Why are you running for Senate? 

I’m running for Senate because I feel there are many areas of improvement on this campus, and I hope to advocate for those improvements through Senate. I believe that WashU can provide more support for the student population’s physical and mental well-being, community involvement, and education about various available resources to improve student success.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

I believe that the role of Senate is to push WashU’s administration to take actions that benefit students. Our focus should be working with administrators to identify and implement tangible changes to improve student life.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role? 

Rather than bringing my own perspectives, I believe a priority in Senate should be implementing constituent perspectives and ideas to our resolutions. We should invite student groups to our meetings and host town halls where students have their voice heard.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it? 

Yes, I have served as a senator for the past year. During my time, I have been a member of the Health and Wellness committee. I worked to attempt to improve dining hall options and availability. I helped develop relationships with Uncle Joe’s, EST, and other student groups on campus that benefit campus well-being. Additionally, I was part of the joint committee that passed the General Budget for the 24-25 school year.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

My top 3 priorities are:

1) student well-being initiatives

2) inclusivity of student groups in Senate decisions

3) fostering relationships with administration to eventually collaborate and implement large-scale improvements to campus

Why are you running for Senate?

I am running for Senate because I believe in a student government that actively listens, understands, and advocates for every student’s needs. My own experiences of feeling underrepresented within the student body as a First Generation Low Income student has fueled my desire to ensure no student feels overlooked. In high school, I served in many different leadership positions, each of which taught me the importance of empathy, collaboration, and effective communication. 

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

[It] has many roles, serving as the voice of our diverse student body, a bridge to the administration, and a source for effective change on campus. I think the Senate both protects student interests through advocacy and anticipates future challenges to ensure an environment that is supportive, inclusive, and dynamic. The Senate plays a critical role in shaping a campus culture where every student feels valued and empowered to succeed. 

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

My focus on enhancing mental health resources, especially for marginalized groups, and fostering a diverse and inclusive community, aligns with WashU’s values but goes further in advocating for more tailored and accessible support systems. I would characterize my leadership as an open, collaborative style that seeks to bring together various student groups, organizations, and individuals to work towards common goals.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

My top three priorities if I am elected are: enhance mental health resources especially for FGLI students, foster a more diverse and inclusive community through collaboration with organizations on campus and most importantly, ensure your voices and opinions shape the decisions affecting us all. 

Why are you running for Senate?

I am running for Senate because I am passionate about ensuring that every student at WashU has access to the mental health resources they need, no matter their background. Further, I want to maximize our resources and funds to prioritize our student body’s quality of life.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

I believe that I can bring a couple of key perspectives to the Senate. Firstly, as a mental health advocate who has experience in organizing large-scale mental health initiatives in high school, I can bring my passion and expertise in the area. Moreover, I hope to bring a general sense of positive energy and friendliness to the Senate environment, which I believe is crucial to fostering a productive Student Union.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

Did not submit an answer. 

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it? 

I am currently on the Senate, as a part of the Campus and Residential Experience committee. Though I have only been in the Senate since the beginning of the semester, I am already part of multiple projects, such as one to increase hours for the Bear’s Den and Village Dining. 

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

My top three priorities if elected would be to continue to work to increase building hours, implement new mental health initiatives to make it easier for those in crisis to continue with their academics, and push for more recognition for currently unrecognized cultural holidays.

Why are you running for Senate? 

I really want to make the WashU experience equitable for every type of student. Oftentimes, it feels as though profit and prestige are prioritized over supporting students, especially if they hold marginalized identities. This has been most obvious in how the administration allowed Professor Dybvig to return to teaching after 7 students came forward about his sexual harassment. The fact that they gave students misconduct violations for protesting Professor Dybvig’s return is overtly biased, especially given how they’ve allowed this perpetrator to continue teaching.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

Advocate, advocate, advocate! I’ve said it multiple times, and I’ll say it again, the Student Union was started as a bail fund for students protesting the Vietnam War. The Senate should be working on projects that will [support] communities of students who have been historically silenced.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role? 

As a woman of color, I consistently have experiences where I am stereotyped or discriminated against, which has made caring about social justice and advocacy a personal necessity. I know that many students on this campus feel the same way, and I really try to reflect their viewpoints in the Senate. I’ve seen how current WashU policies have made it much more difficult for students to protest, advocate, and hold the administration accountable. Being a senator would mean that I get to engage with administration to 1) reduce those barriers and 2) encourage students to be activists!

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it? 

As a senator, I sponsored the resolution to fire Professor Dybvig for his actions, and I’ve advocated for SU to endorse protests against him. I’m also working on making federal election days holidays for campus, improving the restocking of period products in university bathrooms, making federal elections campus-wide holidays, and improving BD workers’ rights. 

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

1) Hold Dybvig Accountable 

2) Add self-defense classes to Bear Beginnings

3) Reduce barriers to protesting on campus.

Why are you running for Senate?

I want to run for Senate because I think that if you want to change something, you should do it yourself. There are still problems to be solved at WashU, and I want to be a part of change rather than watching them go unnoticed or ignored.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

The role of the Senate is a go-between for the WashU higher-ups and the student body. The students’ problems should be advocated for by the senators, and the Senate has the power to make change happen. The Senate should also promote wellness through funding student groups and activities, as well as by increasing the amount of resources that students have access to.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

I think that I would bring the perspective of a lower-income student, an African-American lens, the view of a St. Louis resident, and the power of an organizer. I think that we need more people from all four categories to get effective Senate proposals done. Having an increased voice ensures that those I represent can have their voices heard more loudly within the Senate meetings instead of being negatively affected by changes that are intended to help everyone.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

N/A

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

I want to: 

1) decrease the price of dining plans

2) remove the signature requirement for funding for essential programs such as Uncle Joe’s, Campus Y, and EST

3) advocate for Frat House 5 to become the location of the Hamsini LLC, or for the house to be used as a gathering place.

Why are you running for Senate?

I’m running for senate because I’ve been craving advocacy. I’ve always been highly involved in social issues, and I didn’t want to stop that work when I got to WashU. As a newly appointed Senator, I’ve gotten the privilege of seeing the structure of SU and potential solvency in the resolutions we discuss.  I want to be a part of that discussion, bringing in my passion and remembering the voice of our students.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

The Senate has a great deal of power over the culture of WashU, and that’s not something I take lightly. The Senate has the opportunity to step up and show the student body that real change can be made. I hope to push an agenda of transparency, collaboration, and accountability so that when a resolution is passed that’s only the start, and we are making actionable items that can be shown to the so we can be held accountable.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

My life goal is to tell untold stories. I want to bring your voice and your stories to Senate discussions, since these rulings directly affect your life and mine. I hope to bring this new perspective of collaboration not just within Senate but across student groups.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

Mental health and wellbeing is a core value of mine, and that would transfer over to my work as a Senator. WashU needs to have a better plan in place for responses to crisis calls that de-escalate the situation while also providing students with the support they need immediately. My second top priority would be working with the RSVP center for students to feel comfortable and confident enough to find and get the help they need to overcome such a scary and challenging situation. This goes hand in hand with the university firing Dybvig, showing they don’t only care about the prevention of sexual harassment and violence, but the safety and wellbeing of students.

Why are you running for senate?

I am running for senate in order to continue advocating for the increased prioritization of student mental wellbeing, to increase accessibility to disability resources, enhance equity across campus, and to increase transparency among the student body by bridging administration with the students.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU? 

The role of senate is to proactively advocate for all students in order to elevate their respective concerns. The Senate should not be reactive, but instead actively seek feedback from the student body and subsequently address concerns in order to continually enhance the student experience at washU.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role? 

I would bring with me experience as the current strategy consultant for a mental health campaign based out of Kansas, formal leadership training, and 3 prior semesters as an SU senator in order to best serve the student body and aggressively target the enhancement of students’ mental wellbeing.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it? 

I have served 3 semesters on senate and served diligently on the Health & Wellness committee. I helped secure funding to increase access to public health products on campus, addressed student concerns related to dining service nutrition, served on the student mental health board pushing for academic leniency, and voted on countless resolutions aimed at enhancing the student experience!

