Candidates

President: Walter Paul ’18, Matt Thibodeau ’18

Vice President: Seth Harris ’18, Daniel Tamez ’19

Treasurer: Jennifer Chan ’19, Lillie Schneyer ’18

2017 Class Representative (1): Seth Hanselman

2018 Class Representative (2): Sharaka Berry, Cruz Morales

2019 Class Representative (2): Gifty Amos, Mallika Dargan

2020 Class Representative (2): John Mullan, Natalie Sainz, Sam Winick

CSA President

Walter Paul ’18

The Student’s Government: A CSA of the students, by the students, and for the students.
Dear fellow Carleton Students,

My name’s Walter Paul. I’m a junior Political Science/International Relations major and Political Economy concentrator from Omaha, NE. I am also pursuing a certificate in Arabic. CSA’s the most influential student organization at Carleton. I’ve served on it for two years. I am always fascinated by the conscientiousness and intellectual savviness of senators, which, I understand, is a mere microcosm of the broader Carleton student body. CSA was founded on the basic premise that every Carl is a member of it and, thus, has the right to participate in the decision-making process. Unfortunately, the inherent structure of CSA limits student participation.

I will re-brand CSA by transforming it from the seemingly underground and abstract student government it appears to be to the visible and involved student’s government it was originally intended to embody. I’ll do this by developing structural efficiency, making CSA more accessible and educational for students and club leaders, and prioritizing measurable impact. I am grateful for what’s been achieved by previous administrations. However, I am impatiently optimistic about where CSA can go. I urge your vote in my favor so I can work with you to lead an efficient, accessible, and impactful CSA of the students, by the students, and for the students. Below is how I will realize this vision and my qualifications for the position:

Objectives
Efficient CSA of the students:

CSA lacks efficiency, especially when it comes to the allocation of roles and responsibilities, which are centralized in the Executive officers. For example, the Vice President chairs Budget Committee and Governance Committee, while leading Spring Allocations and training for clubs and organizations. The President manages emails, publicity, elections, communications, and outreach details and chairs Appointments Committee and Senate. This concentration of responsibilities drains Executives and inadvertently excludes Carleton students from participating in CSA. It’s unnecessary, especially since the work is uncompensated. In fact, low-income students are discouraged from participating for that very reason. This needs to change. Additionally, at times, it seems that there’s too much on Senate’s plate for one Monday night. Consequently, senators rarely have the time to effectively address and act on issues such as mental health, sexual assault, and campus climate. We have an inefficient system that needs to be streamlined to allow for effective service for and participation of students. To achieve this, I will:

  1. Re-propose Executive Pay to the Student Projects Committee so Executives are compensated for their hard work and low-income students are given an opportunity to participate in CSA. This will go into effect after my term.
  2. Add a Religious Life Liaison so the essential and valued component of Carleton life they serve will be represented in CSA
  3. Create an ad-hoc Constitutional Committee of senators that’ll will work throughout my term to establish the following student-at-large CSA committees chaired by Senate Committee liaisons:
    1. Governance, which will approve charters and work closely with clubs and organizations to help them access CSA resources and optimize their performance.
    2. Appointments: Instead of the president calling a meeting every once and awhile for this, I will turn it into a committee of its own. It will establish its own appointments criteria and will ensure a greater number of people in attendance than usual.
    3. Media, Publicity, & Outreach
    4. Events and Activities
    5. Health and Wellness
    6. Diversity & Inclusion
    7. Sexual Assault & Title IX
Educational and Accessible CSA by the students

Students and clubs at Carleton need leadership and management training. The most salient cause for the demise of organizations is seniors graduating and leaving behind untrained and unprepared underclassmen. Senators also have trouble with leadership. Most of them enter CSA unaware of what the job entails. While the lack of specific roles and responsibilities for class representatives and liaisons is, in part, to blame for this, the absence of an educational leadership training process is the clear overarching problem. To rectify this, I will:

  1. Work with the Carleton Parent Advisory Committee and invite business leaders and former CSA Executives for leadership and management training for CSA Executives, senators, and club leaders.
  2. Add a club training component to an expanded Governance Committee to reinforce and practice leadership strategies.
  3. Lead informational sessions during International Student Orientation (ISO) and New Students Week (NSW) Days to develop underclassmen interest in CSA and inform them more about what the student organization is.

Moreover, students and clubs lack substantial knowledge about CSA and the specific resources and bylaws established to help them optimize their performance. To many students, CSA is an abstract organization. To rectify this misinformation, I will work with the Treasurer and Vice President to make CSA more approachable and visible to students and Carleton’s clubs and organizations. Specifically, I will:

  1. Work with the Carletonian to create an Executive de-brief column on the student newspaper where CSA Executives can write summaries about the pressing issues of CSA.
  2. Create a Senate-Clubs meeting series where Senate invites clubs and organizations of specific categories (political, cultural, sports etc.) to discuss ways CSA can help them optimize their performance.
  3. Work with SAO to host a campus-wide CSA-sponsored social event.
Impactful CSA for the students

The effectiveness of an organization is measured by the reckonable effect it has on its constituencies. Students can’t locate traces of CSA in their day-to-day lives. Additionally, students and clubs and organizations have difficulty getting their demands and grievances about issues such as mental health, sexual assault, and divestment addressed by the administration. It should be Senate’s role to facilitate this relationship and make things happen for organizations. I will leverage the creativity, grit, and principled judgement of senators and club leaders to make this happen. Specifically, I will:

  1. Lead workshops for and encourage the writing of more resolutions
  2. Implement a Senate self-assessment tool in the form of surveys, which will be used to optimize the organization’s performance
  3. Push to add 2 student representatives on the Board of Trustees so Carleton students can have a voice in the administrative decision making process
  4. Host Town Hall meetings with administrators of specific offices (Title IX, SHAC, Dean’s Office, etc.) so students can have their concerns and grievances heard and addressed
Qualifications and Experiences

My goals are ambitious. However, I believe I have a variety of skills and experiences that’ll help me successfully realize them.

