes during Fall of 2019, equating to over $1,300 in donations. This wouldn’t be possible without students like you!

(You should totally Swipe Out Hunger here by February 12th!: bit.ly/SOHW20)

Food Recovery Network, Volunteer

For the past three years, I have recovered food biweekly from dining halls to be redistributed to community shelters and schools as many of the issues regarding food insecurity on not Carleton-specific but also exist in the greater Northfield community.

Humans of Carleton

Publish weekly Facebook posts with interviews of Carleton students, faculty, and staff to foster an environment of understanding and companionship on campus. Like us on Facebook to learn more about fellow Carls!

Closing Remarks:

Of course, I do not intend to do any of these things alone, which is why I am running for this position alongside Vice Presidential Candidate, Brittany Dominguez, who I believe will make an incredible impact on this campus. Together, we hope to accomplish the items listed above as well as make strides in Student Org Budgeting, Sustainable and Accessible Menstrual Products on Campus, and Real Inclusivity on Campus.

Thank y’all so much for your time and consideration! If you have any questions, I would be happy to take your suggestions and questions at fariasa@carleton.edu or check out our Instagram @brandrewforCSA.

Vote Brandrew,

and Make Carleton Brand New

Where The Real CSA is You!

With all my love,

Andrew

Luke Norquist

Classmates! Hello hello:)

My name is Luke Norquist (he/him/his) and I’m from the town of Brainerd, Minnesota. I’m interested in law, want to spend my life combating educational inequity, and am an expert—being from Northern MN—in frostbite and apologizing.

First and foremost, I am running for CSA President for you. I’ve been involved with CSA since my first day on campus, and I’ve seen how powerful Carleton students are. I want CSA to be your ally in activating that power. That’s why I am campaigning to #ActivateCarleton.

For me, that slogan means two big things:

Change-Making. Criminal justice. Educational inequity. Climate change. Whether one of these causes or a million others, Carls are passionate about improving the world. And we shouldn’t have to wait. I believe in a CSA that leverages our resources (money and connections!) to empower student driven change for every cause that Carls care about. With CSA as an ally to support your passions, together we can foster a climate of activism on campus.
Carleton-Fixing. This campus has real, major issues. Health services, disability services, queer support, sustainable investments, and many other critical components of life at Carleton are broken. CSA must push Carleton to improve—to activate itself on behalf of students—and we can’t stop doing so until everyone, from every community, experiences support and well-being at Carleton

Before I go on… platforms are really long. I want to be thorough, so this one’s really really long. But! For any skimming cheaters time-efficient voters, from here on out I bold all my main points:)

Under the leadership of incredible CSA execs, past and present, I’ve learned a lot about what our student government is capable of achieving (shiny trees, anyone?) and how we need to change for the future.

To start, CSA is NOT a club. We are here for you, and we work best when we remember that CSA exists to serve the student body.

Highlights from what I’ve worked on:

Sustainable and Humane Financial Investments

“ESG” (Environmental, Social, corporate Governance) Investment policies are created to guide an institution towards sustainable and humane investment options. Four years ago, the board of trustees flatly rejected upright divestment from fossil fuels, but expressed openness to this more wide-ranging initiative. After talking last fall with representatives from Carleton Responsible Investment Committee, Carleton Divest, and St Olaf advocates, I ultimately drafted a CSA resolution pushing for Carleton to create and implement an ESG policy. An ESG policy at Carleton can lead Carleton away from investments not only in fossil fuels, but also private prisons, tobacco companies that target children, corporations that treat their workers poorly, and all inhumane investments. Stevie P informed CSA that the college, as of this month, is beginning to research how to implement ESG at Carleton. I intend for the student voice to keep pushing for ESG investment, in the end guiding its creation and ensuring its enforcement.

Laundry Task Force

I was a member of CSA’s laundry task force last spring, helping create and release a survey about students’ difficulties paying for laundry. Classmates, it was your many detailed and compelling responses that convinced the administration to make laundry free of charge this year and all future years.

Digital Newspaper Subscriptions

Last year I reached out to the Library and the New York Times to negotiate shared CSA/Libe funding for digital newspaper subscriptions across campus. Since we secured funding with the Budget Committee last spring, all students now have unlimited access once they connect their Carleton emails to the Times (follow this link: https://nytimesineducation.com/access-nyt/ if you haven’t done so yet!)

Student Wages

On the college budget committee I, with current and past CSA execs (huge shout out to Selam Nicola, John Mullan, and Brandon Moy!) advocated for higher student wages. It worked! We took a huge (by Carleton standards) 75 cent increase last year to $10.75. We’re looking at another 50 cents for next year. The money adds up, and these raises will NOT sap funds from the rest of our financial aid packages. I’m proud of two very good years for student wages, which are ultimately one step in the right direction of supporting student workers on campus.

Senate Reports

I helped found the CSA Reforms Working group two years ago, and to this day am most proud of the reporting system we created for Senators and working groups to digitally track what they are doing throughout each term. The system was implemented last spring to help CSA build our institutional knowledge from year to year and ensure accountability for us individual senators to continue progressing with and communicating about the work we do.

I’ve also been:

Chair of CSA Governance Committee, helping students jump through all the administrative hurdles needed to create fantastic new student organizations
Allocating funds to hundreds of crazy and impactful student initiatives as a representative on CSA’s Budget Committee
Drafting new financial guidelines to raise efficiency and fairness of CSA allocations
Publishing all student events details to our campus calendar
Organizing the creation of an official “Senate Positions” doc, now posted next to CSA’s homepage, which aims to smooth every senator’s transition onto Senate by clearly defining expectations and procedures that accompany their role, and providing suggestions for that role based on prior senators’ experiences.

The biggest takeaway from my time with CSA: With student engagement, inter-group/department collaboration, and persistence, CSA can accomplish a lot.

To Activate Carleton, we need to direct that energy and potential towards change-making and Carleton-fixing.

MAKING CHANGE

This first part of activating Carleton is all about, well, activism.

Carls are capable of enacting student-driven change for just about anything. For example! My friend/running mate/9th grade dining all co-worker Sameer personally organized an oceanography conference on whale health last year. It took place in California and attracted scholars from around the nation. Every Carl has a cause they care about, whether it’s criminal justice, environmental sustainability, educational inequity, or whale academia (lol Sameer). Many would love to support that cause, but don’t know how, or don’t see CSA as a resource that can help them affect change. It’s time for that to end.

With CSA infrastructural support to guide students on how to connect with other colleges, other student groups, alumni, and external organizations, in addition to the monetary support to fund materials and transportation, we as current Carleton students can accomplish a lot more than we initially assume.

That’s why Sameer and I have been meeting with student groups big and small, especially those that use CSA to support their activism, to learn how CSA can support a climate of activism on campus.

