S t u d e n t Un i o n T h e Wi l l i a msephblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Williams-Student-Uni… · Williams Student Union, 2 T h e W i l l i a m s S t u de n t U n i

The Williams Student Union

Election Packet

Spring 2020

Williams Student Union, 1

The Williams Student Union Election Packet

Candidates for First Year Representatives

There are three representatives from each class on the WSU. Only first years can elect their first year representatives.

Mariela Cadena Hernandez , Class of 2023

I’m Mariela Cadena Hernandez, a first-year student who wants to get involved in the government body. With this new system in student government in place, I am optimistic for the opportunities available to improve student life here and I want to be there to ensure that happens. I want to get involved now to speak up for students from all walks of life on campus. I will be able to bring a variety of perspectives of the college together and help in voicing concerns that have become apparent through campus to better help all students. Even as a first-year, I have had experience serving as a voice for others through advocacy in marches for things I supported in my hometown. In addition to this, I helped my school through planning important events and representing the school, and we would always ask for the student body’s input by creating spaces where

they could share their opinions. Because of my background, I can listen to others - their voices and ideas. Allowing students to have a voice is beneficial for everyone, as this allows the students' needs to be met. Through the Three Pillar Referendum, I think this new system has so much potential to bridge this gap and allow students to voice their concerns.



Emmanuelle Copeland , Class of 2023

Hello, I’m Manny! I was the Willy representative for CC last semester. And if you ask any person who heard me talk about being a CC rep, they would tell you that I hated it for there were many things to hate: The hierarchy structures within CC gave overwhelming powers to random positions with little to no credibility, while also placing overwhelming stress and burdens onto those same people who were essentially working full time jobs without pay. The discussions within it remained overtly dismissive of the issues of women, POC and low-income students, and focused on technicalities rather than reason. However, I talked to a few people within the task force as it was in progress, and I believe that there’s potential in these new systems should they start off on the right foot. There were a million projects that were started in CC, that couldn’t get done because of the inefficiency of the system that I want to see finished if given the opportunity: These include making the school’s resources and funding more easily accessible and navigable by looking into new formating of our school’s digital platforms, getting rid of certain plaques on Mission Park that erase the

history of colonialism that took place there, and getting a mural on Mission so that it both doesn’t look totally like a prison and represents the new missions that our students are committing ourselves to. I’d also like to bring to the table some new issues: These include advocating for our school to disinvest in companies with violent labor practices, calling for a feasibility inquiry regarding need-blind admission for international students (If Amherst can do it, so can we!), and much more ;P. So if you’d like to support me in these causes or think I’d be a good advocate for issues that you care for, please vote for me!



Cinthya Maldonado , Class of 2023 I’m running for the Williams Student Union as an advocate for the student body because my peers' voices mean a lot to me and I believe that they should mean just as much to administration. It is important that we - students, faculty, and administration - work together to bridge our divides and build a stronger community. As part of the first generation community, the Latinx community, the Williams community, and a first-year, I have many communities that are meaningful to and have made an impact on me in my time at Williams. With everything that Williams has given to me, being a part of Union would be a way for me to give back. By being a part of the board I can be certain that I am part of the change on campus, and that I aid students in the change they want to make. With this new form of student governance, I feel that grievances, concerns and student voices will be truly heard. The accessibility given to students will yield more tangible results that I want to be apart of.



Amy Martinez , Class of 2023

Throughout high school, I always heard people critique the student government and state things they would do differently. I was never involved in the student government, but I wish I would have been so I could have raised the concerns of my peers and I had, and attempt to make a difference.

As I entered my freshman year of college, I began to hear about the College Council and the many opinions people had of it. I knew I wanted to get involved, but did not know how. After seeing CC

be abolished and the Student Union be created, I saw an opportunity to get involved in what matters in making the Williams’ community unified.

Although I do not have experience in being in an advocacy body before, I do have the time,

patience, and dedication for it. I know how to communicate and work well with others due to my open-mindedness and ability to be empathetic. I am more than willing to learn more about the

Student Union and work with all its members to ensure the students’ needs are being met. Afterall, I do not want to do the same thing I did in highschool and, instead, I want to advocate for the

students at Williams.