Institutional Experience
  • Senate & Budget Committee, OIIL Liaison & College Council Liaison – Serving on Senate and Budget Committee developed my institutional knowledge of the policies, bylaws, and rules that will help me successfully lead Senate
  • BCRT Committee, Member – I worked with other senators, faculty, and staff members to establish a Bias Concern Response Team at Carleton. This experience allowed me to build relationships I will leverage as president.
  • BSA, MOC, & ACA, Treasurer – I’ve gained a club leader’s perspective through my experience of being a Board member for these three organizations. This’ll serve me well in working with clubs and organizations and implementing effective policies to help them optimize their performances.
Leadership Experience
  • Carleton Forum, Founder & President – I founded and am the president of Carleton Forum, a student organization at Carleton that will provide a non-partisan, neutral space for debates between students, faculty, and guest speakers at Carleton
  • Magwi Hope School, Co-founder & Vice-Chair – I co-founded and am the Vice-Chair of the Magwi Hope School in South Sudan. This has given me substantial experience working on a team of leaders to manage complex systems like CSA
  • Engaging Voice, Founder & CEO – I founded and am the CEO of a non-profit organization that trains middle schoolers and high schoolers at under-resourced high schools in public speaking. I know how to build organizations from the ground up. I will transfer this skill to Senate, especially when it comes to establishing new committees.
Closing

I vow to lead a Senate that will prioritize advocacy for every Carleton student, especially those who marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, and class. As a black Sudanese-Ugandan-American my experience at Carleton has been unique and enjoyable. I hope to make yours the same. If you have any questions about this platform and other things, please, contact me at paulw@carleton.edu

Thank you!

Peace. Love. Swag. Walter.

Matt Thibideau ‘18

Dear Carleton students,
My name is Matt Thibodeau, and I am running for CSA President. Our college is home to an incredible plurality of identities, yet our student body and administration consistently fails to acknowledge the importance of diversity represented on this campus. Now, more than ever before, is the time to overcome these limitations and strongly embrace, appreciate, and support every student on this campus for their needs and individuality. As your elected CSA President, I would work to unify this campus through an easy-access support system that appreciates every identity here at Carleton, to ensure that each student has the power to communicate their needs to the college, and to make certain that no group or individual feels excluded from this place we call our home.

Goals:

My goals as your president

Generate conversations surrounding the de-stigmatization of mental illness:

Mental illness continues to be a widespread, unrecognized problem here on campus. As your president, I would work with the administration and student organizations to ensure prioritization of student well being, and promote awareness and salience of this issue. I believe this can be accomplished by holding conversations with sports teams, student organizations, and classrooms on how to address this issue. Our campus also needs to establish a much more accessible support system that is open to any student struggling on this campus.

Indoctrinate forms of accountability between students and the administration:

No student at this college should EVER have to feel that their opinions are silenced or ignored by the college administration. It is essential that we establish forms of direct communication between the student body and administration officials; students’ voices need to be heard. The current dissonance between our students and administration is absolutely unacceptable, and needs to change.

Foster stronger communication between CSA Senate and the student body:

CSA Senate still struggles with senator accountability and function recognition. If we are to represent the needs of every identity at Carleton, we first need to know what those needs are. I would work to create and support an ongoing dialogue between CSA Senate and the rest of the student body to ensure better communication and student accountability surrounding campus issues of diversity, inclusion, and activism. I believe this can be accomplished through increased and advertised office hours, email accessibility, and public forums.

Reorganize Budget Committee so it is more diverse:

I strongly believe that the leaders of a variety of sports teams, student organizations, and activities at Carleton should be included in Budget Committee. If the Committee’s composition reflects that of the student body, then the Committee’s decisions will better suit the needs and views of all students on campus.

Eliminate excessive requirements for Student Activity Fee Scholarship:

There are too many hoops to jump through for students with financial aid to be awarded a scholarship from CSA. I will work so that all TRIO students are given priority and automatically awarded a scholarship to aid with the Student Activity Fee.

Invest the Capital Reserves Fund into on-campus projects and capital purchases:

Every year, unused CSA funds “rollover” into this account, and then lie there untouched. This fund holds a lot of potential; as president I would work with CSA Senate and the student body to hear ideas for projects that could be implemented using these funds for the betterment of current and future Carls.

Institute a “Publications Liaison”:

Our vibrant student body is host to a large number of incredible publications. I would work to take advantage of this journalistic enthusiasm by fostering inter-organizational communication, so that publications would have the opportunity to work with one another, and so each group has an equal opportunity for funding.

What I have accomplished thus far

My time spent on CSA Budget Committee has allowed me to assist in the management of nearly $600,000 in student funds by working with student organizations and CSA executives to look at the financial costs and concerns of the student body.

As a member of Governance Committee I have gotten to know the CSA Constitution and the inner-structures of CSA Senate very well, an education necessary for an effective and knowledgeable president.

A current Residential Assistant, I have worked one-on-one with residents regarding personal and community issues, and collaborated with other peer leaders in the design and implementation of residential programming.

Who am I?

I am a junior International Relations and French/Francophone Studies double major from Duluth, Minnesota. In struggling to figure out my own place at Carleton, I have spent time participating in a variety of clubs, from KRLX, to Nordic Skiing, to the Carletonian. These experiences have given me a perceptive vision of the shortfalls of our current CSA organization.