Initiatives:

Reaching Outside Carleton

Help student orgs leverage connections with Carleton alumni and external groups to broaden their impact. Outside partners are powerful. CSA already partners with external organizations; for example, they’re the source of a menstrual products project we’re working on right now. Sameer partnered with National Geographic to find more financial support for his whale conference. CAN-DO successfully established partnerships with Minneapolis and St Paul clinics. CSA can learn from existing groups that formed successful partnerships outside Carleton to support their missions, using them as a template for guiding new student org towards productive partnerships with other colleges, nonprofits, and passionate advocates.

Highlighting Past Successes

We can eliminate any doubts about what Carleton students can do by highlighting what Carleton students have already done. CSA can and should use our public relations resources (our Media, Publicity, and Outreach Committee—COMP— and PR officer) to publicize the great work students already do. This not only brings well-deserved attention to our classmates’ incredible achievements, it will also inspire students to take on causes they might otherwise assume to be beyond their reach.

Making it Clear how CSA Works

Create a guidebook for student orgs to pass down between leadership generations, one that communicates CSA procedures/rules for funding in clear, non-technical language. The answers to questions as important as whether or not a group can request funding from both spring allocations and special/year-round allocations (yes they can!) are difficult to find even on our CSA website. All student orgs should have access to a resource overviewing important CSA information. A regularly updated and readily available guidebook could go a long way.

Supporting New Groups

COMPs can also be leveraged to help new student orgs break through the mass of emails/promotional junk found all across campus. Strength comes in numbers. With help spreading their message loudly and clearly, new groups and causes on campus can connect with other students who care about similar things.

Establishing a New Working Group

Create an activism working group in the Senate dedicated to helping student groups on campus research and form connections with external non-profits, alum, and other partners that align with their mission. The committee will be a long-lasting resource to help students tackle seemingly daunting projects and causes with CSA resources and support.

FIXING CARLETON

Encouraging Carls to make a difference in the world is great, but we also have a TON of problems to address right here on campus. They include:

Disability Services needs more staff members to effectively support Carleton students.
Title IX must incorporate student input as it adapts to new federal rules imposed by education Secretary Devos and begins to implement more proactive measures aimed at preventing power-based personal violence on campus before it occurs.
New parking infrastructure is being developed by Carleton, and student frustrations over current parking availability and ticketing practices must guide whatever changes the administration makes. As president, I would represent these concerns on the College Council.
Admissions and financial aid must adapt to the changing demographics of higher education in the United States. Overall demand for higher education is decreasing, but now is the time for CSA to coordinate student voices on and off our Admissions and Financial Aid Committee to push for recruitment and financial aid initiatives that make Carleton more diverse and more affordable.
Student Health and Counseling must expand. After third party consultants came last fall to provide guidance on how Carleton can improve health and counseling services at Carleton, it is past time to learn what was in that report, and rally student support around a new SHAC building, more and more diverse counselors, and other health services students at Carleton need.
Wherever student services at Carleton are insufficient, CSA should reach out to external nonprofits like RECLAIM, a Minneapolis based on non-profit that provides free counseling to queer and trans youth of color, to bring additional health services to Carleton, or to transport Carls to outside services.
Mental health requires collective action. Particularly among communities that are underrepresented and underserved at Carleton. That’s why Sameer and I plan to establish a committee connecting POC and LGBTQIA+ clubs on campus, in service of developing a comprehensive action plan for improving mental health services at Carleton.

Queer students must be heard. Coming to Carleton can be a liberating experience, especially for those of us from socially conservative communities, in expressing ourselves openly and truly. CSA is and must be an ally to all queer students at Carleton, lending whatever support the community wants in the fight to have an office at Carleton that truly and fully supports queer students.
Sustainable investment needs to be a thing. As mentioned above, Carleton must align its principles with its financial policies. Starting with an ESG policy, CSA must work with the CRIC, Carleton Divest, and all concerned students to keep pressing for divestment from not only fossil fuels, but also companies that run private prisons, mistreat their workers, dump their chemicals in rivers, and participate in all kinds of unsustainable, inhumane endeavors. Now is NOT the time to let up.

I want to pause my “activate everything” ramblings for a second to state something clearly: activating Carleton starts with acknowledging that Carleton does not serve all communities equally. Income, race, religion, physical and mental ability, nationality, sexuality, gender—inequities at Carleton are real, there are many of them, they are unacceptable, and yet they persist.

Whether by allocating funding, passing resolutions, or collaborating with external groups and other colleges, CSA has a role to play in uplifting all students on campus. New policies like our reporting system can hold Senators to account for advocating on behalf of these issues.

But we aren’t alone. Carleton students see these problems, and they care. The hundreds of passionate Carls I’ve met who organize conferences, workshops, reform movements, cultural celebrations, political engagement efforts, and more are a testament to that fact.

When CSA gives a voice to all the people on campus who are willing to stand and speak their mind, the results are compelling. We make our voices heard; the administration listens. It happened with laundry and eliminating the overlap between our first day of classes and Rosh Hashanah, it is (slowly) happening with health services and gender neutral bathrooms, and it will continue to happen as long as CSA taps into the power of ALL of our voices.

That’s why, if elected, I promise to not only listen to the student body, but actively seek and rely upon your opinions.

CONCLUSION

Among the 500 students who graduated with me in Brainerd, most aren’t attending college. Less than a handful are receiving an education that compares to what Carleton provides. I wake up every day thankful to be here, even when life on this campus hurts. However, what I’m most grateful for about a Carleton education has nothing to do with the institution, but rather everything to do with you. Carleton classmates, you inspire me with your friendliness, your openness, and your persistence in the face of obstacles both big and small. I believe in you, and I believe in our ability to activate this campus.

With heart,

Luke

Thank you for reading! Please reach out with any questions, critiques, etc, at norquistl@carleton.edu. I’m more than happy to arrange a meeting in person.

Let’s go #ActivateCarleton.

VICE PRESIDENT

Brittany Dominguez

Who I am and What Do I Stand For?:

Hey y’all! My name is Brittany Dominguez (she/her/hers), and I am a Junior SOAN major and double minor in Educational Studies and Public Policy from Houston, Texas. This year I am running for the 2019-2020 Vice President position of CSA. My time as a CSA Senator (ECC Liaison) and organization leader and my experiences as a first-generation Latina student student have motivated me to take on this position in an effort to ensure that CSA is an inclusive place where all students feel welcomed. I want to move towards making CSA more accessible to the student body at large because the Carleton Student Association is not simply composed of the executive board and a room full of student senators, it is and has always been made up of every student on Carleton’s campus.

My Qualifications:

I want to do the best job possible in this position if I am elected, so I plan to use all of my previous experiences to ensure that the Budget Committee and CSA function in such a way that is most beneficial to students.