Jonah Tobin , Class of 2023

Hi Williams community! My name is Jonah Tobin and I am running for the Williams Student Union as a representative for the class of 2023. With little formal power, the Williams Student Union will be responsible for listening just as much as acting. I may not have been on CC, but now that we have been classmates for a few months, I ask this. Vote for me if you have interacted with me on a peer to peer level and felt heard. Vote for me if you have seen me as an attentive community member that cares. Vote for me if you think I will act these ways throughout the school year, not just within a campaign. Thank you!



Candidates for Sophomore Representatives

There are three representatives from each class on the WSU. Only sophomores can elect their sophomore year representatives.

Noah Cohen-Greenberg , Class 2022

I am running for the Williams Student Union because I am stick and tired of being pushed around by “the man.” Unlike all of the other candidates running, I have never been.



Argenis Herrera , Class of 2022

Hi, I’m Argenis Herrera, and I’m running for the Williams Student Union. Now that we have transformed the face of student government, it is time to get to work on the real issues affecting students like you on campus. Through the Student Union I will fight to remove the pervasive institutional bias against students of minoritized identities by advocating for an end to the summer earnings contribution, by promoting diverse perspectives that are too often repressed, and by calling for greater transparency from an administration shrouded in secrecy. I will make this government work for all students, and not just the well-connected few, by providing an accessible and diverse set of platforms to voice concerns and amplify pressing issues.

We have done the unprecedented and thrown out a broken government. Now, it’s time to complete our revolution and put people in charge who we can trust and depend on. Who you vote for in this election will determine the future of student representation for generations to come. By voting for me, you are voting to open up the gates of power. If we stand together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.



Vanessa Oeien , Class of 2022

Hi there! My name is Vanessa Oeien and I am running for a position as a sophomore representative on the Williams Student Union. My reason for doing so is simple: I'd like to bring more voices into determining priorities for change on a campus where many opinions are underrepresented. (Though as a former tour guide, I may not have been as candid in mentioning these points) for all of Williams' merits, it does have some flaws. There is a clear want for transparency and communication between admin and students as well as changes to ensure equal opportunity and access. As we all are equal stakeholders in our school, I'd love to play a role in gathering and amplifying our concerns to produce sustainable change. I'd appreciate your vote :)



Colin Pinney , Class of 2022

I believe I would be a good fit for this position not just because of my passion for the community, but also my diligence and organization. I believe I can help bridge the gap between student needs and the administration.

Pictured below: me at a senior year graduation event.



Samuel Thorpe, Class of 2022

Before this semester, I never even considered running for student government at Williams. College Council felt like a resume item, an organization for people who talked a lot and didn’t really create change on campus. But after seeing this new opportunity to bring our needs, concerns, and issues to the administration and actually have our voices heard, I hope to get the chance to represent you on the Williams Student Union.

I’m deeply concerned with issues of inequality of voice on campus, and I see this body as a platform to address issues of who gets heard and taken seriously by the administration. I would use my position to elevate your concerns, and always provide a listening ear for student advocates. An incredible amount of labor goes on behind the scenes to make Williams a better place, and I want to make that job easier by highlighting the voices of

students who feel like they’ve been marginalized, mistreated, or disenfranchised by the institutional structures of the college. The Student Union will give us a rare chance to make our needs heard without having to go through layers of bureaucracy designed to stifle them, and that’s a chance I want to make the most of.

I’ve also been personally involved in music and the arts since I first stepped on campus, as a singer in Homebrew and Purple Rain, a board member of WCFM, and a worker at Studio 275. I intend to use the platform of the Student Union to help elevate the needs of music, arts, dance, and cultural groups on campus, in order to make Williams a more fun and creative place.

I sincerely hope to get the chance to serve on this new body as a voice for all students, especially those who feel like their needs are not met by existing structures. If elected, I will work every day to listen, advocate, and push for real accountability from the administration. Thank you for reading this, and I hope to receive your vote for the Student Union.



Candidates for Junior Representatives

There are three representatives from each class on the WSU. Only juniors can elect their junior year representatives.

Jonathan Stasior, Class of 2021

I am running to serve the student body as a Williams Student Union member. I am a junior (Class of 2021) Economics and Psychology major, and I have been a member of CC and FinCom since the beginning of the 2019 Fall Semester.

Smoothly transitioning from CC to the new student government will require knowledge of the complicated committees and bureaucratic administration of Williams, and I will be able to facilitate that transition.


Documents

S t u d e n t Un i o n T h e Wi l l i a msephblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Williams-Student-Uni… · Williams Student Union, 2 T h e W i l l i a m s S t u de n t U n i