My time here at Carleton has led me to strongly love and genuinely care about the incredible students on this campus. Yet I fear that our embrace of identities weakens as the year goes on, and students are often left fending for themselves on the outside. In this position, I promise to foster an accountable, activist, unified Carleton. Thank you.

Yours Truly,

Matt Thibodeau

CSA Vice President

Seth Harris ’18

Dear Carleton Students,

My name is Seth Harris. I am a junior Math major from Phoenix, AZ. I am also pursuing a concentration in Political Economy and a certificate in Arabic language. I hope to have your support in the upcoming election for CSA Senate Vice President.  

I firmly believe that Senate needs to make its actions and protocols more transparent and easily accessible to the student body. From the issue of granting funding to student groups to making students heard in the administration, it is apparent that Senate needs to increase its communication and visibility with students, especially by updating the website and having a presence in a few campus publications, which we will continue to fund.  

Goals:

To this end, the following are specific areas of improvement within Senate, Budget Committee, and Governance Committee that I plan to address in my role as Vice President:

Publicize current Senate and Administration working groups to the student body.

Behind the scenes, the Carleton Administration and the CSA Senate have many different working groups and subcommittees working on various projects. These working groups span a wide range of projects, including working on making the college greener, working with the Title IX search committee, and bringing a more diverse group of speakers to campus.

Senate can only cover so many agenda items during its regular Monday meeting time, so we would like your input on what should be on the agenda by making the agenda open to students. We welcome your requests for agenda items and will publish the agenda well before the meeting begins, in case we are discussing anything that interests you.

Outside of agenda items, we vote on during Monday nights, these working groups are really the driving force behind Senate-backed initiative to better the Carleton campus. Consolidating the list of these working groups and the college committees online will let students to know what projects Senate and the Administration are working on at any given moment, and allow for students to share and suggest issues they believe need improvement on campus. Also, by making the list of college committees open, we will be able to fill in more vacancies more quickly, thus allowing interested students to always be present at meetings with Administration members.

Let student groups know the best ways to secure funding from Budget Committee.

Historically, new student groups on campus have found it difficult to gain funding from Budget Committee due to a lack of clarity and guidance on what specific points Budget Committee looks for in a funding request. As part of my goal of updating the website, I will place the most common bylaws prominently. I will also work to change the application, so that clubs know what we are looking for. Additionally, I will try to bring back pre-Budget Committee feedback to clubs so that they can prepare for most questions before the meetings. With help from Budget Committee members before the meetings start, it should make the process much less painful and intimidating for all clubs.

Also, as Chair of Budget Committee, I am interested in looking at advertising budgets. Currently, many clubs do not know how to access their printing budgets that CSA approves. I would work to improve access to advertising without members’ having to use their own printing budgets. I also want to work on reforming how we give advertising budgets. Currently, we give $5 to every club if they have a special event. What about clubs who meet every week but have no “special” meetings? I would like to propose a way for these groups to advertise. Also, I would encourage groups that have a series of speakers or events each term to use part of their advertising budgets to advertise the entire series together.

Improve diversity at all levels of Carleton Senate,

I believe that diversity makes every organization better. Although I am a white, male, and have many other identities, I will try to create an environment, especially as the Chair of Budget Committee, in which everyone feels comfortable speaking. Additionally, I will continue to encourage students from all backgrounds to run or apply for positions within the CSA.

Other Goals:
  • Let student groups know the best ways to secure chartering from Governance Committee.
  • Work with Res Life to make room-draw when coming back from abroad a much easier process. Most importantly, every student should know where they will be living before winter break starts on campus.
  • Bring student voices to the Administration and Board of Trustees.
  • Add a few more members to the Senate to bring more viewpoints at every meeting.
Qualifications:
  • Member of Budget Committee: I was a member of Budget Committee part of my first year and all of my sophomore year. I worked on Spring Allocations both years, so I have familiarity with the process
  • Class of 2018 Representative: As a former Senator on CSA Senate, I worked on a committee to ensure diversity of at-large appointments and ensuring that those positions are always filled. Additionally, I am familiar with how Senate works.
  • Math Tutor: As a math tutor, I have experience working with students from all backgrounds and listening to their problems and hopefully helping them solve them!
  • Member of Student Projects Committee: Although the Treasurer chairs this group, I have been on it this term and helped present to Senate about the bike-share program.
Closing

As your next CSA Senate Vice President, I hope to make Budget Committee and Governance Committee more transparent, so that groups are not intimidated by coming in. I will also work with my fellow members of the Executive Board to bring your voices to the Administration, about issues that you find important, especially diversity, divestment, and Donald Trump.

I welcome any additional questions about my platform (harriss2@carleton.edu). Thank you for your consideration.

Seth Harris

Daniel Tamez ’19

Dear fellow Carls,

My name is Daniel Tamez, a sophomore Economics Major on a Pre Med track, and I am so excited to be running as your CSA Vice President and would love your support! In my brief tenure at Carleton I have been involved in numerous organizations and I hope I can utilize the skills and knowledge I have gained from these experiences to better serve you and the Carleton community.

As your Vice President, I will aim to achieve the following:

Support and Accessibility

As your VP, I vow to be a continuous source of support for all students, orgs, and groups on campus and aim to value everyone’s time with respect. I will always make time to reach out and meet as much of the Carleton student body as possible. I wish to constantly remain in touch with all of campus and plan to actively talk to org leaders and individual students to learn in what ways I can better serve them even outside of committee meetings. My commitment to the student body will always remain my top priority.