CSA Education and Curriculum Liaison: I have acted as the ECC Liaison for the past two years, and in my time I have held productive discussions about how the college might be more accessible to students who need academic accommodations. I have also worked with the ECC to create an inclement weather plan to ensure the college has a procedure (that does not include broth) in place should the weather endanger students. More recently, I am having discussions with the board about making pre and post matriculation credits more equitable on campus, and soon we will have a discussion about the writing portfolio. Aside from these roles, I have helped start an initiative to make menstrual products on campus more accessible and environmentally sustainable. Additionally, I have worked with fellow CSA members to restructure the CSA Senate, revise our constitution, and set a plan to celebrate 100 years of student representation at Carleton.Throughout my years, I have also helped reorganize the CSA Textbook Library to make it more accessible to students.
LASO Board: I have served on the Latin American Student Organization Board for the past three years. In my roles as First-Year Rep, Secretary, and Co-President, I have helped to foster an inclusive environment for the Latinx community at Carleton, planned two Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, and created several weekly meetings that centered around mental health, self-care, issues in the Latinx community, and Title IX discussions.
FC Board: I have served on the Fellowship in Christ board for two years as the Communications Director and President. In my roles I have successfully secured CSA funding for spring break trips and other events, and I have learned how to make the environment welcoming to people of different backgrounds and faith experiences.
Writing Center: I am a second year writing consultant and understand some of the struggles that students face in meeting Carleton’s academic rigor. My connection to student academic support services allows me to easily work with them to make services more useful and accessible.
Food Recovery Network: Over the past three years, I have volunteered to package food in the Burton and LDC dining halls for use at schools and other community organizations.
Swipe Out Hunger: As a Program Director for Swipe Out Hunger, I have been part of a team of people committed to ending college student hunger at Carleton.

Goals for my Term as VP:

Student Org Budgeting

As a student organization leader, I have experienced many difficulties and frustration with getting funding in the past, so I want to make student org budgeting more fair and accessible to all student organizations, while also ensuring that our budgeting practices are sustainable.

Work with CS Majors to build a separate student organization budgeting system that makes it easier for orgs to understand their budget and know how much money they have in their account
To collaborate with the Dean of Students Office to start a fund to help low-income students pay for club sport and other org fees
To create a useful list of alternative funding sources and fundraising options

Sustainable and Accessible Menstrual Products on Campus

Because menstrual products are a basic sanitary need, I want to work with the CSA, GSC, SHAC, and OHP to Make menstrual products more accessible on campus

To make menstrual products more accessible to those on campus who experience a financial burden when purchasing these products
To help the different offices better advertise their products using COMP
To work on adding menstrual supplies to at least one bathroom in every academic building
To make the products already available more environmentally sustainable

Real Inclusivity on Campus

As a first generation low-income student of color, I understand some of the challenges that come with attending carleton, so I want to work with academic support services, student organizations, the administration to make campus more all around inclusive

Work with Senator Cole Dilanni to continue the Life After Carleton series and particularly focus on issues related to low-income students, first generation students, and students of color
To collaborate with academic support services, OIIL, and TRIO to create more academic support workshops for first generation students
To advocate for professor training for academic disability services
To keep up with reconstruction projects and advocate for ADA accessible buildings
To start discussions about getting more staff for the disabilities services office
To advocate for more gender neutral bathrooms on campus especially in the gyms

Closing Remarks:

Of course, I do not intend to do any of these things alone, which is why I am running for this position alongside Presidential Candidate, Andrew Farias, who I believe will make an incredible impact on this campus. Together, we hope to accomplish the items listed above as well as make strides in Land Acknowledgement, Divestment/Sustainable Investments, and Environmental Sustainability.

I would be happy to take your suggestions and questions at

Email: dominguezb@carleton.edu

Instagram: @brandrewforcsa

Vote Brandrew,

and Make Carleton Brand New

Where The Real CSA is You!

Con Mucho Amor,

Brittany Dominguez

Sameer Swarup

Hello Hello! I’ll keep this nice and short, just like me.

My name is Sameer Swarup (he/him/his) and I am a junior Mathematics major at Carleton College. I grew up mostly in Singapore. I am running for Vice President because I believe this campus could do a lot more in terms of fostering agency, support and compassion and I want to be the facilitator in starting the movement to #ActivateCarleton.

Before I begin my spiel, here’s a bit about me and the personal connection I have to activism and to #ActivateCarleton.

Activist work

I have started two nonprofits. The first, called Oceanswell, was established by me and Dr. Asha, a Sri Lankan marine biologist. We worked for a year to establish Sri Lanka’s first nonprofit dedicated to marine conservation. Whilst I am no longer a board member (because it’s difficult to run a nonprofit based in Sri Lanka from Carleton), I am still an active leader and member. I most recently led Oceanswell in the organisation and planning of a conference that discussed the current state of whale conservation in the Indian Ocean. The conference was held in Monterey, California over midterm break last term and we had marine biologists from organisations like National Geographic and universities like UCSD come down to present their research.

I also represented Oceanswell in the Maldives, collaborating with Maldivian biologists and fishermen in establishing a Marine Protected Area around the South Ari Atoll of Maldives, banning all forms of commercial fishing and restricting operations of commercial vessels to boost the populations of local megafauna like whale sharks and spinner dolphins.

I also pioneered the Village Uplift Programme for Hand in Hand India, an organisation that historically focused on the empowerment of South Asian women by micro financing aspiring female entrepreneurs. I reached out to them as a high school student and worked with them to start the Village Uplift Programme, a program focused on empowering those same women to become heads of their village councils. We then work with the villagers and council members and employ a community-based approach to build villages that are self-reliant and self-sustaining and have their own access to water, food, education and healthcare. We consider a village to be ‘uplifted’ the day they tell us they no longer need our assistance. To date, we’ve uplifted 300 villages in India.

I am also a ranger with the nonprofit Free Burma Rangers. We get sent on missions to rescue civilians stuck in conflict zones in Syria and Myanmar and who are at risk of being harmed by US drone strikes and/or rogue militia. I have been deployed to Rakhine, Myanmar 3 times where the bulk of my work involved rescuing, resheltering and providing physical and mental health first aid to Rohingya Muslims who were targeted by the Myanmar army. I have also been deployed to Al-Hasakah, Syria twice, where I was tasked with evacuating and rescuing civilians who were at risk of being struck by drone strikes and militants.

I also manage a scholarship fund that currently completely subsidizes the university tuition of 16 Singaporean ex-convicts who are attending a Singaporean university of their choice.

Before coming to Carleton, I was a professional firefighter in Singapore for two years. Whilst I am no longer a full time firefighter with the Singapore Civil Defence Force anymore (kinda hard to do that here in Carleton), I did a good enough job in my 2 years there that I was selected to be a part of the Lionheart Contingent, a group of 76 elite Singaporean firefighters and rescuers selected by the Singapore government to be sent on international rescue and firefighting missions. I was most recently sent to Australia over winter break to fight the wildfires.

As for my work on campus, I am a second year RA for the best floor on campus (3rd Myers) and a board member of MOSAIC. With the help of my lovely South Asians, we have established partnerships with SEWA, a Minnesotan nonprofit dedicated to supporting South Asian survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse, and The Pad Project, a nonprofit started in India that provides menstrual products to low income South Asian women. MOSAIC will be doing some extremely exciting work with these organisations and we will be assisting them in expanding and consolidating the fantastic services they currently provide.

