College Government President Candidate: Maheen Akram ’20
Dear Wellesley,
It is with great enthusiasm and humility that I, Maheen Akram, Class of 2020 (she/her/hers) announce my candidacy for the position of College Government President. Wellesley needs a leader who believes in the power of a unified student body and will drive positive change on campus.
For the past few years, we have seen a lot of political turbulence worldwide, and I have felt a strong conviction to do something. Last spring, I went on the Civil Rights Movement trip with Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL). Our guide in Selma was Ms. Bland, who as a little girl that took part in the Civil Rights Movement. She was inspiring to say the least and her words that stuck with me the most were, “Run for office.” Before leaving, I went up to her and said, “I will.”
My journey of helping solve the ‘real’ issues starts at Wellesley with CGP. I believe that I can drive positive change at Wellesley and leave behind a legacy that the future CGs can build on. I am taking the initiative to create change, rather than hoping that someone else will do the right things.
As an international student from Kashmir, I aim to make Wellesley an accessible place for both my fellow international siblings and American siblings. If elected, I will boldly and loudly represent student interests to the administration.
Student Health and Wellbeing: We all live under the immense pressure and stress of a highly competitive and rigorous academic environment. The least that we need is excellent facilities through Health Services and Stone Centre. I acknowledge and appreciate the effort that has been put in to make these resources more accessible. However, it is not enough. In order to better serve our students, Health Services should have more SIIC hours and be open on the weekends. There are countless stories of students not having enough resources to put their health first.
Use leftover SOFC funding to directly benefit students: I want to work alongside SOFC and explore ways to send the leftover money on buying at least one textbook for each course and keep it on reserve in the library so that those of us who can’t afford an expensive textbook have a resource. I am totally open to more ideas, and would love to form a special interest committee.
Improve CG – Student Relation: CG has the potential and responsibility of being the strongest student advocate but many students don’t engage in CG for various reasons. If elected, I will help integrate CG into the student body and make people feel more welcome. Each week, I will host meals with students so that they can speak to me informally. I will also be hosting formal office hours. I also want to have a video campaign where CG will document and explain the structure, roles and functioning of CG so that more people understand it and feel comfortable engaging.
I have worked on Working Group on Immigration for three semesters, actively trying to raise awareness to ‘real’ world issues, in addition to organizing successful fundraisers for Rohingya, Syria and Kashmir with the support of orgs like WASAC, Slater and ALM. I have also worked at Admissions and ORSL and been part of the internal debates and decision making that influences the overall campus.
Given my experience and knowledge that I have gained as an active community member at Wellesley, I believe that I will be a capable College Government President.
There is a lot more that I want to share with you, so please check out my video through on my Instagram pages, Facebook, Maheen for CGP to learn more about my ideas and commitment. Again, if the above sounds too ambitious to you, VOTE FOR ME and I promise that together we can make all the above happen because Unity is strength.
Warmly, Maheen
College Government President Candidate: Huzaifa Ejaz ’20
My name is Huzaifa (she/her/her’s) and I’m a member of the class of 2020. It is an absolute honor to announce my candidacy for the position of College Government President!
I am running because I am convinced that good leadership makes all the difference. I was nine years old when the first and only female Prime Minister of Pakistan was assassinated a few miles from where I live. I vividly remember the evening because it changed the course of my life and that of many others. I remember the chaos that ensued and the sense of deprivation that prevailed. She had, in my opinion, sacrificed her life to something larger than herself. That is not to say that she was infallible, no one is. What this does imply, however, is that there are starry-eyed ro- mantics who achieve success even in their failures. That being said, this election for me is something more than a mere year as the chair of Senate. My prime motivation is the hope to offer leadership that sustains a legacy of empathy, inclusion, dedication, and service. If this goal appeals to you, here are a few reasons to support my can- didacy:
- A History of Service and Commitment to the Community:
I have a demonstrated history of engagement with the wider Wellesley community. Whether it be offering practical help, for instance, as a volunteer at Wellesley’s inaugural African Women’s Leadership Conference or it be partici- pating in a multitude of resistance and advocacy efforts. There is seldom, if any, campus-wide protest that I have not been a part of. Whether it be protests in the wake of the 2016 election, A Day Without Immigrants, the gathering in support of Greenhouse workers to name a few, I’ve been there. This is not to imply that these are simple check- boxes for a campaign—the only intention is to offer concrete evidence for my claim to commitment.