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

1. Address student mental health concerns by increasing access to resources and information.
2. Increase access to disability resources for all students regardless of insurance coverage, background, etc.
3. Increase collaboration and trust among the greater student body by addressing concerns related to equity and bridging students with administration.

Why are you running for Senate? 

I am running for Senate because, as a Latina student, I have perceived a need for support for initiatives that serve my community and related organizations. As a Senator, I wish to continue amplifying the voices of students who feel unheard, especially those belonging to marginalized and underrepresented groups.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

The Senate serves as the liaison between students and administrators. With this power, we must take a proactive approach to address students’ needs and demands by enacting effective policies and initiatives. 

What new perspectives would you bring to the role? 

As a member of the Office of Scholars Program and the Association of Latin American Students executive board, I have heard, seen, and dialogue about the areas of improvement for affinity-based organizations and programming on campus. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee covers various matters that affect students directly; if elected, I will continue providing the committee with a focus on affinity-based student groups. 

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it? 

I have been a member of the Senate’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for two years. I’ve accomplished authoring and passing a resolution calling for the firing of Dybvig and a resolution for placing chairs for Dining Services workers. Along with other Senators, I established a direct relationship between Senate and Student Financial Services and organized an information session about the recent changes to the FAFSA. I am spearheading a project to organize affinity-based programming for first-year students aimed at building community early on. Finally, I am working on a committee that seeks to respond to the poor treatment of Dining Services employees.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

1. Supporting affinity-based organizations and communities by improving first-year programming, communal spaces, and living-learning communities. 
2. Continue my support of FGLI students by prioritizing opportunities for financial literacy and subsidized parking permits. 
3. Push for enhanced accessibility across campus buildings.

Why are you running for Senate?

I am running for Senate because it provides an awesome opportunity to advocate for my

peers and improve the WashU student experience for both them and future students.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

I believe the role of the Senate within WashU is to maintain constant communication with

the student body and advocate for the projects and initiatives they truly want to see. 

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

Having served on Senate for most of my time at WashU, I have been able to see the evolution of Senate as a body. I have seen projects that succeeded and projects that failed. I will continue to use my perspective and knowledge of past initiatives in Senate to advise and support new senators in their project ideas and conversations with key members of Administration.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

I have served as the Academic Affairs Committee Chair and the Health & Wellness Committee

Chair. As the chair of the Health & Wellness Committee, I worked with Health Promotion

specialists at Habif to publicize mental health resources, distribute safe sex supplies to dorms

across campus via the “We’ve Got You Covered” program, and supply Plan B to the Zenker

Wellness Suite. As the Academic Affairs Committee chair, I have been working with Vice

Provost Jen Smith to adjust the “Drop Deadline” to allow students more flexibility in class

scheduling decisions.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

1. Continue to supply Plan B and safer sex supplies to the Zenker Wellness Suite and dorms on campus. 
2. Further publicize physical and mental health resources.
3. Extend the drop deadline by at least four days and enhance Senate’s

communication with the student body. 

Why are you running for Senate?

Every student deserves an equitable college experience. As a low-income student from rural Missouri, I’ve felt the challenges firsthand. I’m committed to advocating for policies that address these obstacles, from financial literacy to subsidized parking permits. Further, advocating for financial transparency from the University is crucial to reinforce accountability and ensure that resources are allocated equitably and efficiently to all students. 

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

Senate plays a pivotal role in directly connecting student advocacy with administrators, serving as the bridge between student voices and institutional decision-makers. 

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

I find that my most valuable perspectives come from [my upbringing].. In addition to my family’s financial challenges, my high school lacked resources comparable to others at WashU. This fuels my passion to expand opportunities for students from similar backgrounds, striving to cultivate an equitable campus community. 

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

I am a current member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. [In this role], I advocated for making Election Day a University holiday and am meeting with Dean McGlothlin to adjust the class schedule to meet accreditation policies. I successfully planned a FAFSA Info Session with Student Financial Services. We are in the process of developing a social media presence for the SFS office to share information more directly with students. [We] sponsored resolutions calling for the reinstallation of chairs for Dining Services’ Workers and allowing students taking a Medical Leave of Absence to run for SU office, and voted in favor of resolution to hold Professor Dybvig accountable. 

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

1. Increase the FGLI student experience through financial literacy programs, increased accessibility to WashU financial aid resources, and subsidized parking permits, 
2. make Election Day a University holiday
3. Demand financial transparency and a Payment in Lieu of Taxes from the University.

Why are you running for Senate?

I am running for Senate in order to bring greater transparency, inclusivity, and advocacy to the table. I want to be a voice for change within the community which I will be living in for the next four years and to make WashU the best it can be.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

The role of the Senate is to represent the student body on issues that impact them. The Senate is a way for one to voice their concerns regarding their experience at WashU and serves as a way to keep the administration accountable and understanding of students’ needs. The Senate also helps to allocate resources to areas you want, and I will make sure your concerns are heard.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

As a fellow student, I understand how difficult WashU can be. Any way to help alleviate that pressure is essential. I am also part of WashU Vote Exec and have gained perspectives on WashU’s Civic and Community Engagement efforts and how that can further be implemented with SU. As an athlete, I understand team building and how essential proper communication is.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

While I have not served on SU before, I am excited to be a new, friendly face that will always listen to what you have to say.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

As mentioned above, my three main pillars are transparency, inclusiveness, and advocacy. I want to increase the availability of the Senate docket and make it easier for the general student body to understand, listen to the concerns and opinions of those I represent, and advocate for positive and proactive changes.

Why are you running for Senate?

I’m running for Senate to advocate for inclusive policies, amplify student voices, and drive meaningful change on campus. I want us to collaborate in order to address concerns, enhance resources, and create a better university experience.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

The Senate serves as a forum for discussion and deliberation on issues of importance to the school, providing a platform for faculty, and student representatives, to express opinions, propose changes, and influence the direction of the institution.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

Leveraging my interdisciplinary background, I offer a holistic approach and view by merging insights from different fields to foster collaboration and drive comprehensive strategies.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

This is my first time running for SU.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

As a Senate candidate, I am committed to fostering inclusivity, amplifying student voices, and driving tangible change within our university community. My platform prioritizes transparent communication, advocating for student needs, and enhancing campus resources. 

Why are you running for SU senate?

I’m running for the Senate to enhance student representation, address dining affordability, and promote academic fairness. I aim to leverage my ability to make WashU a better place for all.

In your opinion, what is the role of Senate within WashU?

The Senate’s role is to represent the student body, advocate for their needs, and work collaboratively with the administration to implement positive changes that enhance the overall student experience at WashU. This position will also improve student-senate connection, by doing more survey for people’s needs, and be more transparent by posting working reports regularly, and this will be one of my goals.

What perspectives would you bring to the role?

I bring a unique perspective as a STEM major(quantitative assessment), potential business minor(leadership), and ROTC Cadet(responsibility and discipline). Also, as grown up in China, I also have a deep understanding of the challenges of international students and scholars. My diverse experiences have equipped me with the skills to address challenges, foster collaboration, and advocate effectively for my peers.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

I have not previously served on the WashU SU, but I am eager to bring my fresh ideas and dedication to making a positive impact in this new role.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

•   Strengthen Senate-Student Connection: Enhance communication and representation to better address student needs.

•   Improve Dining: Work towards affordable meal options and extended dining hours.

Academic Fairness: Advocate for a fairer grading system and promote collaboration among instructors for a more equitable academic environment.

Why are you running for Senate?

My reasoning: “I think WashU’s senate has a lot of potential for genuine good to be accomplished on campus, and I’d like to be a part of that and shape it in a way that truly holds the students’ wants and needs in mind.”

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

“Senate ought to be an unapologetically fierce advocate for the rights and dignity of all members of WashU. This not only includes preemptively finding solutions but reacting quickly to them when they arise.”

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

“Currently, I am an appointed Senator and work within the CRE (campus recreation and experience) committee. So far, I’ve been a proponent for firing Professor Dybvig, establishing a new mental health response team, and improving dining workers’ experience.”

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

Did not submit answer

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

“I aim to expand meal options and Rec Center services, improve physical therapy access, and enhance study space availability. I also support initiatives like providing Uber/Lyft vouchers and creating a mealpoints pool.”

