Admissions and Financial Aid Committee (AFAC) Liaison
Annie Seefeldt
Hi! I’m Annie, I use she/her/hers pronouns, and I’m a freshman gap year student from New York.
I would like to be a voice for current and prospective students for whom monetary restrictions and difficulty dealing with FAFSA/CollegeBoard financial aid applications can pose an exhausting barrier to getting a liberal arts education. I fully acknowledge my own position of privilege in this sense––my parents have been able to provide help with my financial aid applications and my struggles pale in comparison to those of other students on this campus. But–coming from a small public high school–I’ve seen firsthand how the system deters and disadvantages low-income and first generation students.
As the AFAC Liason on CSA Senate in Spring 2018, I saw firsthand the extent to which admissions gives edge to low-need students in the final rounds of the admissions process, and how much important work there is to be done. I’m impressed by the efforts of previous liaisons and would be honored to be able to build on my previous work with CSA – with more time to implement ideas/initiatives, compile research over the summer, and be able to return to AFAC in the fall to thoroughly advocate for our collective concerns on committee and in Senate – namely:
- implementing need-blind admissions
- ending the testing requirement
- increasing the number of international and domestic students of color at Carleton
It’s easy to be jaded – the best efforts of a long line of AFAC liaisons haven’t yet yielded many tangible and noticeable results. However, I am committed to making the committee aware of our concerns, and working in tandem with other students on the committee to passionately convince administrators of the feasibility of some of our goals.
That said, I have several more short-term and manageable goals including:
- Collaborating to create an in-depth step-by-step explanatory guide for filling out FAFSA and CollegeBoard financial aid applications in order to support students applying without the resources and guidance of parents
- Organize workshops for students making loan payments
- Increase transparency, and publish Facebook reports to keep students updated regarding significant conversations happening on the AFAC Committee.
Thanks so much for reading!
Emma Olsen-Dufour
In light of recent events at Carleton and more so in our nation, I’ve reflected on my role in our small community here as well as the community’s role in my life. Honestly, I realized that the latter was more significant than the former. Since I have arrived at Carleton, how I see myself has completely changed, in large part due to the incredible people here in our Carleton community. For the first time in my life when I arrived here I faced issues of mental health. Yet, I feel supported by everyone here, be it profs, friends, or people who I don’t even know but who make “Carls help Carls” feel true to me. This aspect of our community, however, does not only apply to mental health. Be it on how to manage a college workload to advice on what profs are best to which dining hall to avoid, the sense of community that I have found has had tangible, positive effects on my life. However, I know not everyone here feels that way, but I think they all deserve to and I intend to help make that happen.
As Admissions and Financial Aid Committee Liaison, I will be in a unique position to influence the policies concerning admissions and financial aid. As such, I will be able to advocate for policies which will diversify Carleton’s population. This issue is important to me because my socioeconomic bracket is underrepresented here, and I care about making sure Carleton is an opportunity available to everyone, even those who may think that because of their parents’ income they cannot come to a place like this. Furthermore, if there is more diversity amongst those admitted to Carleton, I believe the issues of minority groups will be more easily heard as more people will be able to stand as representatives of these issues.
In addition to advocating for increased diversity and more visibility of lower income students on campus, I believe it the role of every representative elected to serve as a senator in CSA to advocate for all students on all issues. Additionally, I am very much aware of the poor reputation which CSA has within the student body. As such, I will push to increase transparency between CSA and the student body, and will collaborate with other student senators and administrators in conversations and working groups to push for what I am hearing that Carleton students want.
As the daughter of two public high school teachers, I am part of the privileged group of students here on financial aid. As such, I am familiar with the realities of being on financial aid, as well as how the policies addressing students on financial aid affect students. Therefore, I have more motivation than most to ensure that the policies concerning financial aid policies are fair and beneficial to students.
Furthermore, I am from a region of the country where not only does Carleton not actively recruit, but people do not know the name “Carleton” to be anything more than the name of a dance. Most of the kids who went to my high school now go to the local state schools, CU Boulder and Colorado State University, because they simply were not aware of any other options as being viable opportunities for them. This was because the students at my high school did not think that they or their families could ever afford to go to a school like Carleton, largely due to ignorance about financial aid. I therefore bring a unique insight as to how to diversify not only the pool from which Carleton admits students but also the pool which considers Carleton as a viable option.
From my time here at Carleton what I’ve noticed most is that (consistent with the rest of the world) minorities don’t feel heard or equally valued. However, it is our job as Carls to make sure that all other Carls feel included and supported, and I want to do everything in my power to help with that effort. Therefore, my number one goal if I were elected for this position would be to increase diversity on campus. I think that if there is more representation of minority groups, students will not only feel more comfortable but also their voices calling for change may be heard more loudly, affecting change more quickly. The issues being raised by Carls today are valid and deserve to be fought for, and I intend to do so if reelected to the position of AFAC Liaison.