- Experienced and Qualified:
CGP terms are incredibly short. If the wonderful work of the previous few CGPs is anything to go by, imagine how much we could accomplish in a year with someone who may not have to learn the ropes anew. This should also stress my dedication to the institution that I am running to represent. Here’s a quick run-down of my relevant ex- perience:
- Elected Tower Court Senator (2016-2017),
- Member of the Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness (2016-2018),
- Elected Stone-Davis Executive Senator (2017-2018),
- Elected 2020 Class President (2017-2018),
- Co-President Pakistani Students Association (2017-2018),
- Member Pan-Asian Council (2017-2018),
- Member House Council (2016-2018),
- Elected Senate Representative to the Seven Sister’s Leadership Conference (2018)
- I’ve been attending Senate in student capacity since I’ve been back from a semester abroad 🙂
- A Clear Roadmap Ahead With Tangible Promises:
- Bridge the gap between Senate and campus wide student-led advocacy efforts.
- Create and maintain empathy and awareness in Senate for political issues on campus, the country and the wider world.
- Hold Cabinet and Senate accountable by holding a Mid-Term Performance Town Hall to evaluate progress.
- Establish protective mechanisms whereby policies such as the Protest Policy cannot be instituted until they are in- troduced to Senate first.
- Institute sustainability policy at Senate events: BYOMs and cut down on paper-plates usage.
- Clarify all Senate policies at the beginning of the year to keep everyone in the loop.
- Make Senate meetings more efficient: cut down on time spent on roll-call etc.
- Work on outreach. Publicize Senate documents on multiple platforms and bring Senate to spaces beyond Green Hall.
- Maintain accountability for elected senators through action items and in collaboration with HoCos and orgs.
- Offer CGP Office Hours to provide direct access to students to voice their concerns.
- Determine an agreed upon and comfortable alternative to the campus-wide emailing conundrum.
I hope you’ll give this starry-eyed romantic a chance to prove that she is a little more than just that! To the Wellesley community: I hope you find a leader you’re proud to elect, to fellow candidates: may the votes be with you (pun-in- tended!) and to the incumbent cabinet and all those before them: thank you for your tireless work that continues to inspire!
College Government President Candidate: Kristen Elizabeth Gasparini ’20
Dear Wellesley,
My name is Kristen Elizabeth Gasparini. I am a first generation international student from Italy, and I will be running for College Government President this spring. If you elect me as your CGP, we will create solid foundations for making Wellesley the place for open communication, emotional growth, and the kind of radical change capable of inspiring our generation as a whole.
I believe that I am qualified for this position because I served as President of one of the most challenging secondary public education institutions in Italy during my third year, running alone against a team of two fifth-year male candidates. While occupying this role, I organized all-school assemblies and events, charity campaigns, and a new recycling program, as well as communicating with administration and coordinating student committees. Because my duties were equivalent to those of Wellesley’s CGP, CGVP, MAC, DOOCA, and CPLA Chair, I know that I have the necessary skills to serve Wellesley as a competent and effective College Government President. Particularly, I want to focus on spurring dialogue around issues that may be difficult, but are central to students’ lives, to the institution’s mission, and to the world we hope to improve.