Why are you running for Senate?

My academic journey has been marked by the privilege of studying at WashU, despite my socio-economic constraints. I believe in the transformative power of education and am committed to expressing my gratitude through service to my community. I believe that beyond my prior experience, skill set, and drive to grow, my genuine interest in the well-being and success of those around me positions me as an ideal candidate.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

Our role as Senators is to bridge the gap between the administrative decisions and the students. To actively pursue my duties, I must proactively and effectively advocate for the student body’s interests.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

In assuming this role, I will bring forth a refreshing perspective to affecting positive change in our environment. Furthermore, my appreciation for the resources of WashU serves as a cornerstone of my unique perspective. Drawing from my extensive experiences in positions of authority, I also possess the acumen necessary to navigate challenges and make informed decisions with authenticity and integrity. Moreover, my diverse skill set, adept communication abilities, and desire to grow in this role will empower me to engage with a wide array of students effectively

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

N/A

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

The WashU community is reasonably expressing concern regarding emergency management communication. It is a deficiency that I’ll work to improve if elected. I also aim to address the greater allocation of resources towards sanitary products/dispensers in all bathrooms. My priorities can be summarized in three words: Transparency, Health, and Accessibility!

Wht are you running for Senate?

I am running for Senate because I am passionate about making positive changes within our college community. I believe that the Senate plays a crucial role in representing the interests of students and advocating for their needs. 

In your opinion, what is the role of the Senate within WashU?

In my opinion, the role of the Senate within WashU is to serve as a voice for the student body, address their concerns, and work towards enhancing the overall student experience. The Senate should actively engage with students, gather their feedback, and collaborate with university administration to implement initiatives that benefit the community as a whole.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

If elected, I would bring a fresh perspective to the role by prioritizing inclusivity, transparency, and accountability. I believe in fostering greater community involvement and ensuring that diverse voices are heard and valued within the Senate.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

While I haven’t served on the Senate before, I have been involved in student leadership roles within various campus organizations. In these roles, I have organized events, facilitated discussions, and advocated for the needs of my peers. If given the opportunity to serve on the Senate, I would apply my past experiences and skills to effectively represent the student body and address their priorities.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

1. Enhancing mental health support services on campus.
2. Promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives.
3. Improving campus sustainability efforts.

Why are you running for Treasury?

I have previously served [in Treasury] for the last year and have experience in financial management through previous clubs and organizations. I aim to use my skills to connect students with WashU to manage finances effectively, making impactful and wise decisions.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Treasury within WashU?

Treasury facilitates all student-run events on campus and contributes to the culture we have at WashU. Through funding decisions, we decide what events happen and decide the vibe of students and groups. It is the Treasury’s job to facilitate a comforting environment for any and all students by funding a variety of events and making sure everyone is comfortable and happy at WashU.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

I will serve as a voice for the student population, especially POC, and emphasize their concerns. I want to increase funding for academic and cultural groups, allowing students to explore their passions and their backgrounds unhindered by the costs of events.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

Previously, I was part of the Activities Committee, making decisions on whether new student groups are recognized by SU and on category changes. Last semester, I also served on the Budget Committee, helping determine the amount of baseline funding each student group gets. Further, I’ve discussed appeals with Treasury and voted on appeals to allow student group funding throughout the year. 

What are your top three priorities if elected?

1. Emphasizing funding for affinity groups so they can more greatly explore their culture and connect with their backgrounds
2. Fund events that facilitate a more relaxed culture on campus, allowing for new traditions to form and for students to have fun events to come to and relax after our already difficult classes.
3. Allow for greater transparency between the student body and Treasury, posting how we come to decisions, making guidelines more visible, and openly discussing rationales for certain decisions.

• With the huge impact Treasury has on the WashU community, I want to help ensure student funds are allocated effectively. Student groups’ appeal for money comes from students, so it should act for students. [This is the same answer that will be found in the voters guide]
• To empower WashU students and student groups and contribute to a vibrant campus
• I’d say that I’ve been able to stay open-minded despite being in the Treasury for a while. It can be easy to fall into the extreme ends of overly relying on precedent or not considering precedent at all. I can balance precedent and new ideas during my considerations.
• I’ve served on Treasury as a Treasury Representative, co-communications chair, and member of the Activities Committee. I’ve probably seen hundreds of appeals at this point, and many new group and category change applications. As co-communications chair, I’ve focused on making meeting minutes as consistent and detailed as possible, so anyone external to the Treasury can read and understand them.
• Top three priorities: making sure the Treasury cares about students and where their money goes, all student groups are treated fairly, and all student groups are advocated for by the Treasury as a body.

Why are you running for Treasury?

I am re-running for Treasury because I am passionate about being involved with, advocating for, and learning about student groups. For the past two semesters, I have been on the budget committee, [which] has allowed me to see all the different communities on campus. I want to continue to sustain that and allow these groups to grow and make a greater impact on campus.  

In your opinion, what is the role of the Treasury within WashU?

The role of the Treasury within WashU is to ensure fair and balanced support of student groups and making sure that they are able to facilitate their programing and celebrate their diverse interests. It is important not only to sustain groups, but to also advocate for change and steer our initiatives towards the benefit of the student body. 

What new perspectives would you bring to the role?

Taking from my experience serving on the budget committee the past two semesters, a CAT I group treasurer (Moneythink), and a VP in the Olin Business Council, I have viewed and operated budgets and programming for a variety of clubs and as a result, have a strong understanding of the financial guidelines. Meeting with so many student groups through budget allocation meetings has allowed me to also understand where student groups are struggling. 

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

I was on the budget committee in the Treasury. Through these meetings, I gained insight into their budgetary needs, but also was able to provide guidance and support on different financial guidelines. I have advocated for groups to ensure equitable funding. 

What are your top three priorities if you are elected?

1. Clubs are aware of financial guidelines 
2. Making sure the transition of treasurers and leadership within clubs understand the budget process and are able to access their funds
3. Doing a “bootcamp” or a meeting for student groups to decrease confusion on financial information based on the category of club they are in 

What are you running for Treasury? 

I came from a high school with no funding for clubs, so when I came to WashU, I was really amazed by all the programming student groups were able to do. After being a part of Student Union for the past year, I learned I enjoy meeting with the student body because they are so diverse in their passions and goals, and want to continue to support students and fund events that will benefit as many WashU students as possible.

In your opinion, what is the role of the Treasury within WashU? 

Treasury is the division of Student Union meant to allocate the student activities fee, which comes from every student’s tuition. This means that treasurers are meant to represent the student body. As representatives, we decide how the student activities fee should be spent.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role? 

For one, not a b-schooler! A lot of people look at treasury and the work we do and only see it as a numbers game or balancing a checkbook, but I think it is more important than that. Treasurers need to look at the cultural, social, or academic significance of an event, not just how much money it costs.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it? 

I have been a treasurer for the past year and have served on both the Activities Committee and Budget Committee. I voted in favor of culturally significant foods, such as what was served in AAA x Ashoka’s Diwali, and affinity group programming, like ABS’s retreat.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

I want to make the process of a category change less stressful for students by promoting the financial guidelines. Lastly, I want to continue to see student groups, both during and outside of our Tuesday treasury meeting; I will show up to all meetings and I will make sure to advocate for student groups and their events.

Why are you running for Treasury? 

I want to do my part in facilitating the allocation of resources that make WashU extracurriculars so important to students. Clubs represent the cornerstone of our campus, and building community through performances, competition, and the sharing of culture is my goal. As a club treasurer myself, I’ve gotten to understand the importance of communication with Treasury. Part of what I want to do is bridge that communication gap, and turn communication into community.

In your opinion, what is the role of Treasury within WashU?

Treasury has a simple and strict role: to allocate money to clubs and events. It’s not a place for politicians. You won’t find grandiose speeches and false promises in an ideal Treasury, but rather the fair and equitable provision of resources to our community so that it can build the best possible campus for students.

What new perspectives would you bring to the role? 