#ActivateCarleton

Now, a little bit about what #ActivateCarleton means to me. Many times I’ve heard students talk about global, complex issues like climate change and indigenous rights only to end the conversation on a somber note by saying, “I don’t even know what we can do.” I feel like that statement betrays a sense of loneliness and hopelessness, as though these issues are too complex to comprehend for any individual and quite frankly, I agree. They are.

But that does not mean that Carleton students should feel alone, or as though they don’t have agency. CSA needs to be an ally for all students on this campus. CSA should empower students and support them in bringing their activist plans to fruition. Carleton must be a place where the question “What can we do?” shouldn’t end conversations. Rather, it should start them.

CSA as an ally

Luke and I plan to create a committee that will work with clubs on campus to facilitate funding requests for activist causes. This committee will also serve as an ally to all clubs and individuals who come to us, working with them to conduct research and make connections with nonprofits who align with the social cause they’re hoping to resolve. The goal is to ensure Carleton students don’t feel alone and feel empowered in tackling these complex, social issues. There are clubs who are already doing this (CAN-DO) and we wish to highlight the incredible strides made by these clubs to emphasize that Carls do have agency.

Additionally, I plan on having a Budget Committee representative meet with a club to walk them through their funding request before their meeting with the committee, so as to receive pointers on how they could further amend their request so as to maximize their chances of receiving funding. Additionally, this way, club representatives will know that there is a Budget Committee member who is invested in ensuring they receive the funding they have requested and is ready to support them in their cause.

We will also create a guidebook that will facilitate the transition of leadership that all clubs undergo at the end of each year. The guidebook will explain CSA rules, bylaws and procedures in clear, non-technical language and will clear up questions regarding important procedures like Spring Allocations and funding requests for trips and conferences. It is pertinent for student orgs to have full access to this sort of information so that they aren’t compelled into thinking that they are limited in the scope and scale of events they can plan. There are a lot of resources CSA and Carleton can provide to students and student orgs and they need to be fully utilized.

Luke and I also plan on creating a page on the Hub with a whole host of resources Carleton students have access to that they wouldn’t otherwise without a student or Carleton account. For example, highlighting the fact that students have free access to LinkedIn learning to learn new skills like animation or just to simply upgrade themselves professionally by taking a course in programming. The page will serve as a one stop shop for enquiring about all the amazing online resources you have at your fingertips.

You are not alone

Luke and I understand that we are aiming to foster a pretty big paradigm shift on this campus with regards to having students step out of the Carleton bubble and actually going out into the world to implement real, tangible change. We also understand that this is incredibly difficult work for anyone to take on, which is why we must bolster the mental health services the college currently provides. We aim to work with all POC and LGBTQIA+ clubs on campus in creating an informal committee where board members from these clubs can discuss mental health concerns that are specific to their community and assist us in setting up partnerships with nonprofits like RECLAIM, a Minnesotan nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health services to queer and trans youths of color, ensuring that everyone in their community feels respected and supported on this campus.

Quite frankly, I think Carleton is a ways off from being a place where we can confidently say Carls Help Carls. I don’t think this college does nearly enough to support marginalised students. I have had to talk to a ridiculous number of students who have either transferred or strongly considered transferring, all of whom were POC and/or LGBTQIA+. They all felt that there was something lacking in them because they were told all throughout NSW that Carls Help Carls only for them to never receive that support once NSW ended. They all thought that the reason they weren’t getting support was because there was something wrong with them individually.

There was nothing lacking with them. It was this campus that was lacking. As someone who nearly transferred to another college himself during his sophomore winter, I know that this campus needs to do a lot more to be able to truly say Carls Help Carls. It frustrates me that this phrase is repeated like a mantra only to be forgotten once the festivities are over. As Vice President, I want to work with the student body and the administration to start a movement that truly embodies the spirit of Carls Help Carls. It is not enough to say it. We need to implement it and that is something that this campus has to do collectively as a whole and I want to be there to facilitate that.

Thank you for reading my platform. Please send any questions, comments and concerns to swarups@carleton.edu, or in person too! Let’s #ActivateCarleton and create a campus filled with agency, love, support and compassion.

<3,

Sameer

TREASURER

Edgar Aguirre

Dear Carleton students,

My name is Edgar Aguirre (He/Him/His) and I hope to serve you as your CSA treasurer for the 2020-2021 school year. I’m a sophomore intending to major in Economics and Political Science/IR from Bronx, NY.

Ever since I came to Carleton, I’ve worked to become more involved on campus and more equipped to serve the community here. Since my first term, I have tried to get involved as much as possible by becoming a member of CSA Budget and Governance committees. Since then, I’ve become very familiar with the guidelines, enjoyed listening to your ideas for events, and am working to interpret/argue the guidelines on your behalf.

Why am I running for treasurer?

Having been a member of Budget Committee for almost 5 terms now, I’ve learned a lot about the funding process regarding CSA. I’ve seen so many of your student organizations and peers come and advocate for experiences that could benefit the community. My desire is to help improve the process for student organizations, make information for events more available, and help make student organization events more enjoyable and accessible in general.

Here are some of the things I’d like to work on in a quick blurb(Since you’re probably skimming this anyway):

-Promote more student org. collaborated events. The more people working together, the more likely a bigger and well-run event is possible.

-Continue efforts to improve the communication of resources. For example, “How do I submit fundraised money into my student org. account?”, “How is Budget Committee conducted?”, “How can I get more familiar with Budget Committee without being a member?”

-Help make Budget Committee less intimidating. I’m the treasurer for a student org. (Define American) and even as a member of Budget Committee, I felt and understood why it could be an intimidating environment from the requester’s perspective.

-Look for alternative methods of funding to reduce the long-term increases in Student Activity fees overtime.

-Rework the CSA scholarship to make the free more affordable for lower-income students. Currently, it covers around 40 percent of the fee, I’d like to establish a new norm of at least 50 percent.

-Increase information about events. There are plenty of events that I know have occurred solely due to being in Budget Committee. Because these events are not heavily publicized, they aren’t benefitting the Carleton community as much as possible. I’d work to change this.

Relevant Experience and what I gained:

CSA Budget Committee member (Fall 2018 – present, 5+ terms)

Familiarity with the Budget guidelines and the experience to help me guide Budget Committee more effectively in serious commitments such as funding conversations, Spring allocations, Student Activity Fee, etc.
I’ve had the pleasure to work with and learn from 2 different Vice-Presidents and Treasurers. I believe I have the experience to effectively help guide Budget Committee in a direction that represents the student body’s needs.

CSA Governance Committee member (Fall 2018- Spring 2019, 3 terms)

Familiarity with the Governance guidelines and understanding how student organizations are formed.
Given the opportunity to help new student organizations become established and recommend ideas and potential collaborations to help push forward growth within these student organizations.