Chaplain’s Office Liaison
Sally Sirothphiphat
Hello,
My name is Sally Sirothphiphat and I’m a sophomore Asian Studies major from Bangkok, Thailand. I am a recently hired Chaplain’s Associate (CA) and I am applying for the position of Liaison to the CSA for the Chapel. I’m excited to get more involved with religious life on campus as I step into this new role and I think becoming the CSA Liaison for the Chapel would be an important way of engaging with the community and representing it. Religious organizations represent a diverse cross-section of the Carleton community and I would be honoured to help make the concerns of those organizations, and the students within them, heard by the CSA.After having discussed my role with Chaplain Fure-Slocum, my main goals for my work in the position of Liaison centre around facilitating the flow of information between the CSA and the Chapel. The CAs and Chaplain Fure-Slocum are working on creating better internal infrastructure so that we’re more aware of the needs of each individual religious community on campus. I will be directly involved in this process and I plan on attending each CSA meeting with a clear and up-to-date idea of the state of each religious community. Communicating their concerns and promoting awareness of religious life will be my foremost priority, though I will not neglect to inform the Chapel and the others CAs of the CSA’s activities. In this way, I hope to make student government better equipped to respond to the concerns of students of faith and to help make students of faith more aware of the ways in which the CSA is addressing those concerns.
Thank you,
Sally Sirothphiphat
Club Sports/Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) Liaison
Cindy Guo
Hello! My name is Cindy and I would love to be your Club Sports/PEAR Liaison. I’m a sophomore from Singapore and I currently work for the PEAR department. I was the Club Sports/PEAR liaison last year and am currently running for re-election. I’ve really enjoyed my time on Senate and genuinely believe I can continue creating change if given the chance.
I want to both reflect on my experiences in Senate so far in this position and a general position on Senate, as well as my future aspirations and what I can do to represent your voices. This past year, I worked on several issues ranging from those directly relating to Club Sports/PEAR to other pressing campus issues I care deeply about: accessibility to menstrual products on campus, accessibility of passport pictures in applications for scholarships and off-campus studies, the title IX working group on sexual misconduct, structural obstacles to gender-neutral bathrooms (closed the “friendship gap”, the shower gap, in 4thMyers!), serving as the Senate liaison on budget committee (which includes being a member of weekly budget committee meetings as well as the past Spring Allocations), and representing the voice of Club Sports and PEAR in Senate and in Budget Committee. This Spring, Club Sports received the full amount requested in Spring Allocations, which includes an increase in funding for bussing from last year.
If I can continue in this position, I hope to continue clarifying the position of Club Sports, disputing untrue stereotypes, and representing their needs. This takes shape in the following aspects: I want to be an effective coordinator between club teams and the CSA through: 1. efficiently conveying needs of club teams; 2. recognizing concerns within club teams and ways the CSA can help; 3. communicating and liaising with other offices who can offer assistance; 4. serving as both a line of communication from Club Sports to Senate and vice versa. I also want to continue making club and IM sports on campus more accessible to everyone, whether this comes from more resources or a stronger support system. Furthermore, I want to increase the diversity of opportunities available for students to enjoy sports and fitness-related activities.
Other than being a part of CSA and Budget Committee, I also serve as an RA on 2nd Watson, and on the board for CANOE (the outdoors club) and Model United Nations. Senate is something that means a lot to me, something that has really shaped my Carleton experience, and I would love to continue serving the student population. Even if CSA’s role in creating change is limited, I hope to continue pushing and advocating for a better Club Sports environment with more resources.
I strongly believe in a safe, welcoming, and accessible sports environment at Carleton, and would love to play a role in achieving this. Please email me at guox@ if you have any questions. Thank you for your time!
Senate is something that means a lot to me, something that has really shaped my Carleton experience, and I would love to continue serving the student population. Even if CSA’s role in creating change is limited, I hope to continue pushing and advocating for a better Club Sports environment with more resources.
I strongly believe in a safe, welcoming, and accessible sports environment at Carleton, and would love to play a role in achieving this. Please email me at guox@ if you have any questions. Thank you for your time!
College Council Liaison
Edgar Aguirre
Hello Carls! My name is Edgar Aguirre, I’m a prospective Economics and Political Science/IR major and a current first-year here at Carleton. I’m currently involved in CSA Budget and Governance committee as a student-at-large, a couple of working groups, co-treasurer for Define American, and more recently a sitar player.
Like many of you, I’ve enjoyed my time here at Carleton so far, taking classes that are of great interest to me, gaining new skills, and having the opportunity to meet and learn from the perspectives of the diverse set of students here on campus. Being a part of this community, I’ve heard many suggestions and ideas about what can/should be done to improve life here at Carleton, and it is my desire to represent you the students, as an intermediary between CSA and the administration on the college council.
What have I been doing?
I’ve been talking and listening to students about their opinions on the issues that go around within the school, and do my best to forward their ideas to CSA executives. Within my role in the budget and governance committee, I’ve worked to help the process work fairly, that groups are listened to and their perspectives are heard, so that our campus student organizations get the resources they need. While, contributing my own ideas on how CSA can better serve the students. Through these experiences and hearing from you the students, I’ve learned a lot about what occurs at Carleton, and would like to advocate for the changes you demand.