I favor a perspective of strict impartiality and ethical observation. I think it’s unethical to have one’s own unrepresentative preferences guide their vote on a piece of funding or advocacy if they do not take into account the will of the student body as a whole. While Treasury is very competent in making recusal laws, sometimes personal motivations have gotten in the way of fair and equitable decisions. I hope to put forward the creation of a joint Senate and Treasury Ethics committee to monitor the integrity of the whole SU body, particularly the power of appointment and reigning in extrapolations upon the roles of higher ranking positions.

If you have served on SU before, what was your role and what did you accomplish within it?

Currently, I do not serve in SU.

What are your top three priorities if you are elected? 

My priorities are to fund performative and competitive groups to promote school spirit, fund cultural groups to integrate diverse cultures into our community, and create a joint committee on Student Union Ethics, and commit a Joint Conference Committee modeled after Congressional conference committees in order to alleviate the disputes that occur between Senate and Treasury. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Saish Satyal

Major: Psychology with Minor in Political Science and Legal Studies

Position: Student Body President

SL: Why run for an exec position? 

SS: It’s a widely quoted line that Student Union was founded in the 70s as a bail fund for Vietnam War protesters. Every single thing that SU has done afterwards, has been because of Student Union advocacy. In the time that I’ve been in Student Union, at least in terms of the advocacy, they’ve been doing a great job, but I have not seen the idea that students are equal to the administration here. I like the idea that SU is a separate entity from WashU’s administration, and that’s why it was founded to be a voice for students. It’s good that we’re working so closely with the administration now, but I think it’s important that SU remains an entity for student advocacy and student action. 

SL: What is the single most important thing you hope to achieve? 

SS: Two things: Most personally important to me is the PILOT [Payment in Lieu of Taxes] program. University City and St. Louis are paying for our facilities and utilities out of their own pocket. To me, it seemed profoundly unfair that part of the reason why my education is so great seems to be that another student’s education is put in jeopardy every year. In terms of just a single year, I really like the climate research fund. It’s a very within-institution type of thing. I’m terrified of climate change, and I know WashU is a great research institution, and so I think establishing that would be incredibly beneficial to the university as PR.

SL: Taking a moment to reflect on your past SU experience, what do you think is the biggest mistake you have made while working at SU and what’s something you learned from it? 

SS: 

I don’t regret most of my funding decisions. On the Treasury level there have been times when I’m like, ‘oh, was that event cost too high per person?’ but I wouldn’t change the way that I voted. I don’t think I regret anything. I do think I’ve made mistakes. The one that stands out was from my time as Activities Committee chair, I was going through things personally, and there were a few timelines of a couple of weeks that ended up getting delayed. It didn’t have the biggest tangible impact, but I know some student groups were waiting for their decisions and I took a couple of weeks longer than I should have. I’d call it a mistake because I should have done better. At the same time I do not regret it because I gave myself the grace of acknowledging that anyone else in my position would have taken a few extra weeks. 

SL: The goal of keeping Olin Library open 24 hours a day is a very measurable goal and it also has a direct impact on students. Can you explain how punishing Professor Dybvig and paying taxes, which I see as having a more indirect benefit for students, why those are still on your platform, and do you think those are just as important? 

SS: 

I thought of balancing my platform in terms of, direct action for students versus not. I think that advocacy is unique in that way, where there are things that still need to be done and are the right thing to do, even if they don’t directly benefit like the students at WashU. But at the end of the day, if I’m supposed to interact as the head of Student Union, it’s not just student facing. It’s student and administration facing. There are things that washU should be doing better, even if it’s not just for its students. Even without the direct student impacts, it’s so important enough to have people working for these goals.

SL: How large would this proposed mental health committee be, describe it, what is its goal, what do you want to create? 

SS: 

The idea is an undergraduate Advisory Committee. I know there are a lot of majors, which, frankly, don’t always have the time to be hyper involved in SU. I think of a BME major that’s also a student of color, right? The idea of this committee is to gather student representatives from various majors or fields, and ask ‘what is your workload like? Describe it? What are some things that SU could advocate for that would improve your life?’ Because I know traditionally, we’ve advocated for academic leniency in terms of pushing back add drop deadlines, but there has to be more we can do, right? 

SL: How do you go about punishing Dybvig? Does SU have the power to place professors on leave? 

SS:

No, not at all. I mean, SU is Student Union; we are just students. But as I keep saying, it goes back to the original idea, and I’m not saying any students should do this to be totally clear, it is a historical example. One of the students who was originally expelled, was expelled because a protest got too out of hand and he punched the professor absolutely not to punch Phillip Dybvig. However, that was the original intent of the Student Union, in which students were eventually able to put enough pressure on the administration that they had to do something. I wasn’t able to attend the protest today, but there was a sit-in outside of Simon Hall, and a couple of attendees said that they moved the class at the last moment. Where Student Union does not directly have the power to fire professors. The whole point is that we’re a voice for the students and I hope to mobilize students toward a certain cause. In this case the reasoning behind it is very simple. There’s someone with seven credible allegations of sexual harassment, and the idea that university money is going towards paying him, to me that is unacceptable. 

SL: You write that you want to increase the amount of affinity housing and affinity spaces, Where would that space come from? 

SS: 

So my current idea is a space inventory with, like, all of the various schools, and Dean’s and whatnot, maybe conducted over the summer when there are no classes being taught. Because I know that once the women’s building opened up that’s how the Asian multicultural Council, the associate of Latin American students, and other groups were able to get their housing. I know that a frat house opened up and that’s how Hamsini was able to get their housing. It takes two routes. One of them is conducting an inventory with the various Dean’s of schools and trying to find spaces for some of these organizations. On the other hand, I think ResLife should do a better job. Every year they shouldn’t have to appeal to ResLife. Honestly, I think there should be just like an open institutional thing of, we have these money spots reserved for these students and they can indicate, if I am unable to get any of the housing that I prefer, then put me in this. After the affirmative action decision, the university said that they were committed to having students with minority identities on campus. Setting aside that space would be very helpful. 

SL: Your platform is super expansive and covers a ton of different aspects of campus? How do you plan to achieve it all? 

SS: It depends on people getting on board. I am one dude. It depends on my ability to convince people that I’m right. Primarily when I say people, I mean the Senate. Because then there is a dedicated team of people with timelines and project trackers and whatnot, who are able to work on these projects. If elected, I’d be meeting with senators and committees to divide and conquer. I can’t do all of this alone; that would be insane.I would be counting on the Senate and my exec board, and then for some of these large scale things, in terms of punishing Dybvig, I’d be counting on the student body. Student Union is only effective if students agree with it.

SL: Anything else you want to add? 

SS: 

Regardless of whether I win or lose, I hope these ideas sort of circulate, and I hope that students like them, and I hope that they become accustomed to the idea of demanding what they deserve as equal participants of this university. Students should be aware that this is their university just as much as admins. They are not just living on it; they have a stake in this. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hussein Amuri

Major: History and English LIterature

Position: Student Body President

SL

Why do you want to run for this position?

Amuri

I’m running for executive because I believe at WashU, it’s a honor to have people come up to me saying, ‘I have a problem on campus I want you to fix,’ and I want to continue that. The second aspect of this: I’m running because I feel like I’m the best person for the job. I’ve been here for five semesters. In that time, I’ve had the honor of serving as the SU Senate Chair of Diversity and Inclusion, the SU Senate speaker, and the Executive Vice President. Through all those positions, I have gained tremendous experience in leadership and created so many relationships with the admin.

SL

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made while serving as a member of SU and how did you learn from it?

Amuri

The biggest mistake I’ve made was when I was serving as the Senate speaker. In that position, I oversaw four committees and over 20 other members. It was hard for me to try and communicate with the rest of the body, because much of that position is laying the foundation and goals. At the beginning, I assumed that the people that came into it knew what was going on, but at that time, the people serving as Senators were first-years. I downplayed the fact that it takes a while to adjust to the systems and I had to be that person to teach them. It took me a while but I think that I’ve done a very good job of that.

SL

Looking at your platform, why emphasize mental health especially amongst athletes?