Treasurer for Define American (Spring 2019 – present, 3+ terms)

Familiarity with the Budget Committee process from a Student organization perspective.
Understanding of how confusing finding and filling out forms for funding can be. And got an insight of how intimidating Budget Committee can be from the other side, even if I was familiar with everyone in the room.

Polycarpe Bagereka

INTRODUCTION

Hi everyone!

My name is Polycarpe Bagereka, you can call me Poly. I am running to serve as CSA Treasurer for the 2020-2021 school year. I’m a sophomore intending to major in Chemistry and minor in Public Policy. Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to collaborate with several groups and organizations through my work with the African and Caribbean Students Association and the Carleton Men of Color, so I know firsthand what the Carleton community has to offer and how CSA can help.

QUALIFICATIONS

I served as ACA Treasurer from 2018 to 2020. I’ve worked with CSA treasurers and the Budget Committee to meet the needs of my organization. Has experience with the Special/ Spring Allocation processes and the HUB and the much-needed improvements to make them more efficient and user-friendly.
I am involved with various cultural groups on Campus and am familiar with their events.
Dedicated to help you and your organization get the most out of CSA. Know that we are a resource and not a burden to group.

INITIATIVES

An outsider’s point of view:

Accessibility: Make funds more accessible to groups and organizations. Perhaps keep all information about funding and funding resources in one user friendly page.
Advertising CSA Funds: Destigmatize CSA by encouraging groups and organizations to actively request funding as needed and per CSA bylaws.
Avoiding Deficits: Termly evaluations of CSA budget could help avoid deficits and further encourage the student body to make use of what is available to them.
Clarity: Present the student body with additional funding resources around campus.

I look forward to the chance to represent you as CSA Treasurer. Please feel free to contact me at @bagerekap.

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

Leander Cohen

Hey everyone. I’m Leander (he/him), and I’d be thrilled to serve as your CSA Public Relations Officer for the 2020-2021 school year. I’m a sophomore from New York City planning to major in Political Science/IR with minors in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. I’ve really enjoyed serving as the Public Relations Officer this winter term and I’d love to be able to keep working to improve communication between CSA and the students it represents.

Before joining the CSA committee for outreach, media, and publicity (COMP), I genuinely had no idea what CSA did other than fund student organizations. As it turns out, CSA does a lot of important stuff, from securing free laundry to improving parking policies and disability services. These are things that have a tangible impact on Carleton students’ daily lives and it’s been my goal as Public Relations Officer to make these projects as transparent and widely known as possible.

How will I do this? As the chair of COMP, I’ll continue to lead our work to expand the reach of the CSA Instagram and provide regular content. We’ll also keep sending out a newsletter each term and publicizing CSA events like class bonfires and elections. I also want to do more: CSA represents the Carleton students and its Instagram should reflect that by publicizing clubs, teams, events, and other activities that define students’ experiences here.

Why should you vote for me? I understand CSA’s role as the voice of the student body and how to communicate its work in a streamlined, impactful way. I won’t bombard you with emails (CSA might request to follow you on Instagram, though). And I have the experience, as a member of COMP since fall term and a student writer and videographer in the Carleton Media Relations office since my first term here.

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Leander

CLASS OF 2021 REPRESENTATIVE

Cole Dilanni

Slogan: Even though it’s 2020, it’s still impossible to get “coal” out of politics.

Campaign:

Blood alone moves the wheels of history! Have you ever asked yourselves in an hour of meditation, which everyone finds during the day, how long we have been striving for greatness? Not only the years we’ve been at war, the war of learning, but from the moment as a child when we realized that the world could be conquered. It has been a lifetime struggle. A never-ending fight. I say to you, and you will understand that it is a privilege to fight! We are warriors! Students of Carleton College, I ask you once more: rise and be worthy of this historical hour! No revolution is worth anything unless it can defend itself! Some people will tell you “academic” is a bad word. They’ll conjure up images of that guy from the bar in “Good Will Hunting” and plagiarizing charlatans. This is our duty: to change their perception. I say students of Carleton unite! We must never acquiesce for it is together, TOGETHER, THAT WE PREVAIL! We must never cede control of the motherland! For it is together that we prevail!

Using this mentality, I established the Life After Carleton seminar series to help introduce students to personal finance, insurance, and job benefits. As a heads up, I am currently working to set up a budgeting talk for the Spring term. I generally set up a presentation during second week and am always looking to expand the scope of the series. Please let me know if there are any other topics you’d like to be covered and I’ll try to set something up.

Beyond Life After Carleton, I have also been working to increase the efficiency of CSA. This has been in the form of changing the current senate structure so that senators are accomplishing more. Increased productivity will in turn improve the connection senators have to their positions and then decrease the amount of senator turnover. The aim of this initiative is to break the cycle of high turnover, unproductiveness, and eventual disinterest in positions which is currently plaguing CSA. I’ve been a class rep for two years now so I use my experience seeing the high turnover to guide my decisions. If you have any questions or comments, my email is diiannic@carleton.edu. Have a great winter term.

Class of 2022 Representative

Ozzy Cota

Ozzy Cota They/Them Hey’ 22!My name is Ozzy, I also go by Ale (ah-le; the trick is making it sound as if it were in Spanish), I no longer go by my deadname so please refrain from using it. That being said, I would love to continue serving as your class of 2022 representative.Quick facts on my person: born and raised San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles county basically, (Virgo sun, Sag rising, and Aries moon) royal!I am also a self-proclaimed performance artist and writer. But before that, I am first a Latinx first-generation, low-income student. Such identities force me to inhabit the marginal space of being in-between categories, when placed in conversation with the fact that I am also a nonbinary queer, especially at an elitist, classist, and often a not-so-comfortable institution for folx like me.

Experience as Senator/Leader

As the class of 2022 representative for over a year now, I have gained the dexterity to navigate the complexities that arise when trying to lead and organize initiatives that have lasting socioemotional impacts. Through this position, I have been in weekly communication with yall (alongside Molly of course); more importantly, I have been at the forefront of several campus-changing initiatives. For instance, I participated in the research and resolution drafting (though the credit is never solely my own) of the Free-Laundry-For-All plan that was passed late last Spring term.This past Fall, This Fall I focused on equity issues regarding the LGBTQ+ community at Carleton. This consisted of back-and-forth communication between the Gender and Sexuality Center Director, student government, and the student body in the attempt to amend a pressing issue that was afflicting the queer Carleton community that had become muddy after several months of hurt, blame, and lack of accountability. This was a difficult task, however, by communicating effectively with my fellow queer, trans students and students of color, I was able to find a solution that has satisfied both the director and the student body (at least for now). This experience, in particular, has shaped my need to improve my ability to de-escalate heated situations and truly account for the voices of the people I lead and represent.As a first-year, last year, I was the lead organizer of one of Carleton’s first-ever, campus-wide Queer Awareness Week that was hosted at the CAVE. I am an activist, organizer, volunteer, writer for my blog called “An Angry Nonbinary Queer Manifesto,” and a leader in all of my communities. I hope to use that specific set of knowledge skills in collaboration with my already accruing leadership experience, especially as president and founding member of Carleton’s first-ever pre-law society to advocate for the really difficult and tiresome initiatives because it is my passion to do so. I firsthand, understand the crippling effects of being silenced and underrepresented as a minority; I hope my past actions demonstrate that I am slowly but surely working toward it – we can work toward it together. Improving my activism, and utilizing the hidden gems within grassroots-centered movements is an outcome that I strongly hope the opportunity of remaining as your Class Representative will allow me to accomplish.If you have any questions feel free to email me: Cotao@carleton.edu Thank you for your consideration,

Molly Zuckerman

Hello, fellow 22-ers!