Transparency

Given my experience in spearheading Executive Boards/Teams, I understand how important it is for students to be able to see what exactly the team is working towards. In addition, as a POC, I want to ensure transparency and accountability, particularly in the work we do (and SHOULD be doing) for underrepresented folks. To this end I will work to ensure that Senate minutes continue being accessible to all students and I will always welcome any and all questions sent my way about my current work and the senate’s by extension. Carleton leaves all of us with very little free time, but I will make it a priority to maintain a constant level of communication with myself and the student body.

Increase awareness of CSA Senate
  • ensure the student body is always informed on what senate activities, projects
  • increase community participation within Senate
  • Work to make requesting funds through Budget committee more efficient and increase overall awareness of how the process works
  • Continue the work of former VP’s by focusing on strengthening the structure of Governance committee

CSA senate can be a powerful platform to benefit student life at Carleton. But we have to be the ones to take action, be involved, and work tirelessly to make these changes happen. We all make up CSA, and it is our responsibility to constantly make the Carleton community a better place for one another.

My leadership/involvement experiences include:
  • Carleton College QuestBridge Liaison/President
    • I oversee and manage one of the largest and most diverse groups of first generation, low income students on campus and lead an Executive Board, which focuses on advancing dialogue on socioeconomic equality in addition to fostering a close knit and welcoming community amongst Carleton’s QuestBridge Scholars and Chapter members.
  • QuestBridge Ambassador
    • Ensure Questbridge maintains a steady outreach to high achieving, low income high school students
  • QuestBridge Mentor
    • I mentor fellow rising junior and seniors involved in QuestBridge about the complexities of applying to college in addition to scholars currently on campus.
  • Admissions and Financial Aid Committee
    • Worked the past 2 terms in learning inner workings of Carleton’s admissions process, how financial aid is calculated and awarded, specific policies pertaining to financial aid, and recruitment efforts
  • Residential Assistant
    • Worked as an RA on 4th Watson Fall Term and will be the RA on 4th Goodhue Spring term
  • Co-Founder of ADMIRE (Association of DREAMers and Allies for Immigration Reform)
    • Serves to empower undocumented students on Carleton’s campus and address larger immigration reform issues by providing a student-led support group on campus for undocumented and DACA students.

While leadership experiences are important in being a Vice President they only make up part of the story. If all I do is list my accomplishments at you I might as well just send you my resume and save you the time of reading this platform. It takes more than just accomplishments to be a great leader. It requires compassion, understanding, and wholehearted commitment to helping others. Leadership is not about enriching yourself – it’s about empowering others, and I will lead by example by consistently exemplifying competence, connection, and character.

I look forward to serving as your Vice President, if you choose to select me, and I look forward with working closely with all of you in the near future. Great leadership means great service, and I plan on giving back to the Carleton community and being in a position to be able to make a difference. Together, we can accomplish incredible things and make Carleton a better place for all students on campus.

Thank you for your consideration.

All the Best

Daniel Tamez

CSA Treasurer

Jennifer Chan ’19

Hey what’s up hello,

My name is Jen Chan and I want to be your next Treasurer. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I’m an undeclared sophomore potential History or Political Science major from Hong Kong and Gdansk, Poland.

I want to run for treasurer, because in my few years at Carleton I have already witnessed budgetary reforms that I’d like to see implemented at Carleton. And I don’t see why I should delay my work by a year. I want to give the student body, what they want and what they need rather than just choring for the sake of funding the little bit of student budget that come in every week. I’ve seen many issues at hand with the bureaucratic enigma we’ve all come to loathe at some point in our paths as Carls, and I’m going to try to change them.

TL;DR, because life is busy, why not make it a little easier for everyone.

  1. Transparent in the Budget Process
  2. FUND SPRING CONCERT
  3. More Accessibility
  4. CSA Scholarship Boost
  5. Organize Publications
  6. Fund Student Activism
  7. Extend Facilities Hours
  8. Fund Remodeling of KRLX
  9. Senate Working Group of Health Resources
  10. Online Forum for Student Projects

Here’s what I want to do:

  1. Transparency in the Budget Process other than the “yadda yadda” that nobody reads because it takes a long time. I would ensure that a summary of the minutes is published so that more students have the time and inclination to read about how to get money. Making numbers available is key.
  2. Fund Spring Concert. Why is there $154,000 in rollover funds that are sitting and growing by the year while the amount we’ve allocated for spring concert has barely increased in spite of growing inflation? I would work with the required offices to make sure that funds can be transferred from one account that’s not using it to another that needs it with greater ease.
  3. More Accessibility to Treasurer knowledge, approachability. Execs seem unavailable and that shouldn’t be the case because their services should be available to the student body. Who even is the current Treasurer? Has anyone heard of Jeremy Keane? I’ll make sure you know of me and what my position does if I’m elected Treasurer.
  4. Increase the CSA Scholarship Fund. The Treasurer gets to set how much money gets given to Student Financial Services, I would want to work towards making sure more avenues for financial aid are available to students.
  5. Organize funding of publications , by assisting in implementing a subscription/extra copies model and streamlining their paper prices according to inflation.
  6. Support funding of student activism and utilize the resources at my disposal to make sure that happens in and outside of campus.
  7. Allocate funding to boost facilities hours. Why does the library close at 12? Why isn’t Sayles open before 12 on Sundays? Why can’t brunch be earlier? Why not extend these hours for the sake of student access, through funding.
  8. Fund the remodeling of KRLX. Long overdue, outdated, undigitized equipment needs replacing and investment.
  9. Continue Senate working groups and start a working group to lobby for the health lens in administrative decisions. Specifically to boost funding for SHAC, counseling hours, STI/STD test funding, and begin talking about developing an extra financial aid fund for students whose insurance won’t allow them to pay for necessary medical transports, testing or transports to appropriate medical facilities.
  10. Open an online forum about possible student projects that the student body would like to see implemented. I would assist and facilitate the development of these ideas in the context of Greater Carleton. I want the idea of student projects to be more open as a dialogue for the students to engage in about what they want to see on campus and what they want to see developed.