Amuri

Athletes are a huge component of the student body population. Currently, my roommate is on the track team, and I’ve seen firsthand how athletics impact someone. This past semester, I was the managing sports editor of StudLife. In that position, I’ve had the honor of going to watch the games, specifically watching the women’s soccer team go all the way to the national championship game. Athletes are doing a great job of representing us and St. Louis to all the other schools that they play against and we should honor that. 

SL

You write that you want to increase Zoom accessibility. I’d imagine that professors might be nervous to do so because students can abuse it. How do you plan to mitigate that?

Amuri

If you look at my platform, the word collaboration was used about 10 times, and there’s a reason why that’s the case. And to your question, bringing[ing] in the perspective of students goes to show that it’s not me telling you this again. These are my peers saying, ‘Hey, Zoom options for classes can actually [happen], and having them is important.’

SL

Do you think that doing classes on Zoom  is going to result in students skipping classes more or do you not see that as an issue?

Amuri

I do not see that as an issue. The bottom line here is people are paying $80,000 per year to go to this university. to act on the belief that people are going to take advantage of the system is not okay. Last year, seeing [my roommate] go through the workload, staying up until 5am to study for a test, that’s crazy. Providing Zoom options can be a great way to help student mental health. 

SL

How do you plan to work with the administration on changes to WashU? 

Amuri

I think the first thing is providing students with the space to talk to the administration. When I was Speaker of the Senate, I hosted a town hall with multiple admins. One way of working with admin is providing town halls and spaces for people to ask questions. 

SL

What is the legislative leadership council,why did it go away and why do you want to bring it back?

Amuri

The legislative leadership council was made up of the speakers and two speakers: the SU treasurer speaker and SU senate speaker and their respective committee chairs. When I came to WashU, it was part of the constitution but it wasn’t in practice. I really like emphasizing the intersectionality of our jobs, whether you are like a senator or treasury member. That’s really why I want to bring it back because the one issue can touch on multiple perspectives. 

SL

Making the SU newsletter consistent has been a goal of past administrations. How does your plan differ from theirs and what makes it more likely to succeed than in the past?

Amuri

Outside SU, I also write for Student Life newspaper, and one of the strengths of the paper is the daily newsletter that is sent out to the student body population. Compared to previous Presidents, I have the experience of knowing what it takes, and I have seen firsthand how it works, so that is why I think my plan will work. 

SL

Breaking the WashU bubble is an essential part of being a WashU student. You write about increasing interactions between students and the community. What are some ways that you want to foster student involvement?

Amuri

It comes down to collaboration, partnership, and specifically, just getting the word out there. I feel like there are opportunities but we have not done a great job getting those advertised to the student body. I want to revamp the SU communication team by centralizing it. We have many [options] campus-wide and we can elevate their platforms. 

SL

You speak a lot about providing accessible infrastructure for both WashU. Can you expand on how you hoped you planned to see WashU affecting accessible infrastructure for the St. Louis community?

Amuri

About two and a half weeks ago, I got injured playing in a basketball game. For a week I was on crutches, and it was then I realized how inaccessible this campus is to a lot of disabilities. I want to work with students on campus to get rid of accessibility barriers for students. It’s something that SU has done in the past, but I think we can always improve.

SL

Your platform was expansive and covers a ton of different aspects of campus. How do you plan on achieving it all? 

Amuri

My success as president really depends on who I’m working with: my peers. I’m originally from Africa and growing up on the continent there was a proverb that a lot of elders would recite to us, ‘If you want to go faster, go alone; if you want to go further, go together.’ I really want to emphasize that in my presidency. 

SL

How do you and Andy plan on working together if both of you are elected? 

Amuri

I talked about how my success as Student Body President would really depend on my relationship with the Executive Board and everyone else. I know that because serving as the Executive Vice President this semester, I’ve seen how important my relationship has been with the current President, Emily. I can’t tell you how many times that Emily and I have been on a phone call at 3am working because we care about the student body population, and I want that same relationship with Andy. Andy has a great character and brings so much experience and a different perspective. Andy is from Treasury and having him lead on financial projects— that’s how he and I will work together.

SL

Finally, is there anything else you want people to know about your campaign or about you?

Amuri

My campaign is really about building an inclusive campus for all of us, with the understanding that actions speak louder than words. I want to take a very collaborative approach to leadership. The only way to get things done is by going together and being there for each other.

Photo Credit: (Alan Zhou | Student Life)

Major: Women Gender and Sexuality Studies and Political Science

Position: Student Body Executive Vice President

SL: Why run for an exec position? 

SC: 

Within Senate, I’ve been able to do a lot of great work, especially last semester serving as the DEI committee chair. I was able to push through a lot of projects in that committee including having more financial literacy programming, pushing for election day to be on campus wide holiday, and disability justice projects. I ran for speaker of the Senate to bring that same level of energy to all of Senate. Halfway through the semester, I’m confident saying that Senate is doing more than it had previously been doing. I think the jump to exec would help instill the meaning of advocacy across all branches of Student Union. 

SL: What is the one thing on your platform that you want to nail if elected? 

SC: 

I think everything on my platform is important. My number one priority would be sexual violence response and prevention for multiple reasons. First, at the national level, this is really important because we’re going into Biden’s fourth year still with the Trump guidelines in effect. On a campus level, there has been a lot of student organizing related to this issue, pertaining to the continued employment of Professor Dybvig. I definitely have the expertise to work on it, and I’ve been working on it since I got here through Student Union as well as through my role on the Title Nine advisory committee. 

SL: What is the biggest mistake you made while serving as a member of SU and what is the lesson you learned from it that you hope to bring with you? 

SC: When I started out as a senator, a lot of the work that I was doing was very siloed, and I was working on things by myself or with a very small group of other members in Student Union who had similar values. Having the opportunity to serve as DEI committee chair as well as speaker has highlighted the importance of collaborating with more people across committees across branches, because that’s the best way to get the most ideas flowing. It’s the best way to bounce ideas back off of each other. So there’s just a lot of potential and ideas to tap into, and I think initially I was closing myself off by working with just a small group of people.

SL: Of all the past accomplishments/experience, which one stands out to you as having the largest impact on the campus community? 

SC: 

The first thing that I’ve learned is, I think it’s really important for Student Union to support and respond to the ongoing developments on campus. I think there’s this culture in Student Union to wait for someone else to bring up an idea or get permission from someone else to email an administrator.I think I started off Student Union in that mindset, but now as Speaker, I feel comfortable, observing the issues that are brought to me by constituents and acting on them promptly. I’ve worked on a lot of things but I think the top two would be putting free plan B in the gender neutral bathroom in Sumers Rec Center, and reinstating the Title IX Advisory Committee and adding student positions, because serving on that committee, I’ve already seen that having those student positions is meaningful to push through some projects like having language access in the Title IX.

SL: Expand on what it means when you say abolish legacy admissions. How would you convince a student who is a legacy to still vote for you? 

SC: 

I also serve on the Asian Multicultural Council, and through my role in that, I have connected with many affinity groups on campus.Students in our group have been told by administrators that the next incoming class at WashU will not be as diverse because of the overturning of affirmative action. One of the top things that comes up in terms of admissions equity post-affirmative action is abolishing legacy admissions, which is a practice that many top institutions have already adopted. To students who are legacies, I would say we have been told that WashU doesn’t actively give people preferences or bonus points for having a family member that went to WashU, but we really just want to make sure that everyone is getting a fair and equal opportunity to apply.

SL: If elected, how do you plan on connecting with students who might disagree with the advocacy initiatives laid out in your platform? 

SC: 

I think transparency is very important and something I have worked to improve. As Speaker of the Senate, I developed the Project Tracker, which shows all of the ongoing advocacy projects occurring in Student Union, as well as the point of contact for each project. So students are always welcomed and encouraged to provide feedback on any of those projects. We’re having office hours with Senate leadership and using Instagram regularly to keep students updated on the work that we are doing. So I think, at any point, welcoming feedback and healthy disagreement and having a dialogue about what concerns students have and how that might be factored into the work that we’re doing. I would also say that there’s not a single advocacy project I can take on that 100% of this campus would agree with. I view my role as a  senator and in the future, as an exec member, to really advocate for students coming from marginalized identities. That will remain a priority to me to make sure that I’m serving underrepresented demographics. 