I believe that we can transform Wellesley according to a renewed and more profound understanding of what it means to be a women’s college. This should not be the place for training people to fit into obsolescent conceptions of politics, economics, and success. Instead, Wellesley should be an unapologetic furnace where diverse minds come together to forge sharp ideas that seek to reformulate the postulates of our global system. The solution is not to justify and uphold institutional exploitation, consumerism, and control by making them more diverse. Rather, it is to make empathy, ecology, and shared power the absolute focus as we build towards a better world. This goal is ambitious, but it is worthwhile and necessary.
Therefore, if you decide to vote for me, you are committing to collaborate with other students who share the same intuition and drive to embody empathy and justice.
To this end, I personally commit to the following, beyond fulfilling basic CGP responsibilities:
- Facilitating community bonding events to address issues of race, gender, and class on campus
- Pushing for active and transparent discussion between students, administration, and the financial entities upon which Wellesley depends as an institution
- Encouraging a culture of caring for all peers’ wellbeing, e.g. through spaces for creativity, mental health and existential discourse, regardless of background or beliefs
- Organizing a student committee to design an interdisciplinary course focused on the analysis of local, national, and international power institutions
During my time at Wellesley, I have already independently contributed to advancing each of these points through self-financed dinners, one-on-one conversations, and informal presentations. If you place your trust in me, I will be honored to pursue our community values of critical thought and collective empowerment. My intent is to work with the other branches of College Government to enhance and preserve these values so that we can lay the foundation for future generations of students.
The goal is to progressively move away from attitudes of orthodoxy in communication and the exchange of ideas, and instead towards an investigation of common root values, including the best ways to honor them. It is time to grow out of diffidence, and into understanding. It is time to pop the Wellesley bubble. It will not be easy, but change and lasting wellbeing are on the other side. Thank you.
College Government President Candidate: Diana Lam ’20
My name is Diana Lam ’20 (she/hers) and I am excited to announce my candidacy for College Government President. College Government has always been an integral part of my Wellesley experience—I’ve been a part of it since my first year. From my work as an Executive Senator, to the Treasurer of the Lulu Resource Room Ballot Initiative, to the Vice Chair of the Student Organizations and Appointments Committee, I have spent 3 years actively engaged in College Government. In my experience, College Government is not at a loss of passion or ideas for change; we’ve made a lot of progress with restructuring College Government committees.
However, I believe that College Government is lacking a sense of community. As the College Government President, I hope to lead with friendliness, responsiveness, and responsibility to the team. By leading by example, I hope that a sense of community can transform spaces within Senate, Cabinet, and the College Government President’s Council. After all, it is impossible for College Government to endeavor to lead community change, without being a community itself.
To cultivate this sense of community, I am drawing from my experience as a Ministrare Council Fellow with the Office of Civic Engagement. In this capacity, I work with 2 administrators, 11 students, and 5 Fellows to coordinate 5 service-immersion programs. My leadership in this space has taught me how to manage relationships between students, staff, and administrators. I hope to take this experience to College Government and engage Executive Senators, Cabinet members, and the College Government President’s Council into what could be a College Government community.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. You can also find more information at the CG Elections page (http://tinyurl.com/wellesleycgelections).
Campaign week will take place from Tues, March 5 to Mon, March 11 and voting will take place via an emailed electronic ballot on Wed, March 12. If you have any questions, please email Elections Committee at [email protected].
Thank you for your time and consideration, and I hope to see you during Campaign Week.
Chief Justice Candidate: Georgia Marquez-Grap ’20
Dear Wellesley Siblings,
My name is Georgia Marquez-Grap (she/hers), Class of 2020, and I am excited to announce that I am running for the position of Chief Justice! Enthusiasm, collaboration, and inclusivity are all important qualities that I would bring to this position and the Honor Code Council. The Honor Code is a vital part of Wellesley’s culture because it creates an environment focused around honesty, integrity, and respect. The Honor Code facilitates a level of trust that few other places have, and allows us as college students learn how to create this kind of community moving forward.