CSA budget:
The majority of the budget comes from the student activity fee(SAF) and some from the vending machine profits, and with rising costs for events and a growing number of student organizations that need funding. The budget is often stretched to its limit over the years and not everything is funded. To account for this throughout the years, CSA raises the SAF, and every 4-5 years on average needs to raise it by a dramatic amount such as $20-$30. This system in the long-term is not feasible since some students already find it difficult enough paying for the SAF for the current year, and eventually, it’ll get to a point where it’s too much for some. What I would like to do to accommodate for this is:
- Meet with administration and discuss alternate methods of acquiring funding for the budget that does not directly add additional costs for students, because if we are able to do this. Then the SAF would increase by a much slower rate, and students would have to pay less in order to participate in the student organizations that they love.
Mental Health:
Our mental health resources are limited in reality to the necessary demand. We are still lacking in gender diversity and counselors of color in SHAC, and lack enough counselor availability to fulfill the need for consistent appointments for students who desire the assistance. The Board of Trustees and administration should not only encourage SHAC to hire more counselors, but provide the funding and meet the necessary number and diverse backgrounds that students need to feel comfortable and get the proper assistance they desire.
Communication of Resources:
There is a strong lack of communication occurring at Carleton in terms of resources that are available to students. Whether they are opportunities such as taking music lessons for free if you’ve accepted your full financial aid package and meet the financial need. Resources that are available for personal health reasons such as light boxes for those who are affected by the lack of sunlight here in Minnesota during the winter, sleep trackers for tracking one’s sleep and working to improve it, and funds dedicated to help students such as food insecurity fund or emergency fund.
- I would like to communicate this with administration and come to understand more about the opportunities and funds available to students and help make them more known to students for use.
Communication in general:
The biggest issue I’ve noticed in terms of the preventing real change here at Carleton is a lack of communication between students, the administration, and within CSA itself. Some students aren’t comfortable in communicating their ideas with CSA because they may be afraid that their idea will be seen as stupid or meaningless. While some issues are only kept limited towards being resolved within CSA, the potentially of an idea being produced by someone outside of CSA is lost.
- What needs to be done is students are made more aware of the issues being tackled by CSA and be able to contribute their ideas and opinions through email, anonymous surveys, and personal communication.
- Conversation is the most important way problems are noticed and made known and CSA can be more open in working towards this. While some progress is made with open meetings and some people hosting office hours in Sayles, the whole student body needs to be aware of the students they can communicate their needs to because there may be someone in senate they know personally more versus their class representatives and would feel more comfortable communicating with them.
- Dialogue between CSA and administration needs to be made more public, since many students are unaware of the decisions being made without their input, the college council is an intermediary between administration and senate, but most students don’t even know about the council’s role and significance is. I would work to make these decisions and the background of them more aware to the student body, so students are aware of the administration’s motives.
- Communication between senate and committees can be improved, committee members are more aware of key aspects of CSA and the issues around them such as Budget or By-Laws more than senate. And if communication could be improved, issues could be introduced and addressed sooner rather than later.
Being someone who’s on multiple committees and not on senate, others and I are aware of things that members of senate are not, and while we do our best to report these things to senate. It seems from time to time they aren’t addressed as quickly as they would be if one of us were on senate and the committees.
I hope to be this intermediary for you, my fellow Carls, and work to hasten the speed at which your needs and issues are met. And I look forward to continuing serving you the student body in whatever way I can, whether on senate or as a non-senate member.
Thank you for your consideration and hearing me out.
Sincerely,
Edgar Aguirre
Feel free to reach out for questions (aguirree@carleton.edu), and I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
Luke Norquist
Hello Carleton!
My name’s Luke. I’m a sophomore (he/him/his) from the small MN town of Brainerd, and I’m running for reelection to be one of your College Council Liaisons on Senate.
My Record:
I’ve been a College Council Liaison since last spring, and within that time I’ve managed to do some some stuff! Highlights from the past year include:
Digital Newspaper Subscriptions
I’ve spent the last two terms working with the Library to establish pricing terms with the New York Times to provide digital subscriptions across campus. I did this because physical distribution of the New York Times to LDC/Burton started to fall apart this year, and because I wanted to establish something new. After several meetings, I worked out a deal with the Libe to split subscription costs with CSA, budget committee approved funds, our VP Hibo signed the contract, and new accounts for every Carleton student, worker, and prof will be activated within days. Watch your emails!
Raising Student Wages
On the college budget committee I, with former treasurer John Mullan, advocated this year for higher student wages. It worked! As of next year, we’re going up to $10.75. And the raise will NOT take away from our financial aid packages as a whole. While the extra 75 centrs/hr is not a huge bump, I do believe it is a step in the right direction for supporting student workers on campus.
Senate Reforms
Within the CSA Reforms Working group I helped design a reporting system for Senators to digitally track what we’ve been doing. With President Anesu’s support, this system was recently implemented. This new process will help build institutional knowledge within CSA from year to year, while increasing accountability among individual senators to continue progressing with and communicating about their great work.
I’ve also been:
- Supporting the creation of new student organizations as Chair of Governance committee
- Funding dozens of fantastic student initiatives as a representative on CSA’s Budget Committee
- Sorting books for our CSA Textbook Library
- Drafting new financial guidelines to raise efficiency and fairness of CSA allocations
- Publishing all student events details to our campus calendar
Additional Qualifications:
- Voted most improved dodgeball player; 8th grade
- Ping pong athlete, unskilled
Why Another Year?