SL: Your platform is super expansive and covers a ton of different aspects of campus? How do you plan to achieve it all? 

SC: 

I am involved in a lot outside of Student Union, and I think that strengthens my case to be able to accomplish all that is on my platform because my roles in other organizations interact with  my goals as VP — they don’t exist in silos. Having like the connection between other student groups gives me a better idea of what the need on campuses is and how I can advocate for change and better connect with students. Another thing that’s really important is collaboration. I am one person but I would not be the only person working on all of these [initiatives], and I think it’s really important for exec to be more connected to Senate to recenter advocacy work, and to collaborate with Senate on all of these projects. 

Photo Credit: (Bri Nitsberg | Student Life)

Major: Biochemistry on the Pre-Med Track

Position: Student Body Executive Vice President

SL 

Why run for an exec position? 

Mun 

My interest in SU first started when I decided to join Treasury. I saw that as a way to interact with a lot of student groups and understand what’s going on with all student groups. I’ve been noticing more issues on campus regarding the student body, within SU and its functions, and I felt over time, that instead of working from the back as a Treasury representative crunching numbers and stuff, I could be at the forefront of trying to spearhead the issues on campus. 

SL 

What’s the most important thing you would like to achieve in the next year?

Mun 

Ever since I came to WashU and heard about SU, I think visibility and transparency into activities in SU has always been a struggle. I feel like StudLife has consistent articles that you can go out and read and get a grasp of what’s going on on campus. I feel like SU doesn’t really have an equivalent. SU does actually do a lot, and Exec works hard with admin in the interest of the student body. I’m hoping to increase a little bit of the engagement with the community with the students.

SL

How long have you been a part of Treasury?

Mun 

This is my third semester in Treasury, meaning that I joined spring of sophomore year. 

SL 

What do you think’s the biggest mistake you’ve made since you have joined, and what have you learned from that?

Mun 

Going in line with SU’s transparency and our mission to serve the student body, SU goes by a lot of guidelines and rules. In Treasury, I feel like these guidelines are pretty strict. I think probably my greatest mistake is when I don’t take into consideration that not all student groups have the advantage of being able to fully understand what’s going on in Treasury. I hope to improve on advocating for the students that are trying to get involved with SU.

SL 

Getting into your platform, at the top is mental health, specifically for student-athletes. A lot of times when you read about that, it’s for all college students, so I’m wondering why you focus specifically on student athletes.

Mun 

We want to specialize the mental health services that we have. We want to diversify mental health services to be able to deal with, understand, and properly work with these unique experiences to resonate and help them achieve where they want to be.

SL 

Both you and Hussein put on there the newsletter and transparency are big things. That’s not the first time someone has run and wanted to put the newsletter out there and I’m wondering why you guys think this is the year we’re gonna get the newsletter?

Mun 

Transparency has been an ideal of mine ever since I joined Treasury. This is kind of Hussein’s idea. He has experience with StudLife and news articles and writing like that, so I’m trusting in his passion for student government and the idea of journalism and visibility and he’s solidified ideas of bolstering SUPR and using that to run newsletters. He wants to have every SU Treasury, Senate, Exec meeting have some sort of photographer or journalist recording what’s going on and really get into the nitty gritty of what people are doing and what people have been doing. 

SL 

You guys are running  together as a slate, so talk me through what happens if you two are both elected. What is that dynamic gonna look like with you guys working together, and why choose to ultimately do that instead of you running separately? 

Mun 

Hussein and I both have a decent amount of experience within SU, him being Executive Vice President last year and closely working with the current president. One thing we were talking about was Exec positions in particular. They require a lot of mundane and high-maintenance type of work, like dealing with administration and dealing with student groups. And I think activism is a big part of it, but a big part of what people don’t see is the constant working and meeting with administration and other Exec members to set goals and projects. With me being in Treasury, I’m kind of used to being able to do that, running things from the back lines, crunching through numbers, meeting with a lot of different people. So I think we have very similar goals and we want to foster a sense of collaboration within and outside of SU. 

SL 

I notice on your platform is affinity group housing and one thing I am interested in is, it seems like your platform is very clear on increasing the affinity group housing and increasing affinity spaces. Where’s that space gonna come from?

Mun 

You can categorize affinity spaces into a couple of things. So you have things like the AMC suite or other rooms in the DUC. So that’s one sort of space where you can meet with groups, just a general space for people to use. And then you also have housing and that comes with things like Hamsini and I believe there are other Living Learning Communities. So I think what we have been seeing over the course of my time here, at least, I think there’s been a little bit of decrease in the activity of fraternities. So I think with the extra space that they leave, we’ll be able to add spaces for affinity groups.

SL 

A little bit more broadly, your platform touches on a lot of different stuff, for sure. And the first thing I want to ask is how did you guys pick those subheadings, equity and belonging, engagement and advocacy, and in St. Louis for St. Louis. Why are those the key things?

Mun 

These are things that SU should be doing, can be doing, and what the student body has garnered interest in. On that last part in St. Louis for St. Louis, while SU is a WashU based group, we acknowledge that we have a lot of effect on the greater community around us. We have things like breaking the Washington bubble and partnering with Gephardt. So, promoting students to reach out, especially with service, reaching out into the community. 

SL 

The platform does include a lot of advocacy issues, the Senate’s job is to set advocacy and so to what extent does having such a rich platform with so many ideas prematurely set the agenda for the Senate before the year starts?

Mun 

Exec is different from Senate. Exec usually meets more constantly with administration and I believe that Exec also works with Senate to bring forth these concerns. So I know Hussein as Executive Vice President, he’s been going to Senate meetings. What he’s been saying is that he’s been putting his experience and his story of what he’s experienced through Senate to other new Senate members. I don’t think our goal should be super different, The Senate is a bigger body with different minds and perspectives to expand on Executive Vice President or other Exec members’ ideas for advocacy on campus. 

SL 

The last thing I wanted to ask, super expensive platform really detailed, you’re covering a lot on campus. How do you guys plan to do it all?

Mun 

There’s definitely a lot right. But I think part of having a platform is keeping everything in mind. So whenever opportunities to address these issues arise with meetings with administration or maybe in particular events, we know our plan to address it at that moment and we’ll be able to seize that opportunity. We want to let the student body know that we’re slowly but surely working through all of these platforms starting from broader, overreaching directions of administration or students or the direction of SU down to specific implementations of policies. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ashton Lee

Major: Double majoring in Political Science and Educational Studies with a minor in Religion and Politics

Position: Vice President of Engagement

SL 

Why are you running for an exec position? And what’s something that you hope to achieve in this position?

Lee 

I’m running for Vice President of Engagement where I’d serve an advisory role to Senate. I’ve been working in Senate as the Diversity Equity Inclusion chair and I’m passionate about the activism that the Senate provides. 

SL

What perspectives would you bring to the role? 

Lee 

I would bring a proactive role. After COVID, SU has slowed down. We’re on an upward trajectory now and constituents should be looking at that. They should take notice that we are starting to work. I want to increase social media presence and communicate with other organizations by reaching out to them instead of them coming to me for help.

SL 

Describe one activity that you have done in your past or you are currently doing at school that’s going to help you if you are elected as VP of Engagement.

Lee 

I’m an Interfaith Fellow here at WashU, which is through the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. It’s a group of students who come from different faiths and backgrounds who want to promote productive dialogue amongst different religions. That position has allowed me to understand that I must approach everyone with empathy and understand that we might come from backgrounds, different beliefs, different viewpoints on the subject, and how we can come to a compromise. 

SL 

That leads into my next question, how do you plan to create spaces for civil discourse on campus, given some of the political silos that people tend to conform to? 

Lee 

I did a research project last year about censorship on campus, and it showed there wasn’t much censorship. However, most censorship came from students. Most of my respondents were democrats who thought that conservatives were being censored in classroom settings. When it comes to political opinions from WashU, I do think there are some issues in how [WashU] addresses freedom of speech and protests on campus. In light of the 2024 election, I want to host subject town halls where students are able to voice their opinions, ask questions, or maybe Political Science professors or professors who are experts on subjects of prominence like access to health care [can speak with students]. I also want to host/sponsor more debates like Campus Crossfire with WashU Dems and WashU Republicans to allow students to voice their opinions. 