When you elected me as one of your class representatives last year, I promised you that I would work to improve resources and accessibility at Carleton. I told you I would hold myself accountable to you, and base my projects largely on your feedback, questions, and concerns.
If there’s one thing I have learned from my time on CSA, it is that your voices are the most important indicators of what I should be doing in senate. That’s why I love, love, love getting feedback from all of you.First, a little about me…Aside from being your class rep on Senate, I am also an enthusiastic member of Carleton’s Mock Trial Team. Our case is gruesome this year (child murder! yikes) but the amazing personalities of my teammates more than balance that all out. I am from Princeton, New Jersey, which is a stuffy, preppy college town in the middle of a state known for its chemical refineries and garbage dumps 🙂
This past year in CSA has given me incredible insight into not only the nuances of some of the problems on campus, but also ideas about how to start fixing them.
In my first year of CSA, here are some highlights of what I have been up to….

Free Laundry: Spring term, I was a member of a task force that took up the issue of laundry expenses. We surveyed the student body about your experiences with paying for laundry. It was your responses that resulted in the administration making laundry absolutely free this year!
Menstrual Products Resolution: This is one of my more recent projects, and something I am really excited to pursue! Along with several fellow senators, I have been in conversations with facilities, OHP, the GSC, and outside companies to figure out ways of making menstrual products more accessible, and also eco-friendly. We are working towards having menstrual products accessible in bathrooms and with the company LOLA to move towards eco-friendly pads and tampons.
Mental Health Working Group: As part of the mental health working group, I am working on a project aimed at investigating how professors can better respond to, and support, students requiring accommodations of any kind. Check your inboxes soon for info about surveys, a video about students’ experiences with professors, and more.
Appointments Committee Reforms: My very first project as a senator was to draft new guidelines for our Appointments Committee (aka a group of people who decide who gets to fill vacant roles on CSA). It is super important to me to hold CSA accountable to the student body, and that starts with being transparent and consistent with how we appoint people to our own organization.
Along the lines of Accountability…Office Hours! Ozzy and I established permanent, weekly office hours. If you don’t know already, you can stop by lower Sayles every Sunday from 1-2:30pm to tell us any questions and concerns you want senate to hear.
Constitutional Review Board: Winter term, I served on the CRB. We revamped CSA’s constitution to make it cleaner and more clearly representative of the things we at Carleton value so much. You’ll get a chance to vote on whether or not to adopt this constitution sometime in the near future.

I also…

Helped several amazing students-at-large write and present a resolution on gender neutral pronouns in the campus directory to CSA (it passed!)
Sit on the Appointments Committee, reading applications for vacant positions in senate.
Am planning a 2022 class social with Ozzy for this coming week! Come decorate cookies and take a study break!

Looking towards the future, I am incredibly excited to continue my work on CSA on behalf of you. In this coming spring term, my goals include working with professors to better handle issues of student accommodations, getting eco friendly menstrual products into Carleton bathrooms, and pushing for even more transparency in our Appointments Committee’s processesAs we enter our junior year, I anticipate that all of our priorities will start to shift. As a classmate, friend, and class rep, I am here and available to listen to your concerns, feedback, and goals! See you all around:)

CLASS OF 2023 REPRESENTATIVE

Jaxon Alston

Hello Carls! My name is Jaxon Alston and I am a first year student from Hamden, Connecticut. I have officially placed my hat into the ring for the CSA 2023 class representative. I am a member of the Carleton Singing Knights, a member of BSA and ACA, a contributing journalist for the Carletonian newspaper, and an avid salsa dancer. I am running because I believe that the Senate is in need of a common-sense perspective that focuses on the fundamental needs of the student body. Therefore, my ideas are simple yet guaranteed to improve student life at Carleton College.

Qualifications Hamden Hall Country Day School

Connecticut Food bank: meat and vegetable packing
Co-Head of Hamden Hall Model UN Club
Co-President of Senior Class
President of Hamden Hall chapter Rho-Kappa History Honors Society
Co-Founder and Co-Head of Hamden Hall Peer Tutoring

Carleton College

Journalist for Carletonian School Newspaper
Black Student Alliance
African Carribean Alliance
Carleton Singing Knights A cappella

Politixentral: Outreach Coordinator under co-founder William Ruiz during the summer of 2019

New Haven, Connecticut Mayoral Campaign: Finance Assistant for Mayor Toni Harp, city of New Haven, re-election campaign during the summer of 2019

Proposals

-Longer operating hours for the Shulze Cafe in Anderson. This is necessary because many students like to study in Anderson well into the the evening and night, and having the option to grab a bite from the cafe at this time would be more convenient. Every other cafe on campus is open later than 2 p.m. and Anderson, with its convenient location, should be no different.

-Having a snack bar and vending machine in Gould Library would be beneficial to students while they are working. Often, when doing some hard studying, a snack is needed for more energy and students should not always have to travel to the cafeteria or to Sayles just for a quick snack. Access to a vending machine all day and a snack bar that can include granola bars, hot chocolate, and cookies, beginning around 9 p.m., would be a wonderful addition to the Gould Library.

-Advocating and raising awareness for more staff diversity. I am pleased that Carleton College is working to make the student body more diverse, but administration and staff must also be included in this effort. We can’t help but notice that many of the professors are white and male, therefore an increase of gender, cultural, and racial diversity among adminstration and staff is paramount.

-Many first year students have expressed their longing for more unity within their class and with the upper classes. I will plan and advocate for more interclass socials and events throughout the school year, so New Student Week is not the only period of time that involves such activities. Culture, unity, diversity, and interaction must be an everyday occurence, thus improving student life at Carleton. My plans include:

More dances, especially cultural dances, in partnership with interest groups and clubs
Socials: class game nights, ice skating socials during winter, potlucks, picnics, etc

Thank you for coming to my TEDx Talk! I appreciate you taking the time to read my platform and I hope I can count on your vote. Leadership is not something I take lightly. I decided to wait until this election so I can experience Carleton just as a student, therefore when I decide to run, my head would be clear and exact when advocating for what I feel needs to be done for the benefit of the community.