The College Council Liaisonship is a messy role. Between participating in the college Budget committee, working within CSA’s Governance committee, and of course being on the Council itself, there are a lot of systems, hierarchies, and processes to take in. After being in the role for a year, I would love an opportunity to build upon everything I’ve learned to take advantage of these positions. For me, that means leveraging the student voice on College Council with greater confidence to promote gender-neutral bathrooms across campus, and to continue the fight for accessible buildings. It means expanding existing initiatives by fleshing out our new reporting system, growing our digital newspaper coverage, and advocating for continued student wage increases. Ultimately, President Anesu was elected with the promise of making Carleton home for all students, and I want to help fulfill that promise.
Feel free to reach out with any questions at norquistl@carleton.edu, or (218) 821-0180!
Thank you for reading 🙂
Luke
Sid Hirshberg
Hey, everyone. I’m Sid Hirshberg (he/him/his), a sophomore Political Science major with a prospective Creative Writing minor from Los Angeles, and I’m running to represent you as a College Council Liaison. I’m a member of Carleton’s Model UN team and an avid reader and writer.
Why Am I Running?I’ll be frank: I’m running because I’m worried. I’m worried that my peers feel disconnected from their student government and, even more starkly, from their administration. Those worries cropped up during the extreme cold snap this winter, when we saw temperatures dive deep below zero. Much as we all laughed about warm broth, these were genuinely unsafe conditions, and a large majority of the students I talked to were disappointed and concerned by the administration’s response. After that, I began to listen more closely to my fellow students’ worries about the administration’s not hearing their voices. The issues run far deeper than broth. Much of our campus remains inaccessible for people with disabilities. Several of our dorms lack adequate heating and air conditioning. Mental health services remain inadequate. Tuition, already so expensive, continues to rise. And, yes, our response to extreme weather events remains questionable. These are just a few of the areas in which the administration has not heard or responded to student concerns. The College Council functions as perhaps the most direct point of contact between the Carleton student body and the administration. We need someone in this role who is willing to speak truth to power, advocate for ambitious reform, and work to make Carleton an institution defined by the ideals of its community.
Why Vote For Me? The problems I’ve outlined above are difficult to tackle. The pace of institutional change is often slow, with a complex multi-systemic bureaucracy that students must navigate in order to make things happen. But I believe I am capable of navigating all this. I have previously spent years working in “real” politics, interning for political campaigns and lobbying legislators. The skills I have honed here will serve me well in this role. I feel I have the dedication and determination necessary to keep pushing for change, and the ambition to take bold steps for reform. More concretely speaking, my plans are to:
- Meet and communicate directly with leaders across campus, both in the administration and in the student body, acting as a bridge and facilitating communication so that diverse bodies can work together to get things done.
- Push to find alternatives to tuition increases.
- Advocate for more surveys and referendums on questions that are important to students, so that the CSA has a clearer understanding of what the student body truly wants, and has a clearer mandate to fight for us.
- Work to find solutions for accessibility issues for people with disabilities, such as advocating for the construction of ramps.
- Advocate for the installation of heating and air conditioning systems in buildings (particularly dorms) that currently lack them.
- Strengthen SHAC by working to add more and more diverse staff, as well as furthering efforts to promote positive mental health discourse on campus.
- Work to institute protocols concerning the handling of future severe weather events with the aim of ensuring student safety.
While the above are the ideas I currently plan to work to implement, they are far from all I hope to get done. I hope to hear more from all of you in terms of issues you would like to see brought up, and to hear your suggestions in terms of solutions. And ultimately, more than any one issue, I hope to make the administration more responsive to our concerns, and to give us all more power and agency in the way our school is run.
Community, Equity, Diversity Initiative (CEDI) Liaison
Arianna Varela
My name is Arianna Varela (she/her/hers) and I am a Sophomore originally from Miami, Florida (305!). I am a Latin American Studies Major with a possible double minor in Spanish and Women’s and Gender Studies. Some of the things I do around campus are: playing cello in the Chinese Music Ensemble, being a board member of QTPOC (Queer, Questioning, Trans People of Color), being an active member of LASO (Latin-American Student Organization), and identifying as the local Cuban pastry expert (though I am open to challengers).
Why do I want the CEDI Liaison position?
I am very invested in the campus climate as a member of the Latinx and LGBTQA+ community. I believe that being a student at Carleton is difficult and marginalized students from all identities should feel that those identities are embraced in an equitable manner while they are pursuing their education here. As someone who uses services such as the SHAC Counseling Services, Disability Services and as a lower income student, I understand how some other marginalized identities tend to be talked about less and I would love to continue to promote equitable practices. I have firsthand experience in these marginalized identities (and their intersections) and I want to do something to make all students feel more comfortable on this campus.