SL 

You mentioned in your platform that you’re interested in expanding opportunities for FGLI students. The Student Success Fund has received a lot of criticism in the past, how do you plan on improving that?

Lee 

I’d directly communicate with the administration or demand administration to increase that access. The class of ‘27 was the first class that’s majority minority and majority of students of low income backgrounds. This is a big deal for WashU and, in light of affirmative action, that number will probably decrease. For the population of students here we must address the wealth gap. The wealth gap on campus is present regardless of your background. This is the first-year that [the Student Success Fund] actually had many students apply. In the past, it was just a few so they could approve all these requests, but now they’ve reached their budget. I want to increase that budget. 

SL 

Do you have any other planned action steps to improve the FGLI experience?

Lee 

Yes. So we’re actually working on emailing campus car services about offering subsidized parking for FGLI students, so they can apply for grants or at least to get the numbers down. If you look at our peer institutions, the numbers are drastically low. The fact that it costs almost $1,000 to get a parking pass is insane. Our tuition is going up, it increased by $4,000. And having a car for most FGLI students is not a luxury. We use those cars, including myself, to go to work. They want us to be in St. Louis for St. Louis. Why can’t we commute around St. Louis? That shouldn’t be a barrier for us. Some students I know work night jobs and in order to pay their tuition here and the fact they have to pay for parking is outrageous.

SL 

As the DEI committee chair, what was the most meaningful aspect of your job?

Lee 

I’m proud of how productive we are. A lot of the projects that are getting done that are getting publicized by SU or by Senate is through my committee. I would most be proud of our financial literacy programmes. We’ve built a huge bond with SFS and Andrea Stewart-Douglas, who is the Questbridge scholars mentor and she’s Assistant Director for SFS. We’ve worked with her to have our FAFSA Information Session and town hall for bear beginnings.

SL

Who’s someone that you look up to? 

Lee 

I would say my mom. My dad’s not in my life so I was raised by my mother for a long time and I was also raised by her best friend so I was raised by two women but my mother worked very hard and always provided for me. You know according to the government, I’m in the low income bracket or whatever they might want to put a title on my outcome but she always provided for me she always makes sure that the opportunities that I need to, she made sure I went to the school that I need to go to to end up an institution like this. She’s very hardworking, I recognize the strain and struggle that single mothers go through. She’s also very creative, kind, funny, and loving. And I like to think that when I show empathy towards others, I’m living like my mom. When I’m laughing or smiling at people while I’m walking, that’s what my mom would do. So yeah, just like little things that I really miss about home that I like to bring into my life. 

SL 

Switching back to your platform, you talked about mental health. What makes you poised to tackle this problem at WashU and how do you think you can create programs that will better the mental health of all students?

Lee 

Mental health is a national crisis, but it is definitely a crisis in school, especially within McKelvey School of Engineering, we’ve had multiple students who have gone to the hospital because of the stress of their coursework. So what can do is first and foremost, what SU’s first job is, is to provide and allocate and advocate for programming for students. That just means providing more money for our college councils to have more events for students. Whether it’s as small as a care package for finals week, doughnuts or any small reassurances, whether it’s handing out sticky notes to students saying, you’re beautiful, or you’re great, those little things that are reminders for students that we could do. Providing language access for our international students and extending Habif’s hours here on campus. I’m also interested in doing some type of fund or working with administration to get students to get a free shuttle service or subsidize Uber drives to therapists and to psychologists, so they don’t have to buy their own Uber or walk so they can still get access. 

SL 

What do you think is the biggest mistake that you made while serving as a member of SU and how did you learn from it? 

Lee 

I would say the biggest mistake I’ve made definitely SU or just as a public official is trying to satisfy everyone. When it comes to the decisions you have to remember first why you ran and who are the people you’re representing. There’s going to be a very interesting resolution coming up in the Senate next week and I’m still undecided on how I’m going to vote because these issues are multifaceted on this campus, and it affects different groups disproportionately, regardless of how I vote. rSo if you’re trying to satisfy everyone and not target those communities that need the most help on campus, that’s when you are failing as an elected official.

SL 

Just to wrap up, is there anything else that you want people to know about you or about your platform?

Lee 

If it shows in all projects that I do, or the clubs that I put on my Instagram post, I’m very passionate. I don’t do those things as a resume builder. This is not your normal average student government. We are in a unique situation at WashU to have a student government that’s committed to advocacy and activism. So that’s what I’d say I’d want constituents to know about me is the passion and, once again, I will go to the means to bring solutions for the students for sure.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Saara Engineer

Major: ____

Position: Student Body Vice President of Engagement

SL

Why do you want to run for an exec position?

Engineer

Right now, I’m a Senator, and, as I see it now, the Exec isn’t really connected to the student body. The Senate itself is more connected, but I still feel like the Senate has so much more to work on. A lot of times in Senate we have hindrance from the Exec because of so many intricacies involved in passing things. Working on the Exec and having someone who’s  transparent is very important, because we are elected officials by the student body and we should have people who represent what students really need.

SL

What do you think is the single most important thing that you hope to achieve in this role?

Engineer

There’s quite a few goals that I want to pursue. Right now what the Exec does is compromise, and my one motivation is persistence, because the Exec directly works with the administration much more than the Senate does. When you compromise, you let go of a lot of goals that the student body wants. Another goal that I want to pursue is firing Dybvig and supporting international students and increasing their access to Title IX resources including filing forms and petitions. Another thing is working on the WUPD mental health health crisis response. I want to work with the Chief of WUPD to have another entity respond to the student mental health calls, because obviously you don’t want armed people to walk in right when there’s a mental health crisis call. 

SL

What do you think is the biggest mistake that you have made while serving as a member of Student Union and how did you learn from it?

Engineer

One of my biggest mistakes would be not speaking up as much as I would have liked to, because I didn’t want to take up space. That is such a big mistake, because although you might have repetitive perspectives, it is so important to express yourself and say what you want, because we all have unique stories and we all deserve to share our own experiences. Because of that, I was not able to champion a lot of resolutions that I would have liked to. I’ve been much more proactive now and state my views and what I feel. 

SL

Going back to your platform, and as you mentioned, one of your goals is changing WUPD mental health crisis response. How do you want WashU to change their mental health crisis response?

Engineer

A lot of other universities have other entities respond to these mental health crisis calls. I feel like when you call for a mental health crisis call, you do not expect armed people to walk in, and WUPD’s not even trained much — they’re trained like 40 hours, is what I know of. And we have Uncle Joe’s and SARAH; they’re both trained for like 100 hours and even they are not enough; you can’t put the responsibility on them. I have talked to people who have gone through these crisis calls and how terrified they were because of this. We should have another entity respond to these calls, not WUPD. This is a project that we’re currently pursuing in Senate right now too. 

SL

You write a lot about abortion policies and your past with advocacy for abortion access. How do you think you will get WashU to lobby against anti abortion policies? Does SU have the power to achieve that?

Engineer

We need to pass more resolutions to identify our stance with abortion and supporting people who do want to get abortions. A big thing would be supporting an abortion fund because the nearest the abortion center is Planned Parenthood in Illinois which is 20-25 minutes away and that can be a big hindrance to people because you’d have to take Ubers there. The biggest step to support these people would be to have funds so that they can go there. That’s a project that I’m really interested in because it is very important and directly shows that WashU is supportive of people who want to get abortions. 

SL

What kind of abortion care do you want to see on campus? 

Engineer

Because Missouri is so anti-abortion, we need to have more self-managed abortion sessions about how to take medication abortions. Because it’s illegal in Missouri, it’s very important we make that aware to a lot of people because I don’t think a lot of people know what Plan C is or how to access it, when to use it, and what the symptoms are.  

SL

You wrote about legacy admits in your platform and wanting to compel Washington to ban legacy admits, what would you like to see WashU do to address that? 

Engineer

So my number one thing is, affirmative action was so helpful to so many people and it helped push so many generations of people and it’s a big thing that it’s unconstitutional now. I feel like we need to work on getting a more representative student body, which is why affirmative action was so important. Because of that I really support banning legacy. 