Kind Regards,

Jaxon H. Alston

Jancyn Appel

Hi, I’m Jancyn Appel. A freshman from Kansas City, MISSOURI (go chiefs) and use she/her pronouns.

Intros aside, I’ve always had a passion for public service and would love the opportunity to work with the Carleton community. In my time at Carleton, I have participated on the varsity volleyball team, coached the club men’s volleyball team, and worked in the president’s office for the guy himself, Steven G. Poskanzer.

I want to keep my platform brief and to the point, so my points are the following:

Advising

Creating a program for freshman and sophomores to get major-specific help before they’re technically allowed to declare a major

Housing

We need to make the housing process more straightforward for freshmen. How the draw system works, the dos and don’ts, what to expect with the housing process for sophomore year, etc.

-Whether this is an infographic or redoing the residence life webpage.

President’s Office

The president’s office is one of the most unvisited offices on campus and that’s a shame. We should provide more information to students about who works for Stevie P, when to visit, what to talk to him about etc.

– I work in the president’s office currently and have a great relationship with everyone in the office and direct, consistent communication with Stevie P.

CSA Updates

Even though the minutes are posted online on the webpage, students want to know what the agenda is and what’s being discussed in the meetings. Just a tweet or a quick post about what was being discussed and/or what decisions were made would be super helpful and keep everyone informed.

Policy proposal: move to not require incoming freshman to have the 20MP

Since the meal plans, for the most part, cost the same and your financial aid takes meal plans into account, we should look into not requiring the 20 meal plan for freshman fall term.

Eric Cheng

Hi, everyone! My name is Eric, and I am hoping to run for your student representative. Throughout my time at Carleton, I have greatly cherished the connections I have formed and the bonds I have made. I hope that by becoming a class representative, I would be able to assist my fellow students and make their experience here at Carleton even more enjoyable. I hope to represent the interest of the student body to the best of my ability as well as serve as a liaison between different groups.

Listed below are some of the issues I hope to address as class rep:

Mental Health:

A recent survey of 67,000 college students found that 1 in every 5 college students at more than 100 colleges had suicidal thoughts. I believe that we as an institution could be doing more to combat this epidemic amongst our community. Although SHAC is a good resource for this challenge, I believe that there are still significant ways to go.

As a class representative, I will work to help more mental health resources on campus both more accessible and equitable. As it stands, the resources allocated to mental health do not meet the large demand present. The waiting time and availability of appointments at SHAC excludes vulnerable students from receiving the help that they need. I hope that as your class representative I will be able to allocate more resources towards mental health counseling.

Connection with Northfield and Minnesota:

Establishing relations with the local community is crucial in my eyes. We must act against slipping into a “Carleton Bubble” and engage with both Northfield and the state as a whole. As a class representative, I will push to establish opportunities to engage the local non-collegiate community in dialogue. I will work to create events where Carleton students can meet the local community and discuss issues pertaining to both Carleton and Northfield as a whole. I was also hoping to take advantage of the metro access fund to allow more Carls to do work within the Cities and represent Carleton in various programs. Programs I have in mind include -but not limited to- Breakthrough Twin Cities (a program designed to prepare high achieving students in underfunded middle schools prepare for college) and AVID.

Thank you so much for reading through this and for your consideration. I hope to be hearing a lot more from you guys in the coming few weeks!

Daniel Garza

Hey Class of 2023!! My name is Daniel Garza, and I am running with the hope that I can continue to serve as a representative for the Class of 2023!! Since I have served for almost two terms in this position already, I’d like to share what I have accomplished/am currently working on as a Class Rep:

During Fall Term, I was active by helping organize a Freshman Class Social where we made smores’, played games, and just talked and hung out at the Hill of 3 Oaks Grill Area. Although this was very much a casual event, it allowed me to discuss CSA initiatives and projects with y’all, that way you guys were kept in the loop regarding what’s going on at CSA Senate. This event also allowed me to receive input and suggestions as to what you guys would want to see done in the future from me as a Class Rep, and from CSA Senate as a whole.
For Winter Term (Now), I am currently working on another Class Social! This time, a Valentine’s Day Themed Freshman Mixer! As I am in the process of organizing this event now, specific details will be sent out soon. But make sure you’re free on Saturday, 02/15 from 5:30 P.M – 7:30 PM (this event will be hosted at the Cave) 🙂
As someone who values open communication and transparency with my peers, I’ve made sure to commit to holding open office hours at Sayles every Wednesday from 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM for the past two terms. This has allowed me to learn more about the needs and concerns of our class, as you guys provide feedback and share your concerns regarding what you’d like CSA Senate to be addressing. In order to be a true advocate for my class, I need to know what our class wants; and engaging in conversations with many of you at these Office Hours have allowed me to know what you guys expect from me as a Class Representative, and what y’all would like for me to do in this role.
Apart from serving as Class Representative, I am also a member of the Political Advocacy Working Group within CSA Senate. Under this position, I’ve reached out to the Carleton Political Science Department and looked to increase political discourse at Carleton by working to promote lecture series events and panels that express a nonpartisan structured/safe environment for individuals with varied political views. The most recent example of this involved the ‘Caucus & Primary Training 101’, where students had the opportunity to learn about caucusing.

It is my hope to continue to serve as your Class Representative, that way I can offer even more resources or ideas through CSA structures and projects to address challenges we may face. I value the importance of communication and inclusion, and this is something I want to continue to help foster here at Carleton. As a first-generation Latino college student, I understand that it is easy for some people to often feel ‘left out’ and underrepresented. However, as a Class Representative, I feel I have a responsibility to help combat this type of sentiment through my work in CSA. I want to make sure everyone has a voice, no matter how small or unpopular that voice may be. Our class deserves to have a representative who embodies their ideals and values, and I truly believe I am that person. I am honest, I am hardworking, and I understand the importance of interactions, goals, and ambitions this class has, and I am willing to continue to give my time and effort to help represent YOU.

If you have any questions regarding anything on my platform, or have suggestions about literally anything you’d like to share, feel free to reach me at garzad@carleton.edu or at 281-748-0958 Thank you and I hope I can count on your vote to continue to represent you as a Class of 2023 Representative!

– Daniel Garza

Dawson Eriksen

Hi 2023! As we push our way through our first winter semester, I am so glad you have taken the time to get to know your candidates better. Over the past trimester-and-a-half I have had the opportunity to get to know and love so many of you, and I am incredibly excited to be running to be your Class Representative. On this beautiful little campus with our awesome little class I know that we can achieve great things.

There is no question that Carleton is one of the best. Yet, like every candidate for any position ever, I believe that there are things lurking beneath that statement. Blindspots. Misrepresentations. Exclusions. Scandals. We all understand that a part of being in a community is being a part of its many problems. The great thing is, that being a part of the problem can be that first step toward being a part of the solution. There are a million things we can do to make Carleton a better place for everyone, ranging from more printers to changes in curriculum, but I believe that all these issues hinge upon one thing: Representation.