I already know how CSA Senate works, having been a Sports and PEAR Liaison on Senate for the last two terms. I have an extensive knowledge of how sports are funded as a consequence. My work as a SWA has taught me how to engage actively with campus, work independently and liaise across departments. I also have been on Budget Committee for two terms, including for spring allocations. I have a functioning knowledge of the way that funding works at Carleton, in its contents and discontents, and I want a chance to really affect the way that things are run here. My knowledge as a financially emancipated teen handling her own finances and as a corporate accounting intern at Pandora Jewellery have taught me how to diligently allocate funds and manage decision making processes.

Thanks for listening to my spiel and for your consideration, don’t hesitate to email me at chanj@carleton.edu if you’d like to talk.

Lillie Schneyer ’18

Hi, all! My name is Lillie Schneyer, I’m a junior SOAN major from Michigan, and I use she/her pronouns. For the last year, I’ve been a class of 2018 representative on CSA Senate, and a liaison on the Student Projects Committee. I also volunteer as a program director at the CCCE, work in the Libe, and pet the neighborhood cats as often as possible. I’m excited to be a part of this election and would be honored to receive your vote.

Why do I want to be Treasurer?

To help foster positive change in our community. I want to spend our money in ways that actively promote the type of campus we want: one that is inclusive, engaged, and equitable. As an example of this, I’ve worked with a group of other Senators to create a CSA textbook library of donated books that will be available for students to use this spring. I want to continue to seek out and support projects like these that creatively spend student money to directly benefit students. In doing this, I will rely on my past Senate experience to both work within and improve our current system. Bottom line: how we spend our money communicates our priorities; as Treasurer, I would ensure that we are spending money in ways that reflect our needs and values.

Goals:

Spend Student Money on Student Projects:

Beyond the events and organizations that your money funds, it also is spent by the Student Projects Committee on student-led projects. The Treasurer chairs SPC, and because I’ve served on the committee for a year now, I’ve worked closely with the current Treasurer, Jeremy Keane, understand SPC’s structure and history, and have ideas about what I would like to change. SPC has about $150,000 of rollover funding available right now. This is your money from activity fees, and I believe we could be using it more effectively. There are so many possibilities; I’ve heard ideas to use it to offset our carbon emissions, renovate KRLX, fund a bus designated to take students to participate in political action, or pay future CSA executive boards to increase the accessibility of those positions. As Treasurer, I would:

  • reach out to students, groups, and offices to solicit project ideas instead of waiting for students to submit suggestions.
  • follow through by working with the committee members to execute projects, however long they take.
  • keep students informed on the progress of the projects with regular updates.
  • if feasible projects do not emerge, work to redistribute the money back into the general budget or use it reduce the student activity fee because above all, SPC needs to spend student money on students.
Promote accessibility and inclusivity:
  • Continue to create a Senate, Budget Committee, and SPC that actively seek out input from a diverse group of students. Beyond recruiting, I will work to foster a welcoming environment where all feel empowered to speak because they know that their opinions belong.
  • Better publicize the student activity fee scholarship so everyone who needs it is aware of it and all who apply with need receive funding.
  • Help make Budget committee more accessible and less intimidating to encourage the whole Carleton community to access all available resources.
  • Publicize information about the budget so students know how their money is spent.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to me at schneyerl@carleton.edu, and thanks for reading!

Class of 2017 Representatives

Seth Hanselman ‘17

November 9, 2016 marks a pivotal moment in Carleton radical activity. In a very short period of time a very small contingent of Carleton student activists (at most two dozen) were able to mobilize hundreds of students, staff and faculty. This was largely due to the despair and rage we all shared at the electoral victory of fascist white supremacy that we all felt the night beforehand. But there is plenty of grief and rage to be shared and strategically channeled in the four years to come. A new goal thus makes itself apparent to all Carleton radicals: transform every day into November 9. Only then can Carleton be radicalized.

Student activists have been waging the good fight against an obstructive and neoliberal administration for my entire time at Carleton. The struggle has been protracted and passionate, but the victories have been few and far between. As a campus we remain invested in corporations who profit off of the impending ecocide of the human family. Mental and reproductive health services have been compromised for the sake of costly projects intended to boost the prestige of the college. An endemic and institutional failure to hold sexual predators accountable has forced individual students to resort to vigilantism. All of these ills stem from the undeniable and awful truth that the student body has little representation or leverage when it comes to the policymaking of Carleton College as whole. We must impose radical change on this status quo.

It is with this in mind that I am declaring my candidacy for CSA Class of 2017 Representative under the RED (Radicalize Everything Dammit) platform. My intentions are clear: if elected I will do everything within my capacity to foment between students, staff, and faculty a collective struggle against the reigning forces of white supremacy, patriarchy, and the capitalist mode of production at Carleton College for the remaining time that I have on this campus. I pledge without reservation to be wholly accountable to student activist organizations and the student body as a whole. When the indecision and self-interested nature of the administration has led to fears that Carleton may not even defend those community members among us most vulnerable under a white supremacist and authoritarian Trump presidency – then is the time for students to take charge! We must have a voice now. Join me in this most urgent fight.