My experience/qualifications
Last Summer I worked for the CDF Freedom Schools program, where I taught 5th graders (mostly low-income and/or students of color) over the Summer to lessen literacy disparities that are sustained by the US educational system. This Summer, I will be interning with the Carleton Global Edge Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina with an organization that raises the voices of women in government. I have also done an externship working for Rev. Al Sharpton at the NAN headquarters in New York where I got first-hand experience with civil-rights organizing. At Carleton, I have worked multiple work-study jobs, which has allowed me to connect with a great number of people. Last year, I worked in the community through Northfield Reads and Counts; however, when I was in need of extra hours I put on my visor and fried up happiness (aka Sayles chicken tenders) for my fellow students. This year I had the opportunity to work as a peer leader in the GSC and I was able to get more connected to the LGBTQ+ community at Carleton through Queer Peers and STRIPPED. Next year, I will continue to be a peer leader, but I will be doing so with the SAO through their Leadership and Intercultural program position, which I am super excited about!Finally, as the current CEDI Liaison, I have specific experience pertaining to this position. From my experience, serving as a Liaison in CEDI can be intimidating, as, at times, I might be the only student in the room. However, with more experience and established relationships with other CEDI leadership board members, I have been able to bring up important topics such as formalizing the process for the Textbook Library inventory and making CEDI meetings open to the public to increase transparency. Additionally, I have helped plan two CEDI events. The first was our successful Ice Cream Social, which we hosted to increase awareness of our committee’s existence on campus. I am also working with Disability Services and the CSA Disability Working group to plan an upcoming panel about accessibility at Carleton.
My Goals
- Be a voice for my fellow students while sitting on the CEDI leadership board.
- Make myself available to listen to the needs of those who feel that their marginalized identities are being discriminated against at Carleton and do all in my power to change that.
- Advocate for my fellow students who all deserve to be able to be their full selves on campus and in the lovely community of Northfield.
- I aim to increase transparency and publicity of events that pertain to the diversity of any identity.
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your term!
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) Liaison
Andrew Farias
Hello Carls!
My name is Andrew Farias (he/him/his), and I am a sophomore double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Houston, Texas. I am excited to declare my candidacy as your 2019-2020 Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) Senate Liaison as I believe sustainability initiatives are essential to an environmentally-conscious campus culture. I aim to bridge the gap between Senate and the student body to work towards this more sustainable environment and ensure a better future for generations of Carls yet to come.
Qualifications
As your current Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) Liaison to the CSA Senate, I have been proactive at each meeting in providing student input to ensure Carleton remains on track with our current carbon-free by 2050 Climate Action Plan. I have learned exceptionally about the inner-working of student government on campus by familiarizing myself with policies and with two years of experience on the EAC, I am familiar with how these meetings are organized and what is needed to reach Carleton’s sustainability goals. In my time as the EAC Liaison, we have sent several students on sustainability conferences across the country in an effort to better understand how our peer institutions are combating climate change. At the same time, we are constantly reviewing current and future sustainability practices to assess their impact on campus, including solar energy projects and the geothermal drilling on the Bald Spot (which will be open in time for graduation!).
Aside from my position as the EAC Liaison, I currently work as a Sustainability Assistant (STA) in Carleton’s Sustainability Office and actively lead or participate in a variety of student organizations on campus, including Environmental Carls Organized, Swipe Out Hunger (http://bit.ly/SOHS19), Food Recovery Network, Latin American Student Organization, FOCUS Student Advisory Board, the Carleton Choir, and QTPOC (Queer, Questioning, and Trans People of Color). As a Co-Leader for ECO, I have helped with community events including Climate Action Week, the Repair Fair, and the Free and For Sale Frenzy. I am also passionate about addressing food insecurity at Carleton and volunteer as a Program Director with Swipe Out Hunger to donate meal swipe to food insecure students on campus, and the Food Recovery Network, wherein we donate leftover food to local community organizations and schools. Ultimately, my involvement in each of these groups has strengthened my relationships with students across campus and further encourages my understanding of where our campus community members are coming from.
I currently send termly emails to the student body to promote some of the sustainability events on campus and in our community. I also serve as the point person to the CSA Textbook Library Working Group as well as the CSA Senate Liaison to the Media, Publicity, and Outreach Committee (COMP) and the Student Projects Committee (SPC). Within each of these respective roles, I report back to the Senate about our progress in organizing the CSA Textbook Library, I work to better publicize CSA initiatives, and I meet with students to make their project ideas come to life for the betterment of the campus community.
Accomplishments
CSA Textbook Library: I spent the majority of my Spring Break cataloging over 2,800 textbooks in the CSA Textbook Library. This has been quite helpful in providing students with the greatest financial need (such as DACA, undocumented, and TRIO/SSS qualifying students) as well as the larger student body with textbooks at the beginning of each term.
Bike Registration Resolution: Last term, I passed a resolution encouraging bike registration on campus to reduce the amount of bike waste (up to 450 bikes each year) that facilities management must deal with throughout the term.
Reusable Thermos Project: In collaboration between the Sustainability Office and Student Projects Committee, we recently supported an initiative to reduce the amount of disposable cups (185,000/year) in the dining hall by implementing the usage of reusable thermoses. By reducing the number of disposable cups used, Carleton can reduce its environmental impact in an equitable way and instill sustainable values in students.
Goals
Carleton Farmers Market: In collaboration with Environmental Carls Organized, I hope to bring a Farmers Market to Carleton in the Fall of 2019 to allow students to purchase fresh produce that is often not available on campus.