What do I mean by ‘representation?’

By representation I mean very simply, the ways in which students can present their identities and still feel safe. While Carleton makes a great effort across its programs, it is evident that these efforts have come short. Why is there still a massive gender bias towards men in STEM fields, specifically math? Why did it require a Carletonian article to fully expose Jay Levi? How can we make competing in a sport easier for trans and non-binary students? What can Carleton do to make international students feel more at home? Whether a student is queer, black, white or international, it is imperative that they can explore, express and be proud of every part of their identity. However, this issue is large, going far beyond the fiscal budget and school bylaws. It gets messy. It gets misunderstood. For these reasons, I believe it is more productive to, instead of proposing answers, to propose questions first. To ask for advice. To listen to our peers. Because for Carleton to work for everyone, everyone must be heard.

So what questions should we be asking?

I believe that the origins of Carleton’s problems with representation come from two sources: Structural and Discursive. The structural mechanisms we have to resolve our issues are many. OIIL, SHAC and GSC all play a role in how we improve our experience here at Carleton. There is also, however, the discursive issues we find ourselves plagued with. The ways we discuss identity are obviously constantly evolving, and, I dare say, improving. But during my time here it has become obvious that there are things missing in our discussion. When I wrote my first article for the Carletonian, “Do you belong at Carleton?” I began to realize just how divided a campus could be. I began to look around and see that everything was not fitting together right. I began to talk to teammates about how Women’s teams are treated differently than Men’s teams. I began to discuss the difficulties of being queer on a campus that is small enough to feel safe, but so small that you can’t feel you. I began to notice the gender ratio in my classes and the time female students are afforded to speak. All these things have shown me that our issue is not just a missing Office of _______ life. It is a problem with the way we talk, the way we participate and the way we work. And it is a problem that can only be solved by asking questions, and by listening.

What I want to Learn:

What are further steps Carleton could take to make sports at ALL levels safer and more comfortable for LGBTQ?
How can we bring more attention to the STEM gender gap and further empower women in all fields?
How can we remain vigilant, and continue to reform the ways in which stexual misconduct is handled on campus?
How do we make the discussion of racial equality a daily conversation rather than a Carltalk?
Where is Schiller?

My Ideas:

The CSA must reach out to various groups on campus such as the Black Student Alliance and Mosaic. These groups are many and have such a wealth of knowledge that they can share. We must make our relationship with these groups permanent and strong, so that they are always represented no matter the issue. I suggest that the Liason the CEDI release school-wide updates on actions and reforms.

Carleton should, regardless of NCAA requirements, allow athletes to list their preferred pronouns on rosters and other media. Just because a student is on a Mens team does not mean they identify as a man or use he/him pronouns. We must do more than what the NCAA requires because Carleton students deserve much more than the bare minimum.

We must invite OIIL, the GSC and any group that desires to be involved into our discussion of Sexual Misconduct. Sexual Misconduct is intersectional meaning our approaches must be as well. The only way to confirm this is by listening to students of all backgrounds.

We should investigate, on a group by group basis, how we can promote equity. I believe it is time to move from a school-wide perspective, to exploring club specific, athletic team specific, and department specific basis. All of us, regardless of identity or role, have a duty to reflect upon how we include others, and the ways in which we fall short.

None of the issues I’ve outlined here have easy solutions. Some of them may take years to resolve, but like I said, as long as we can continue to ask questions, and listen, we will continue to make progress. I want to be your representative because I know that I am up for the task.

“There is really nothing more to say-except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.” -Toni Morrison, 1931-2019

Victor Huang

Dear fellow students of ‘23,

My name is Victor Huang (he/him/his), and I humbly request your support in my campaign to run for our years class rep. Before anything else, allow me to briefly introduce myself: I was born and raised in Edison, New Jersey (Three guesses on who they named my hometown after) and spent years studying abroad in Si Chuan, China (the place with the really spicy food) before finishing high school back in Jersey. As such, I grew up to be a person with a background influenced by the culture of two diverse and wonderful countries. I am also infamously known to be a workaholic, which is simply more reason to vote for me cause let’s be honest, what is the student governments job other than doing all the hard and tedious work behind the scenes. The more work y’all give me, the less work everyone has to do.Some more info about me:
Even though I’m running for class rep, I am actually a prospective computer science and mathematics double major. While this may come off as an unorthodox combination of interests, I promise the two work better than one might think and I assure you that my passion for STEM can only be matched with my passion to embetter the school.Having grown up in two drastically different countries, my identity became blurred from the start as I experienced first-hand what it feels like to not truly belong anywhere and not have a well-defined identity. However, like any other problem in life, I simply had to solve it. I came to the conclusion that I am simply a student. Someone not bound by ethnicity but simply a person seeking knowledge from everyone who can offer it and giving it to anyone who asks for it. With this mindset, I believe I can offer a new perspective and dimension to the Class of 2023. However, I also believe that great leadership does not come from naive ideology and cheap talk, but rather merit and accomplishments. As such, allow me to point out what I bring to the table:

Experience and History:

Served as class rep in high school for two consecutive years
Served as student secretary for one year
Was a teacher at the local Chinese Language and Culture School for four years
Conducted and assisted in a fundraiser for kids in rural parts of China in order for them to have a better learning environment

Being blessed with the duality of my identity and the precious opportunity to explore it with friends and peers across the world, I seek to become the bridge that can close the gap between cultural division and international and domestic students.

My Goals:

To quote one of my favorite sayings from one of my favorite movies “just because it works, doesn’t mean it can not be improved” (Black Panther). As I mentioned before, I am a computer science and math major, what this basically means is that I am constantly seeking ways to be lazier, spend the least amount of effort to achieve the maximum result, and make things work faster and better. The current student government, while a great step in the right direction, lacks efficiency and effectiveness. I aim to streamline the process and shorten the physical and digital distance between the student body and the student board as well as increase communication between the two entities in forms other than the spam of emails we get from time to time and simply ignore (I speak from experience as my unread emails count is in the thousands). Working with the ITS (which I work at) and other tech departments in the school, I will find more effective ways to utilize technology in order to make communication within the student body more user-friendly, accessible, and effective.
Other than that, I also aim to incorporate student minorities into campus life more as I believe it to be truly important and beneficial for different ideas to bounce off minds who think differently. After two semesters on campus, I have come to realize that while representation for minorities and different ethnic groups exist in the form of clubs and organizations, there is little to no collaboration and intermingling between them. I suggest a cross-culture night (or nights depending on the successiveness) where wildly different cultural organizations can come together and share their culture.
Having played the role of the domestic as well as the international student, I understand how both can feel in a new environment, and more importantly, the potential and possibilities they can bring to the table. I aim to increase interaction with OIIL and work with other organizations to provide international students more opportunity to showcase their talents and potential.

I ask for your support in my endeavor to make your life easier and mine harder and sincerely thank you for your consideration and I hope to faithfully serve you as your representative!

Victor Huang