Class of 2018 Representatives

Sharaka Berry ‘18

Hello everyone! My name is Sharaka Berry, Sharaka meaning partnership in Arabic. I use he, him, his pronouns. I am a Junior Political Science International Relations Major. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

On campus I am a part of Carleton’s Mock Trial team, which is a debate program where college and university students learn about the law, courtroom decorum, and presentation skills. This year I am the B team captain along with Austin Baxter who is a part of the class of 2020. I am also the Vice President of Men of Carleton, which serves to encourage campus-wide meaningful and thoughtful discussions as well as actions on multicultural and gender issues pertaining to the Carleton community. I work at Carleton’s Recreational centers, so if you ever have any questions about the college’s facilities let me know. This last summer I worked as a camp counselor for Carleton’s Reunion. Additionally, I was a student mentor for C.L.A.E (Carleton Liberal Arts Experience).

My philosophy when it comes to representation is pretty simple. It is the responsibility of anyone elected to any office to serve their constituencies best interest. I believe that, if elected, it would be my duty to represent the expressed preferences of my constituency, the class of 2018. I plan on doing such by email surveys to the class of 2018 on what I should vote on. As a representative it would also be my duty to keep the class updated on what is going on in Senate, which I would plan to do by regularly posting on the facebook page for the class of 2018. Finally I would want to initiate CSA sponsored videos. We have plenty of TV’s on campus. It is time we started using them more creatively.

I decided to run because I love the Carleton Community! I love going to discussions outside of the classroom, because who says learning stops when class stops? I love hosting prospective students and showing them around campus. You can usually find me playing pool and/or foosball in upper Sayles, the campus social center. My email is berrys2@carleton.edu. Contact me if you have any questions, comments, concerns or just want to say hi.

I would be honored to be your representative! Thank You!

Cruz Morales‘18

Hello friends,

I’m Cruz Morales. I’m a junior History major from Madison, WI. I love writing, making art, and writing satire especially (I write every day). I love meeting new people — as your class rep I promise not to bombard you with emails but also be available to promote your ideas and to advance your interests, whether it comes to student organizing or your career. I think you can learn a lot about me from my platform — if you want to talk about these ideas or contribute feedback, please drop me a note at (moralesc@) and submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap submit to the clap

Goals:

Create termly MCAN (Carleton Multicultural Alumni Network) meetings at Carleton to increase student connections with alumni.

  • The meeting will be jobs and career focussed with at least three alumni (one day, this will be you) present. CSA will help fund the meetings and they will connect students with more alumni of color who share their experiences and goals
  • This program will rotate through conference style meetings, small group meetings, and one-on-ones in order to engage with the most students and faculty while alumni visit campus
  • Key partners will be the Career Center and OIIL creating more opportunities for alumni to maintain connection with Carleton students and faculty, as well as with each other
30 minutes program for Faculty, Staff, and Administration
  • Similar to the Career Center’s 30-minutes program, I will create an on campus 30 minutes program in which faculty, staff, and administration can sign up for a few hours to meet with students. During these 30-minute meetings, students can ask any questions they’d like, about career development, life path, or other things they’re curious about (this program is already available through the Career Center https://apps.carleton.edu/career/students/programs/30minutes/ for Alumni). Since each person at Carleton has taken an interesting path in life, sponsoring one-on-one meetings like this will make us more connected and more knowledgeable about each other and ourselves
CHICKEN TENDER SIZE
  • Must be increased
  • This isn’t even honey mustard, look at that
  • Sauces are not on fleek
  • They should offer either a 4-piece or 6-piece option because that’s what the restaurants do
  • Or like McDonald’s does, they sell 20 for 5 bucks
Improving Student Government and Clubs:
  • Budget Committee: (1) the website will include live updates on reserves and funding decisions, increasing the oversight of the group’s $600,000 worth of funding choices, (2) I will create anonymous feedback forms for the committee, (3) I will help the group construct new group guidelines to make Budget Committee a cohesive and constructive space
  • Moving elections to Fall term so that there is at least one term of overlap for all CSA positions (at-large positions will require at least one term of overlap too). This will provide key leadership and relationship development for everyone serving in the CSA. It will make CSA smarter, stronger, and more cohesive.
  • Increasing leadership development in campus clubs: 25% of Carleton students leave every year (almost) never to return which creates a significant experience and knowledge gap. Students need to be intentional about giving space to new people, noticing that every member can be a part of the club leadership if given the chance, and orienting the club towards involving as many students in the organizing process. Some strategies include doing less and smaller events so long as they involve leaders trying something new and learning from it. I propose offering more funding (including free food funding, for example), to specific events put on by clubs in collaboration with at least two other clubs.
Qualifications and Experience
  • LASO Board Member — Treasurer (2014-2015)
    • Increased club budget by over 25%
    • Hosted four events throughout the year including a slam poetry event with El Grito de Poetas from the Bronx in NYC
  • CSA Budget Committee Member (2014-2015)
    • Staunch advocate (whatever that means) for smaller student organizations, including cultural clubs, in funding for their activities — served as a Budget Committee buddy in order to answer questions and make successful requests
    • As an experienced member I helped facilitate constructive conversations about
  • During the 2015-2016 year, I was an intern with the The Resurrection Project in Chicago:
    • Worked on affordable housing development in Pilsen, Little Village, and Back of the Yards — assessed new locations for development and existing sites for quality
    • Conducted research on gentrification, low-income housing efficacy, and political climate in Chicago’s southwest side
    • Trained as an organizer and participated in several actions promoting peace and nonviolence, preserving the community churches, and expanding DACA enrollment
Closing:

Please vote for me and holla at me in the clap; I will do my best to represent every student at Carleton, especially my class. I know the goals above are ambitious — however, I also know that a lot of us share them, and that we can accomplish them together. Send me an email if you would like to work with me more. As a brief note, I think the best people to support this platform to its fullest would be Walter Paul ’18, Seth Harris ’18, and Lillie Schneyer ’18. Please read their platforms with special consideration and vote for them – thank you!!