Reduce, Reuse, and Resale: This past summer, the Lighten Up Garage sale collected over 46,000 lbs (23 tons) of items students had left behind/donated at the end of the school year, not including furniture or bicycles. Collecting common items such as hangers, shower caddies, umbrellas, mirrors, kitchenware, electronic appliances, fans, bedside lamps, microwaves, refrigerators, etc. to be either sold or rented out to students for the term/year would be the main goal to reduce waste production on campus.
Reusable To-Go Containers in Sayles: In reducing waste by collecting reusable eco-containers, Carleton students would be provided with a convenient and reliable option for taking food with them, while rewarding habits around environmentalism. For the college and Bon Ap, this would be a financially rewarding project as it eliminates single-use disposable to-go containers on campus and lowers waste hauling. This would also guide us towards a zero waste campus and foster a culture of sustainability.
CSA Textbook Library Sorting, Purchasing, and Productivity: With literally thousands of textbooks in the CSA Textbook Library, I would like to begin sorting through which materials are no longer in use and allocating more funds to purchasing commonly used, but more expensive, textbooks. I would particularly like to find more STEM course textbooks such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Mathematics. Lastly, I hope to continue reaching out to professors about what textbooks are needed for classes as we build a better resource for students across campus.
Staff Appreciation: While working with the Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) Liaison Brittany Dominguez, we are planning to organize several meals throughout the terms for custodial and facilities staff that deserve appreciate for the behind-the-scenes work they put into making our campus run smoothly. We have already spoken with the director of facilities and intend to put our plan into play in the coming weeks!
Thank y’all for your time and consideration! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at fariasa@carleton.edu
Best regards,
Andrew
Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) Liaison
Brittany Dominguez
Hello beautiful Carls! My name is Brittany Dominguez (she/her/hers), and I am a Sophomore SOAN major and Educational Studies and Public Policy double minor from Houston, Texas. I am running for your 2019-2020 Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) Liaison. Given that each of us are here to get the best possible education, it is important that we continue to be a part of creating a curriculum and policies that foster curiosity, equality, and a love for learning.
Qualifications
As the Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) Liaison this past year, I had to collaborate with others, engage with students, and stay organized in order to see positive outcomes. Because I have a passion for education and education policy, I have worked as a writing teacher with the non-profit organization, Breakthrough Houston for the last three summers. While working with Breakthrough, I learned how to effectively listen to students and work to understand their thoughts and concerns. Furthermore, as a member of the Carleton Choir, Latin American Student Organization (LASO) Board, CCCE Education, Posse Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Students Board, and CSA, I have vast amounts of experience working with people of a variety of backgrounds and listening to what they have to say. As the secretary of LASO and communications director of Fellowship in Christ, I have developed the communication skills necessary for working in groups as the board must navigate roles and discuss details in order to ensure the success of events such as Dia De Los Muertos and termly retreats. Additionally, my time as the current ECC Liaison has shown me what gaps in policy and curriculum currently exist and how to best go about voicing student concerns at ECC meetings. Within the last year, I hosted the first ever ECC Ice Cream Social to navigate student ideas and concerns as well as better inform the student body. After hearing concerns from students about P.E. and academic accommodations, I sent out a survey to better understand student struggles with receiving various accommodations and will have a meeting regarding these results as well as other issues in an upcoming ECC meeting. I believe that listening to the student body and taking action to express their concerns are my top priorities as a CSA senator.
Goals
Argument and Discussion Skills in the Curriculum: I believe that including some sort of Argument and Discussion aspect to the Carleton Curriculum will allow students to have more critical conversations on campus as well as better prepare us for such conversations in the workforce. This is something we have already started discussing in ECC meetings.
Clearer General Education Requirements: Should I be selected as the ECC Liaison for the coming school year, I hope to work with faculty and staff to create clear general education requirements. For example, I want to have a more concrete definition for the Humanistic Inquiry requirement.
Better Outreach to Students: While I have made efforts in my position to reach out to students through an Ice Cream Social, emails, and surveys, I know I can do better. In my next year, I want to host more frequent office hours and social events.
Foster a better relationship between Professors and the Textbook Library: As a CSA senator, I aspire to continue working in the Textbook Library working group and to better inform professors of the work we do. I believe establishing this relationship will help us to add to our collection, create a better functioning library, and normalize textbook library usage.
All the love,
Brittany Dominguez
Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) Liaison
Tyrell Floyd
Hello! I am a second-year Studio Art major, a member of an a capella group on campus, and your current GSC Liaison. The position of GSC Liaison requires a strong connection between the GSC, it’s affiliated cultural houses, offices, and students. Naturally, the position of liaison requires that I have a deep understanding of how the GSC effects campus life. In addition to my experience as a GSCA, I have been heavily involved in GSC events and connecting students to the center. As such, I am fit to address the concerns of the GSC and its affiliates. Under the current “transitional period” a large number of student workers have stepped down and the Carleton student body seems less involved in the GSC compared to former years. Currently, the GSC has become where students have reported feeling too uncomfortable to visit because of the new GSC director’s reputation with students. This is unacceptable as the center must be educational inclusive in order to develop a strong community. I am passionate about ensuring the GSC is able to operate a space where students feel they are able to be themselves and have their voice heard by CSA. As your GSC liaison, I hope to build and more inclusive and healthy student body.