My 1.5 years on Honor Code Council has given me many ideas of where I could take the council as Chief Justice. During the 2017-2018 year, I researched how the Honor Code functions in online spaces such as Free and For Sale, and proposed a system to answer students’ questions in regards to these platforms. I believe having resources like this to learn more about Honor Code policies and ask questions informally is critical to maintaining trust and confidence in this system. Actually going through the hearing process should not be the first time a student learns about Honor Code policies, so there needs to be more transparency when it comes to the hearing process and policies.
In order to achieve this goal, I would like the Honor Code Council to partner with student organizations and academic departments to host informal events, such as teas. One of my favorite experiences as a council member was attending house council teas at different dorms on campus. I was able to talk to my peers about the purpose and goals of the Honor Code, and answer any questions they had. I would like to create more opportunities for dialogue in a comfortable, relaxed manner. Through these events, I hope students and faculty will see that the Honor Code is an educational system meant to help members of Wellesley’s community, rather than a “policing” force.
Additionally, I want to focus on making the Honor Code a more inclusive system. Everyone has biases, including council members, which is a concern for hearings and creating fair sanctions. Currently, members undergo bias training. However, I would like to expand this to include implicit bias training, not only for student representatives, but also faculty and administration representatives. Furthermore, creating dialogue with student groups on campus will bring a diverse set of ideas to the council, and encourage more students to apply to the council. As Chief Justice, I would engage in open, honest and clear dialogue with the Wellesley community, as well as encourage other council members to do the same. The Honor Code is a community standard, and as such community members should feel like their voice and opinions are heard and valued.
Another goal as Chief Justice to help faculty better understand the Honor Code and help them better explain their policies to students on syllabi and assignments. I want to continue to communicate to faculty that the sanctions given after hearings are meant to be educational and help students in the future. Faculty should not view the Honor Code as a policing force, rather a community standard that encourages honesty and trust. I also want to work more with the Ombudsperson and clarify the Honor Code’s role when it comes to student-faculty interactions.
If elected Chief Justice for 2019-2020 academic year, I would bring my love and enthusiasm for the Honor Code as well as my desire to make it a more inclusive and collaborative aspect of the Wellesley community. Thank you so much for your consideration, and if you have any questions about my platform, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected], or meet with me during the following times:
Tuesday, 3/5- 5:00-6:30 pm, Lulu dining hall Friday, 3/8- 12-1:00 pm, Stone Davis dining hall Wednesday, 3/6- 5:30-6:15 pm, Tower, Sev side Sunday, 3/10- 5:30-6:30 pm, Lulu dining hall Thursday, 3/7- 12:45-1:45 pm, Bates dining hall Monday, 3/11- 5:45-6:45 pm, Lulu dining hall
Voting will take place via an emailed electronic ballot on March 12. Email questions to
[email protected], or visit the elections website at https://tinyurl.com/wellesleycgelections.
Sincerely,
Georgia Marquez-Grap
Chief Justice Candidate: Nimo Suleyman ’18
Dear Wellesley,
My name is Nimo Suleyman (she/her), Class of 2020. I am running to be your Chief Justice for 2019-2020. I have served on honor code for the last two years and held the role of Student Advocate this year, which has been one of the greatest learning experiences I’ve had in my time at Wellesley. My goals for the upcoming year can be summed up in a few words. I intend to focus on outreach, education and facilitating communication with the student body. I am also interested in working on a few different projects inside of the Honor Code Council, like standardizing the FSRP process and getting together an inclusive student group.
I think outreach is necessary to educate students and demystify what the honor code is. I intend to achieve this through a few means. First and foremost, I would like to conduct more outreach targeting first years, so that we can introduce them to and educate them on what the honor code entails from the beginning. This would be achieved by contacting and working with ASC’s during either orientation or the first few weeks of classes. I am also interested in reaffirming the commitment that students on the council have to it by expanding their role, so that they are not only sitting in hearings but also promoting the honor code by going to HP Teas and reaching out to different organizations on campus.