Class of 2019 Representatives

Gifty Amos ‘19

Hey Carleton,

My name is Gifty Amos Nwankwo and I am running for the 2019 Class Representative position in CSA Senate. I am a sophomore potential psychology major and most importantly, a Carleton student.

I do not know much about CSA Senate, but for those who know me, you know that I work hard for what I believe in. This trait has manifested itself in my current position as ACA President. Those of you who don’t know what ACA is or stands for, you should come to Concert Hall next Saturday (February 11, 2017) at 7pm to find out more. It will be LITTT.

As I previously mentioned, I am passionate about things that I hold dear and will go out of my way to make things happen. Let me know the things that you want to make happen and I will do all in my power to see it through. Isn’t that the whole point of a Class Representative anyways? At least that’s what I think.

Mallika Dargan‘19

Hi! My name is Mallika Dargan and I’m looking to be one of your class of 2019 representatives for this next year.

Why should you elect me?
  1. I’m involved in a diverse set of student orgs (such as Infemous (Carleton’s feminist zine) and MOSIAC (Carleton’s South Asian student association) so I have met quite an array of people during my time at Carleton thus far.
  2. I am currently on the “Title IX Coordinator Search Committee” in which administration, staff, and students have dedicated the past few months in search for a full­time Title IX coordinator who will focus on cases of sexual assault among other issues on this campus.
  3. I’m always in sayles and very approachable so it would be easy and convenient for people to voice their concerns to me.
Issues I hope to work on as your class representative:
  1. As I am already on the search committee for a full­time Title IX coordinator, I hope to bring more awareness about sexual assault on this campus and to promote educational activities that will advocate for sexual harassment prevention and support for survivors.
  2. As a woman of color, I also hope to voice the concerns of other people of color in the class of 2019.
  3. I also will advocate for more of a focus on how socioeconomic status affects student relations and opportunities.
  4. All in all, I hope to represent the class of 2019 equally and fairly.

I believe in intersectional feminism. I believe in the power of people. I believe in the class of 2019.

What do you believe in?

Thank you for your consideration

Class of 2020 Representatives

John Mullan ‘20

Hey class of 2020! My name is John Mullan and I would be honored to serve as one of your representatives in CSA Senate

INSPIRATION FOR CANDIDACY

By the fall of my senior year in high school, I had no doubt that Carleton was where I wanted to spend my next four years. I was hoping to soon count myself a member of an incredibly friendly, passionate, talented, and cohesive community. That is why I applied early decision to Carleton, and it is those same qualities that have spurred my desire to represent the Class of 2020. I am inspired daily by the dedication and intellect of my peers, and am so thankful for the truly genuine warmth this community exudes. I hope to give back to a class that has made for such an amazing experience.

HOLISTIC REPRESENTATION

My primary objective is to faithfully represent the entire gamut of identities that constitute our class. If elected, I will hold office hours, then, to gain the required insight to holistically represent our class, and so too will I be readily available and eager to meet in person by request, correspond over email, or strike up a casual conversation around campus.

I would advocate in CSA Senate for the implicit conclusions I induced from conversations with fellow members of our class, but would give precedence to any explicitly stated desires by members of our class. As it is unfeasible to talk in depth with every constituent about every issue, I believe the incorporation of acting upon inductive reasoning into acting upon the face value of conversations is critical. I would use my best judgement to represent the entirety of our class, but would not be naïve in thinking that my judgement will lend a panacea to the issue at hand. I would sincerely welcome critiques and continual evaluation of my performance.

CSA TRANSPARENCY

Secondarily to promoting the requested objectives, there are some changes I hope to implement to improve our experiences at Carleton. I believe quality representation is incumbent upon transparency of the representative body, namely the CSA. Although the CSA Senate minutes are accessible online, I feel that improvement can be made to make such information more convenient to access and digest. If elected, I would write an abstract of the agenda to come in the next meeting, and would write a brief description of the dialogue that transpired at the previous meeting; I would distribute these reports via outlets such as the Class of 2020 Facebook page, and would look to setup a bi-weekly subscription email service.

DIVESTMENT

As of this fall, Carleton had $1.1 million invested in the fossil fuel industry, and while I do acknowledge that over 99% of the endowment is invested in other industries, I believe the principal of that investment is inconsistent with Carleton’s larger values of environmental sustainability. While I believe the cautious stance of Carleton’s Board of Trustees is understandable, I believe it is ultimately unwarranted, as was suggested by the 2015 Carleton Responsible Investment Committee. Presentation of prophetic financial data I believe has the potential to transcend the Board Members’ cautious stance.

TITLE IX

The infractions of Title IX policy continue to trouble the Carleton community. I believe that lowering the incidence of sexual misconduct, although a multi-dimensional issue, may be best addressed from a grass roots perspective. So called “slut shaming” and other normalizing behaviors may unjustly remove conscious barriers that would otherwise inhibit inappropriate behavior.

MENTAL HEALTH

It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of a second Carleton student this academic year. As a small, remotely located college we face the inherent difficulty of finding and maintaining a large cohort of mental healthcare providers. While there is no doubt great value in looking to make SHAC’s mental health care provider staff more robust in quantity, I believe great strides can also be made via continual education of the student body, faculty, staff and administration on topics surrounding mental health. I believe having a community armed with the tools to identify and intervene in developing mental health crises is critical in creating a safe and healthy community. Similarly, I believe having the knowledge to practice appropriate self care would act as a strong preventative measure against the precipitation of mental health crises.