Thank you.
Office of Intercultural and International Life (OIIL) Liaison
Veronica Alvarez-Zavala
Mother has arrived!
My name is Veronica Alvarez-Zavala, I’m a first year student from Guanajuato, Mexico now living in Madison, Wisconsin (not fitchburg), and I am running to be the Office of International and Intercultural Life (OIIL) Liaison.I grew up in Wisconsin and know how hard it is to find community as a person of color in predominantly white spaces. It is exhausting having to mold yourself into something palatable enough for your white professors and white peers. Which is why OIIL has been such an impactful space on campus, it is an outlet for students of color and international students to support and uplift one another. As your OIIL Liaison, I hope to bridge OIIL and CSA in a way that will help foster a greater sense of community on campus for students of color, international students, and those students who aren’t yet being heard.
This is how:
- I want to hold this administration accountable regarding their undocumented immigrant students. College as a first-generation undocumented student is not easy. Periodt. Trying to thrive (let alone exist) in an institution that was not made for you, is not easy. Carleton College must institutionally address the financial inequities undocumented immigrants face on this campus.
- Making sure intersectional spaces on campus are supported! Identity is multi-layered, an aspect of who you are should not be your only definition. Spaces that offer community and support for students simultaneously existing in multiple marginalized communities need our social and financial support.
- Help create and continue to support more space on campus for our queer and gender-variant students of color.
- Talking about mental health in communities of color! I want to help get rid of the stigma surrounding mental health issues within many communities of color. Mental health is important! We need to make sure Carleton is equipped to provide mental health counseling to all people on campus. That’s why we need more mental health counselors of color, who are able to relate to brown and black students on campus.
Thank you for reading my platform, I hope that I can be your OIIL Liaison for the 2019-2020 school year! I’m a loud girl ready to get to work.
kisses,
Veronica, V, or bhadbvero if you really ‘bout it.
Zehra Khan
Dear Carls,
My name is Zehra Khan, I am a freshman from Minnesota, and I would be humbled to serve on CSA Senate as your OIIL Liaison this coming academic term. Near the middle of Winter term, I applied for the vacant OIIL Liaison on Senate, and in my 10 weeks, I have build connection with the OIIL community directors and OPL’s (OIIL Peer Leaders). I hope to build a stronger relationship with students on campus. At Carleton, I have been able to establish relationships with members from various campus communities, including MSA and office members from the CCCE to name a few. Through conversation, I have seen how intersectional experiences within our community need to be continually brought to the table. There is work to be done. As a future OPL, and current Liaison candidate, I hope to bridge the barriers between students and CSA so that we can build stronger connections across campus communities to ensure that student voices and experiences are heard and addressed. If given another opportunity, on Senate here are the following agenda’s I would address:
Student Outreach & Inclusion
- Clear MisconceptionsOIIL stands for Office of Intercultural and International Life (OIIL). All students are welcome to this space. If you identify as a POC, International Student, or have a cultural affinity – the OIIL office I would like to make the OIIL office more accessible for students to walk in, have a conversation or just do work. As a first year, I was hesitant, but I would like to make sure that all members feel like they can walk in and learn more about the office. (It is open to everyone!!!)
- Social Media Promotion – I believe that the OIIL Liaison should promote OIIL events on their social media platforms. This will help students plan, and invite them to join OIIL Talks, Tea Time, and collaborations.
- Outreach Initiatives on Senate – Previously, on Senate, the OIIL Liaison position didn’t have clear guidelines on tasks the representative is responsible for. Accountability is essential for this position to serve the student and OIIL community. My agenda this past term included defining the Liaison’s position. After engaging in conversation with my peers, OPL’s and Director of the OIIL Office, I developed the following guidelines for the OIIL Liaison. (This still needs to be approved by Senate prior to implementation and will be subject to revision) The purpose of the OIIL Liaison is to stay engaged with the OIIL and broader student community to promote discussion and represent relevant concerns on the Senate. I hope this outline gives the next Liaison a clearer idea of what they must do to continue/improve their organizing efforts.
Listening to International Students and Student of Color
- ISO – This past year, according to many peers present during ISO, CSA didn’t introduce themselves. After conversing with Anesu, and Brisa (OIIL Office Director), we have come to a conclusion/and are planning on having the OIIL Liaison and CSA President introduce themselves to students and hold a relevant conversation with students to build a connection with the OIIL community and Carleton community at Large.
- NSW – Although there is a lot, during NSW, I will be working on establishing a better introduction between students and CSA, so that first-year students have exposure to CSA and other campus groups. (As a governance committee members, if students are interested in particular groups on campus, I would be able to help navigate them towards the necessary resources for them to start engaging and exploring their interests.
- Programming Board – In the future, I hope to work closely with the cultural programming board to support and join the efforts made by the International and POC communities’ to bring their voices to the table at Senate and beyond.
Cultural Programming Workshops – In The Classroom
I hope to develop an online form so that students can express their current experiences, or observations surrounding classroom discussion and inclusion. Students with intersectional backgrounds have expressed the lack of empathy often present during discussions surrounding identity on campus. I hope to gain more feedback and work with the OIIL community to understand the general trend/ways to continue this discussion.