I am really passionate about and interested in reaching out to organizations and students on campus to promote and encourage students to apply to the Honor Code Council, so that we can get together the most diverse and inclusive group possible. One of my other goals for the upcoming year is to retroactively assign tiers to honor code violation that occurred before the tier system was introduced and implemented. The tier system allows for different levels of charge violations, so that a first year case of plagiarizing, because they were not familiar with proper citations, is not equated to the case of a senior who plagiarized on their thesis. And finally, I am also interested in working on standardizing the Faculty Student Resolution Process.
I am running for Chief Justice because I love the honor code, but that hasn’t always been the case. In my first year, I was intimidated by the honor code. I was not familiar with it and first year me, who barely understood citations, was scared of accidentally plagiarizing. My time in honor code has been a learning experience and one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that the honor code is meant to be a tool that educates not one that punishes. I’ve also learned that it is something meaningful. It’s the reason you leave your bag at Clapp and go to dinner for the next hour without worrying about your possessions. It is the reason we have self scheduled exams and I think it’s powerful that we hold ourselves accountable to three very simple values: honesty, integrity, and respect. I would love to have the platform to promote the honor code and demystify what it actually is.
Thank you for reading through this. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (@[email protected]). Voting will take place via an emailed electronic ballot on March 12.
Email questions to [email protected]. And here is the Wellesley CG Elections page: https://tinyurl.com/wellesleycgelections
Sincerely, Nimo Suleyman
Student Bursar Candidate: Madeline Carter’18
Hello everyone!
My name is Madeline Carter (she/hers), class of 2020, and I am excited to announce I am running for the position of Student Bursar. I have been on SOFC for the past 2 years and have worked in the Bursar’s Office for almost the entire time. My position as a bookkeeper has given me insight behind the many changes made this year to funding and the effects of those changes.
My main goal as Student Bursar next year is to make the transition to the new policy as smooth as possible, namely the annual budgeting deadline and its 2 emergency deadlines, declining debit cards, and the transition to Workday. I plan on continuing to run our first annual funding deadline and iron out any kinks that come up during the new process.
I will continue to advocate for the use of declining debit cards in student organizations to Wellesley administration, some of which are in circulation currently as a trial run. The cards would lessen the amount students are forced to pay up front for their organizations because the money would come out of their SOFC account instead of retroactively reimbursing a student. This change would allow for students who cannot front large sums of money to feel like they can be on e-boards, as many e-boards are the ones paying exorbitant amounts out of pocket. Our trial run organizations are testing out the program and next year I will negotiate with administration to get more of these cards out to orgs. Behind the scenes, I am already a main contributor to solving the logistical hurdles of translating and documenting data from declining debit cards to SOFC spreadsheets. If declining debit cards become a mainstay of our campus, my system and experience overseeing and troubleshooting the 9 orgs already using these cards will make administration more likely to trust campus organizations with this responsibility.
Lastly, the position will require the Student Bursar to focus on the logistics of a complete transition of all our data over to Workday. I will work closely with the Controller’s Office and the Bursar’s Office to make sure this change will make the lives of organizations and their treasurers easier.
I look forward to pushing the funding of organizations on campus to become more equitable and a little less stressful.