EXPERIENCE AND CLOSING REMARKS

As a member of the CSA Budget Committee, I have seen the inner working of CSA’s financial structures, and have since built connections with CSA members spanning multiple classes. I consider myself a hard-working individual who would take on your goals as my own. I believe thorough and consistent communication is critical to successful representation, and if elected I will make every effort to ensure strong communication. If you have any questions about my candidacy, please don’t hesitate to email me at mullanj2@carleton.edu.

Thank you for your consideration,
John Mullan

Natalie Sainz ‘20

Hi everyone! My name is Natalie, and I am excited to be running for the Class of 2020 representative! Throughout my first term and a half at Carleton, I have met some of the most wonderful people, and it would be such an honor to represent the Class of 2020. With my goals and qualifications, I believe that I would be a valuable asset to CSA Senate. There are many things I want to do for the student body, but I plan to start with the following things.

Goals:
  1. I understand that some people may view student government as being out of touch with the student body. I would like to change this view by reaching out to as many students as possible to hear what their expectations of CSA Senate are. I believe conversations with my peers will be the key to a successful governing body and better campus climate. My job is to represent the class and I will fulfill these expectations to the best of my abilities by prioritizing communication and outreach.
  2. Along with outreach, I want to be as supportive as possible for all students on campus. I want to emphasize Carleton’s appreciation for diversity and culture as they are both things I deeply value. As an advocate for social justice, I think it’s important to recognize the issues that still exist on campus, such as those that marginalize people based on race, sexuality, gender, and socioeconomic status. I believe an inclusive, safe and welcoming community is a better community for everyone. I also would love to hear what other students think about these issues, and how they think Senate could help solve them. I strongly encourage dialogue on campus about social issues, and I am open to hearing from a wide range of perspectives. My ultimate goal is to represent the whole student body, especially those who have often been underrepresented.  
  3. I would like to provide more resources for mental health issues as I think this is often overlooked. I believe mental health is just as important—if not more important—than physical health. I’d like to give a voice to those who deal with mental health problems and address how we can provide more resources for them. I understand these issues may be difficult for some to discuss, especially to someone they don’t personally know too well, which is why I would encourage anyone to leave anonymous tips in my mailbox about how to support those dealing with mental health problems.
  4. While voting on proposals, budgets for clubs, and resolutions, I will make sure I am very informed on everything so that I can make a decision that best represents the student body. I will propose any solutions that the Class of 2020 suggests. I also want to support as many student organizations as possible. I would also like to advocate for issues that Carls care a lot about, such as Title IX. I admire the CSA Senate’s letter to the Title IX coordinator candidates and I hope to build on Senate’s commitment to this even more.
Qualifications:

I have participated in a wide range of student organizations and activities throughout my fall and winter term. These experiences have allowed me to connect with other Carls and be active in not only the Carleton community, but the surrounding Northfield/Minneapolis community as well. I’d like to consider myself to be a friendly and welcoming person, so I am open to hearing ideas or thoughts from anyone! I care a lot about the Carleton community and I am strongly committed to making it an inclusive and safe place for all. As I’ve stated, my ultimate goal is to represent the amazing Class of 2020, and I hope I get the opportunity to do so. I know this was a lot to read so I appreciate the time you took to read everything. I think it just goes to show how much I want to do for the Class of 2020! If you have any questions about my qualifications or platform, I encourage you to send me a message via Facebook, email, or in my mailbox. I believe CSA Senate gets its power from the student body, so I look forward to working with as many of you as possible!

Thank you so much for your consideration

Natalie Sainz, Class of 2020

Sam Winick ‘20

Hi my name is Sam Winick and I would love nothing more than to be your CSA representative for the class of 2020. While I have been interested in becoming a member of CSA since arriving this past fall, the realities of the Trump administration have only served to motivate me more towards becoming a louder voice in the Carleton community. Having the opportunity to represent all of you would be a great honor and I would appreciate your vote.

Goals:
  • I will strive to be a voice for my entire class, representing the many viewpoints and opinions inherent in a diverse and highly intellectual community such as ours.
  • Often, underclassmen are brushed aside as inexperienced or too young, unable to enact the same level of positive change as those who have been at Carleton for multiple years. I aim to change this assumption by being an active and engaged Senator that doesn’t only listen to the ideas you have, but also clearly and confidently advocates for them in the Senate. This would prove to those that might think otherwise that the class of 2020 is just as ready to better Carleton as any other class.
  • As a member of the LGBTQI community at Carleton and a vocal ally for other marginalized groups, I am intimately aware of the struggles faced on a daily basis by minority groups on campus. One of my main objectives is to make sure that often overlooked voices are heard in Senate.
  • It’s understandable that as freshmen we are not as aware of the discussions and decisions of Senate. I would strive to change this by making sure that all of you know what goes on in the Great Hall on Monday nights.
Qualifications:
  • 4 years of involvement in my high school student government, 3 of those years as the head of the assembly planning committee. Due to this experience I am ready for the challenge and commitment of being a senator.
  • 4 years of Model UN in high school, serving as captain of the team senior year, and continuing on to the Carleton team this year which has provided me with the public speaking skills needed in a position such as this.
  • Anyone who knows me knows that I am never afraid to share my opinion or fiercely advocate for what I feel is right.
  • Additionally, I am genuinely interested in what each and every one of you has to say, and I will make a concentrated effort to seek out your thoughts and opinions instead of you having to find me.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sam Winick

“It’s not my voice, it’s yours”