Student Burn-Out
This upcoming year, I hope to engage address student burn-out. I will work with the OIIL Office is an upcoming year, and build relationships with OHP, CCCE, and if you are interested in this issue, please let me know so we can organize this event together.
Work I have done on Senate
- Develop a Comprehensive policy (which needs to be passed) in regards to who the OIIL Liaison is, and what duties they have
- OIIL Community
- Attended OIIL Talks, met with OPL’s, and have bi-weekly conversations with Director of OIIL Office.
- Future – I am a future OPL and look forward to working with first-year students. I intend to promote more organizing on campus and hope to connect future mentees with communities on campus.
Relevant Work/Experiences
- CSA Governance Committee Member
- Working Group: IX (Title 9)
- As a member of this working group, I have had the opportunity to discuss with fellow peers, at and beyond Senate, in regards to Title IX policies at Carleton. Our intent is to reform Carleton policies to ensure transparency amoungst faculty and students. Currently, we are researching policy innitiatives and gathering information from students in regards to how our voices need to be heard by the campus, and larger administrative community. I hope to make our discusisons more accessible, develop stronger intercampus organizing (with student groups interested and currently tackling these concerns) and make sure that our voices as students are being heard and addressed on campus.
- CornerStone
- In High School, I became an active member of Corner Stone which is an organization for students of color to engage in campus-wide discussion about issues we face both in and outside of campus. This community is still near and dear to my heart, and it is a space where I could listen and express the intersectional experiences we faced on campus.
- I have interned with local political organizations intending to revive grassroots movements across the state of Minnesota. I would love to connect students across varying organizations to these leaders to continue advocacy and action in the Carleton community and beyond.
- Girl Up
You are a Leader
You are a leader. Student leaders are individuals who are curious and willing to devote their time to building a stronger community, and this work is outside, inside, and beyond CSA. Many of you reading this note are apart of student organizations, building relationships with one another. Your ability to step up, listen and create space makes you a leader (inside and outside of the classroom). Continue your amazing work and take care.
Why You Should Vote
Your voice counts.
This upcoming election will shift the direction of CSA. Although CSA tends to feel more distant, and beauractraic in its tendencies, your vote will shift how these discussions move forward. I invite you to look over candidate platforms for this upcoming election. Feel free to email them, and choose a representative you believe will have the most impact on our community moving forward.
I would like to invite you personally to the debate this Thursday at Sayles.
You decide who are community leaders are.I look forward to the work our community will accomplish moving forward. As Paul Wellstone once said: When we all do better, we all do better.
Thank You
I would also like to remind you that everyone is capable of being a leader. It is not the larger action everyone sees, sometimes it’s as simple as listening. I would like to thank the OPL’s and members of the OIIL community who have encouraged me, listened, and continually support our campus community through their leadership.
Thank you for taking time to read/skim my platform,
Best,
Zehra (Zer-ah, or Z) (She, Her, Her’s)
Residential Life Liaison
Katie Rose Parsons
Hi all. I’m Katie Rose Parsons (she/her/hers), a junior Economics and Sociology/Anthropology major who loves to run, dance, and play piano. I’m also an RA and running for Residential Life Liaison.
Why am I running?
The chance to serve the Carleton community while simultaneously appealing to my strengths and connections as an RA is why I want to continue being the ResLife Liaison. The position requires excellent communication, meaningful connections with ResLife, and knowledge of student conversations around ResLife-related activities, duties which I enjoy fulfilling.
Why do I feel that I am qualified?
1. Current ResLife Liaison: I am the current ResLife Liaison and have already learned a great deal about what CSA and ResLife both need from the ResLife Liaison: largely, increased transparency and connection with the student body. Already creatively finding ways to achieve these goals gives me a head start for next year.
2. Soon-to-be-third-year RA: I have amassed a great deal of experience liaising between students and other entities on campus: ResLife, Facilities, Security, SHAC, the Dean’s Office, professors, the Office of Health Promotion, the Office of Sustainability, the GSC, etc. Coupled with the strong network I have built within ResLife (including relationships with both professional and student staff), it is this prior experience as a liaison and my knowledge of ResLife that makes me effective in the ResLife Liaison position. Understanding how to absorb and communicate information effectively, efficiently, and accurately between multiple bodies is something that requires practice, and I have been able to accumulate this practice through my role as an RA.
What will I do if I am elected?
I will streamline the process of voicing questions and concerns between students and ResLife, as well as between students and CSA, in an effort to either clarify or work towards solving the situation. The entire Carleton community benefits from having an effective CSA, and the more connections that CSA has to the student body, the better able it is to accomplish its work by catering to issues students care about; I will help CSA focus its attention on student concerns by using my connections to current and past residents, other RAs, and people that I have met in various classes and activities. I also feel that CSA is most effective when people understand what it’s up to; using these same connections, I will help more students understand what is happening in the CSA through development of approachable and informative materials that RAs can disseminate in their communities. Finally, I will bring student and CSA concerns and questions about ResLife to the people in ResLife who can address them in order to either solve or clarify situations that may otherwise cost students time and frustration.