Multicultural Affairs Coordinator: Calista Bullitt ’21
Hi, I’m Calista Bullitt (they/them), Class of 2021 and I’m excited to run for the position of Multicultural Affairs Coordinator. As MAC, I will advocate for minority communities on campus as the student representative to administrative committees on inclusion and as the chair of the Community Action Network (CAN) and Multicultural President’s Council. Currently, CAN is one of the College Government’s most underutilized committees. My experience as president of Students for an Accessible Wellesley has shown me firsthand that support for organizers and activists within our community is desperately needed, a role that CAN should fulfill. Being a member of any minority group on Wellesley’s campus can be exhausting and the constant fight for resources, equality, and recognition only adds to that burden. If elected as MAC, I intend to use the resources of CAN and cabinet to ease that burden. I hope to strengthen Wellesley’s activist network through funding, training, and community. Through my third semester as a senator, I have developed an understanding of the operations of CG and the administration and hope to use that knowledge to work for minority communities. As resident assistant in Munger Hall, I have seen the effects of unmet needs that students and staff endure on a daily basis. My experience as an organizer within our community has given me an understanding of the difficulties of bringing about change. I will use my experiences to inform policy and changes within CAN. I am prepared to advocate for a strengthened network of resources across campus. If elected, I will be open to criticism and suggestions, transparent with my dealings, and committed to supporting diversity and activism on campus. If you have any questions regarding my campaign, please email me at [email protected]. Voting will take place via an emailed electronic ballot on March 12. Email questions to [email protected].
CPLA Chair Candidate: Caroline Alt ’21
Hey y’all! My name is Caroline Alt (she/her/hers), I’m Class of ‘21, and I am running to be your next CPLA Chair!
I joined CPLA, the Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness, when I entered the college and am deeply passionate about the work we do. Through my two years on this committee and over a year on Core, I have grown more confident in my political savvy, led impactful discussions on current issues (from on-campus to international), and helped plan campus-wide events. CPLA has helped me grow as a person and I want to spread its influence to the rest of the Wellesley community. CPLA is an important College Government institution, but it is not treated as such. If elected as the Chair, I hope to unearth CPLA’s untapped potential to make it not only something Wellesley wants but something Wellesley needs.
Over the last two years, I’ve gotten to know many corners of Wellesley life, from student leadership as the Executive Senator of Tower Court and an RA to organizations like, to name just a few, Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration, the Davis Museum Student Advisory Committee, the Community Action Network, the Agora Society, and what you probably recognize my name from, Film Society (sorry about the weekly spam). My involvement has helped me recognize the breadth of Wellesley experiences and different approaches to problem-solving, something that can translate to successfully leading CPLA.
CPLA’s work has historically focused on sustaining CPLA as a committee, but I want to step outside the realm of insular political discussion and turn outwards to better benefit our campus community. My first action in this position would be changing the organization from a bipartisan committee to a nonpartisan committee. By making this shift, we remove the tension between the two parties within CPLA and thus free up the ability to support student advocacy and activism on this campus in meaningful ways. Additionally, there are way more than two political identities on our campus and we should recognize that. I plan to utilize the restructured Demonstration Policy to deliberately promote activism on campus. Earlier this year, I worked on a committee to approve the new policy, and I believe that there is real potential to increase student voice through the new changes. The role of the CPLA Chair is so broad that it has the means to become a really strong advocate for the students. When people think of College Government activism, they think of CAN, and when they think of CG’s main outlet for student voice, they think of the CGP; but, something as broad as activism and voice shouldn’t be limited to two positions. CPLA should use the power and privilege inherent in being a CG Committee to benefit our entire community; we should support the work of other politically-minded organizations, including supporting them fiscally and socially. My goal is not to promote CPLA itself, it’s to promote the interests we are supposed to be advocating for.
Political life and political activism on campus do not exist in only Democrats and
Republicans, because politics are dependent on identity and intersectionality. It is important to recognize these fundamental truths in a nonpartisan committee. If CPLA is not reaching out to politically-oriented organizations, we are keeping them out of conversations. CPLA must become reliant on interacting with organizations and supporting their views. I will make this change. As CPLA Chair, I will focus the position on serving Wellesley students. I want CPLA to be cognizant of student voice and I want the committee to be supportive of student empowerment.
I want to amplify.
CPLA Chair Candidate: Avery Restrepo ’20
Hey guys! I’m Avery Restrepo (they/she), Class of 2020, and I’m excited to be running for CPLA Chair this spring!
I’ve been on CPLA (the Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness) since my first year, on Core (our E-board) since last year, and am currently Events Chair. Having been on Senate my sophomore year and a member of HoCo since my first year, I have a thorough understanding of how CG runs.
