Student Senate Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates Discuss Campus Issues in Virtual Forum
Campus Photo (Photo Allyson Frantz/The Gettysburgian)
By Katie Oglesby, News Editor
On Tuesday, April 6, the Student Senate Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Forum was held with moderation from Gauri Mangala ‘21. Sydney Quan ‘22 is running unopposed for the position of president while Colin Hughes ‘23, Miranda Zamora ‘23, EJ Gill ‘23, Courtney Cholewa ‘22, and Nate Capriglione ‘22 are all running for vice president.
The Presidential Candidate
“My intention is to lead the Senate towards a goal of equity, excellence, and, of course, inclusion,” Quan said.
In her statement of purpose she cited her extensive experience in the Student Senate. Previously, Quan served as Outreach Committee Chair, Secretary, and a Senator. “Through these roles, I have gained an immensely strategic and thorough understanding of the senate’s affairs and our relationship with the college community,” she said. Quan added that her goals include open communication, a strengthened alumni network, and increased visibility through social media presence.
Quan would be the first woman of color to serve as president in the last few years.
“I am definitely a different choice for the presidency. I don’t resemble many of our last presidents and I believe that that’s a good thing. I’m going to claim that,” she said.
When asked about how she would achieve the “equity, engagement, and excellence” she spoke of in her statement of purpose, Quan highlighted the importance of inclusion and productive conversations.
She hopes to host at least one listening session each semester for students to voice their concerns. Furthermore, she pinpointed fixing the IDI as one of her largest priorities, something she called a “band-aid” on a “gunshot wound” in its current state.
“My goals as president include pursuing outreach with the OME to rebuild relationships with marginalized groups on campus and involving the Senate in first-year orientation programming,” Quan said. “If elected President, I can promise to use the Senate as a catalyst for change with integrity and dedication at the forefront of my leadership.”
The Vice Presidential Candidates: Opening Statements
Mangala began by asking the candidates why they felt they are the most qualified for the role of vice president.
Gill responded by talking about his roles as founder and president of the E-Sports Club and as an affinity group leader. “I’m a fierce advocate for student concerns,” he said.
“Being involved in the Student Senate since freshman year, I have not only gained the experience necessary to hold this position, but also have had the privilege to become involved in discussion, listen to student concerns, and act on them,” said Cholewa. She also noted her former role as Clubs Liaison.
Zamora responded to the question by describing her experiences as the Chair of CLAC, a student senator, and a club representative. “I joined CLAC because there were problems with COVID policies, and student concerns weren’t being heard. I want students to feel like they have someone to come and talk to about different problems.”
Hughes opened by outlining goals. “I’m running for Student Senate Vice President to advance policies that make the College less materialistic and more anti-racist,” citing his experience as a student senator and co-chair of the Safety Committee and his plans to make Plan B accessible 24/7 on campus and to take away tasers from DPS officers.
Capriglione cited his experience as club president, a member of an athletic team, Religious Affinity Group Leader, and as a member of the Budget Management Committee.
The Vice Presidential Candidates’ Goals for the 2021-2022
Zamora remarked on her plan to work with the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life (OSAGL) to give clubs more of a voice in Senate. Hughes referred back to plans already in process to make Plan B more accessible, to give students paid time off, and to increase voter turnout on campus for Student Senate.
Capriglione said he would like to see President Bob Iuliano join the Senate at a meeting.
Gill noted that he would want executive board meetings to be open doors to students in order to increase transparency on campus: “I don’t think we should be doing things behind closed doors,” he said.
“I would love to make Senate feel more like a community rather than a chore,” said Cholewa. “I also want to to encourage the discussion regarding first-generation college students and their participation at the college. I would really like to work with the inclusion officer and OME regarding events for first generation college students to also make them feel more welcome.”
Gill wanted to increase the role of clubs in Senate to give them more of a voice. He proposed not requiring club representatives to attend Senate meetings, but Cholewa fought back against this, saying they might feel less welcome at meetings if attending weren’t required.
Vice Presidential Candidates on Voter Involvement
Mangala then began to take questions from the audience. Inclusion Officer Daniel Jones ‘22 asked how the candidates intend to tackle the lack of voter involvement, especially among marginalized groups on campus.
The candidates each tackled this question differently. Hughes said he plans to have voting information sessions. Gill said he would talk to certain clubs representing marginalized groups on campus to encourage them to participate in the election process. Cholewa emphasized having a forum for clubs to discuss how they can be involved in elections. Capriglione discussed improving communication with students so they can understand what Senate actually does for the community. Lastly, Zamora discussed working with residential life to help first-years engage with Senate as early as orientation so that the role of Senate is clear to the student body early-on.
The Vice Presidential Candidates on Inclusion
The next questions came from audience members concerned with white students representing BIPOC students at a predominantly white institution and how the candidates intend to make the Senate more inclusive with this concern in mind.
“I bring a little bit of a different perspective considering that I am a person of color,” said Zamora. “I think we really just need to emphasize that there are certain differences with different groups that make different groups marginalized, and there are certain experiences that different groups have and certain stereotypes against certain groups that we need to acknowledge. I’m a very open, conversational person—that’s what I like doing—and being able to talk about those differences and discussing these problems in a calm, orderly way.”
Hughes emphasized giving marginalized students “a seat at the table,” while Capriglione emphasized respecting different perspectives, Gill shared his plans to attend cultural club meetings and invite members to come to forums to discuss their concerns, and Cholewa shared her experience as a female, first-generation college student, and echoed Gill’s desire to invite clubs to forums to share their experiences.
The forum concluded with closing statements. Voting will close at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 11 on EngageGettysburg.