I’m running for CPLA Chair because I believe it is an organization with a lot of potential! It’s a committee that many students don’t understand or know about, and is therefore underutilized. CPLA needs to change, offer more to the campus, and earn that recognition. I want to organize impactful events and make reform that really helps students, and see CPLA grow to be a greater asset to the Wellesley community.
To achieve this, if elected CPLA Chair, my priorities would be to:
- Conduct a school-wide survey and have open hours to talk with students to ensure the changes we make will be impactful and wanted. We are a committee with guaranteed funding every year—we can do more for all students and have a responsibility to do so.
- Expand CPLA’s reach to do work for both political orgs and any orgs that wish to put on political events, and outreach accordingly. You shouldn’t feel the need to be on a political org to be able to get help putting on a political event!
- Create a website that streamlines communication, answers questions about the committee, and collects resources and content for orgs
- Reach out to similar groups on local campuses to learn what they’re doing, how they function, and establish opportunities for collaboration
To the student activists who put so much time and passion into the causes you care about, you deserve support and assistance—I see you! To those who just enjoy a good lunchtime panel on an interesting topic, I see you too! And to those who didn’t know CPLA existed until now, don’t worry, also see you. Thank you all for your consideration! Please reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions or concerns, or find me on Instagram or Facebook. Have a good one!
Director of On-Campus Affairs Candidate: Bella Virgilio ’20
Hey Wellesley! My name is Bella Virgilio (she/her/hers), class of 2020, and I am running for the position of Director of On-Campus Affairs for the 2019-2020 school year. The DOOCA serves as the head of Schneider Board of Governors (SBOG) and a liaison between the administration and the board. Because SBOG’s mission is to plan fun events that prioritize inclusivity, I see the DOOCA as an important advocate for the entire student body on all matters related to social life on campus, and a channel through which students can communicate their thoughts, hopes, and criticisms.
Because of our unique position of serving the entire student body, one goal that I have for SBOG is to be more inclusive––not only in the events that we run, but in our own demographics as a board. I believe we could benefit from growing our membership with a critical emphasis on diversity, recognizing that the best SBOG is a SBOG that has representatives from every corner of life on campus.
As the organization at Wellesley that receives the most funding, I understand how important it is for students to have a say in SBOG’s functions. One of my goals as DOOCA is to be more accessible to the Wellesley community by holding regular “office hours” at convenient locations on campus, in addition to continuing our practice of sending out feedback forms after our events. Another goal of mine in this vein is to make SBOG more transparent; I plan to do this by setting up a SBOG FAQ––somewhere that we can answer questions like “Why is the artist announced so late?” “Why are tickets for this event capped at a certain number?” “How do I apply to SBOG?” and “What does SBOG even do?” I hope that this effort towards transparency will result in a better understanding of SBOG’s role and more honest and constructive feedback from the community, which I believe should be SBOG’s primary motivation.
This year, SBOG has made a concerted effort to be more collaborative by partnering with other organizations on campus. If elected DOOCA, I hope to continue this trend by reaching out to even more groups on campus. To ensure that our collaborations benefit not only the groups involved but also the Wellesley community at large, I want to establish a process for communicating and working with other groups on campus, something that I hope to describe in SBOG’s constitution.
That leads me to my biggest goal––an overhaul of SBOG’s constitution. Our constitution is severely outdated, referencing a structure we no longer follow and failing to document our most critical functions as a board. I want SBOG’s constitution to be something that both SBOG and the Wellesley community can reference in the interest of clarity and accountability.
As someone who has spent much of my Wellesley career serving as the publicity chair of SBOG, it would be an honor to bring everything I’ve learned to the important position of DOOCA. In pursuing the goals I mentioned above, I promise above all else to prioritize the student body––because without the student body, there would be no need for SBOG. Thank you for your consideration and I’m looking forward to hopefully serving you next year!