SL

In your platform, you mentioned wanting testing accommodations to be provided directly by professors. Will all professors have to train on how to administer multiple types of exams and how do you ensure equity in this process?

Engineer

We have a large student body and having every student go to the Disability Center for accommodations is a much more time consuming task than having professors provide accommodations. The number one thing would be training professors on how to do that. They are professors, so they do have training on how to be more inclusive and accommodative so I don’t think this would be a big burden to them because it’s a part of their job.

SL

Do you see issues with being able to find jobs on campus? How do you think work-study should be improved to reflect an increase in tuition?

Engineer

The platform that I’m running for is increasing the work–study amount that students get because of the increase in tuition. The tuition has increased and the work-study hasn’t so it’s more on the families now to pay because the work-study hasn’t increased. It’s very important that the work-study also reflects the increase in tuition, because then we’re just paying more money, but we’re not getting any more money, so I feel that’s not proportionate. 

SL

And, as you mentioned earlier, you backed a resolution to fire Professor Dybvig, does SU have the power to fire him?

Engineer

As a student, we reflect the student body so having passed the resolution means that we are in solidarity with all the survivors. We don’t directly have the power to fire Dybvig, but this stance is so important because it shows that we support international survivors and we don’t support a perpetrator on campus. So it’s not direct administrative impact, but I do think these little things do help and it gets the administration’s attention that this is a big concern for the student body because it’s the student government saying that we want him fired. 

SL

What other ways do you want WashU to improve in how they address sexual assault and harassment allegations?

Engineer

At the Title IX office, there’s not many translation services for international students, so that is something that I really want to work on. Policies aren’t very clear about how to file a report. Unlike a lot of universities, WashU doesn’t have online reporting. You have to go in person multiple times for something to actually happen. These processes are such a big hindrance for survivors. The only accommodations you can get through Title IX is help with pushing deadlines but not really holding the perpetrator accountable. WashU needs to support survivors in any way that they need. WashU should support students for tuition reimbursement because a lot of times survivors will choose to take a break for a semester or longer. WashU should be responsible for helping reduce that loan. These little things are very impactful and that’s something that I want to work on with the Title IX office.

SL

You also talked about general inclusivity on campus, what spaces do you want to see as more inclusive?

Engineer

There’s a lot of buildings on campus that are not accessible. Like one example is the Ann Olin Women’s Building, it’s not accessible at all. So just working on those spaces, and making sure that people can get to those spaces because I feel like it’s high time that we make our campus accessible.

SL

And is there anything else that you want people to know about you or your platform?

Engineer

I am a person that would really support the student body and really wants change and really wants to support minorities and international students. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Meris Damjanovic

Major: English with a focus in Creative Writing

Position: Student Body Vice President of Finance

SL

Why run for an Exec position, why not just continue your work in Treasury?

Damjanovic

I’ve enjoyed my work in Treasury but there’s something about being VPF that allows you to set the tone for the financial branch. I mean, we saw a lot with Mishka and her new guidelines. I think it really helped set the tone and made Treasury more efficient. 

SL

Are there other policies and things you’re hoping to implement? 

Damjanovic

Initially, one big goal is the student group climate survey to try and figure out what student groups think of the policies.

SL

Out of everything on your platform, is there something if elected you want to accomplish?

Damjanovic

I want financial leadership to be meeting with student groups one-on-one a bit more. I’ve seen this a lot with student groups submitting appeals for the first time and they are unsure if Treasury would fund it and I want to eliminate these uncertainties. Back when I was running for Speaker, I created an SU Treasury manual for student groups and I want to revise and send it out.

SL

To push back on what you were saying about everyone being happy, I’m curious how you will handle situations where, for example, groups come asking for $10,000 but they get $5,000.

Damjanovic

I mean,  if we’re not funding something, I want them to understand why. Because I feel when there’s a level of understanding, there’s a lot less frustration or anger. 

SL

Looking back on your time in Treasury, I’m wondering, what do you think is the single biggest mistake you’ve made and how have you learned from that?

Damjanovic

Many things have happened in Treasury that some people would categorize as mistakes. I think when we didn’t fund Art Laffer and Con Council people called it unconstitutional. But I think it was the right thing to do. The same thing with Amala [Ekpunobi], I was one of three who voted no, and I don’t regret that. In terms of what I’ve done and how I’ve voted, I haven’t really regretted anything. So when groups come disgruntled to me about the decisions, I say, that’s what they decided. I say, ‘We can sit and go through it together, and I can tell you what exactly you should do.,’ and that’s been my approach. I’ve been trying to minimize mistakes as much as possible. Which is why I’ve been struggling to think of one.

SL

One of the things I remember coming up, and this comes up I think frequently for speaker events, is a group will say 100 people are going to show up, and then what happens when like 20 people show up?

Damjanovic

That’s the thing with speakers — people say this is our expected attendance. And that’s why we saw a lot of people last week and they wanted to bring a speaker and I was like, ‘What is your expected attendance? How did you come to this number?’ With Kamala, around 50 people showed up, and that was $11,000. That wasn’t a good choice. And so I think that’s really what it is: ensuring we have ways to judge how many people are actually showing up to these events.

SL

In your platform, one of the things you mentioned up top is, you were overseeing the recognition of 31 new groups and category change of 44 groups. Can you break down why this is so significant for voters to consider?

Damjanovic

I find [recognizing new groups] to be significant. It helps people get started with their passions on campus. And then with the category changes, [they] are important because we have a three-tiered system — Category III is new groups; they get the bare-bones to start a club. Category II it’s like, you’ve done some programming, you show  you’re a group here, here’s some money, we want to see how this can help you do your mission.’ Then, Category I. And that’s, you showed us you can spend whatever the number is, but it’s not enough for you and your mission. You can’t do what you would like to do with this money. So we upgrade you to Category I.’ 

SL

In your platform, you talked about working with the current VPF, Mishka. And I’m wondering if you could expand on some of the work you two have done this year together, especially in regards to the general budget, and what that relationship has looked like.

Damjanovic

Yeah. So I’ll talk about the general budget first because I think it’s the most impactful. Every year [the treasury and senate body] have to pick section team leaders, two from Treasury and two from Senate. [Mishka] was talking about how it was gonna take forever to balance the $4.6 million. And I was sitting in the office [with Mishka], and I was like, ‘I can help you.’ We had a lot more money to play with, and we thought, ‘how are we going to use this?’ We increased student group appeals a bit, doubled WILD, which Mishka was really worried about but I was passionate about. I think doing that balancing has set up next year in a very fun way. For a while, we weren’t doing these kinds of leadership meetings, and we decided, ‘Hey, bring the cohesion back. Let’s bring back these biweekly meetings.’ And so we started doing those and I think that strengthened all of our working relationships in the financial branch.

SL

I’m wondering how you would make Treasury like a more transparent body because it’s something you talk about, and I’m interested to hear more about your goals for that.

Damjanovic

Our minutes are public and that’s something we pushed. Christine and I helped start a more intensive minute-taking experience and we started recording discussions. I was also the one who decided we were going to start publishing our agendas ahead of sessions. So, if students were interested in what appeals we were seeing, they could come and see. I am open to all criticism about what people might find more helpful regarding transparency. Making sure we can build back confidence with the student body would be in everyone’s best interest.

SL

Treasury is, for lack of a better word, pretty Trello-dependent. And do you think Trello is the best tool for you guys to be using? Or is there another tool to disseminate information you think would be better?

Damjanovic

I think Trello has its benefits and its drawbacks. Some people get kind of confused by Trello but Mischka reorganized Trello over the summer. When you’re looking for one specific thing if you don’t know you know how to utilize Trello it gets a little confusing, which is why we started SU finance bearings with a walkthrough Trello. I also created the SU Treasury manual which has a lot of information on Trello, the PDF has links, and a table of contents that’s much easier to navigate than Trello. 

SL

Another thing you mentioned is this 230% increase in like accounts reach 4,000% increase, break those numbers down.

Damjanovic

It sounds crazy. The thing was nobody had operated our Instagram previously. No accounts were looking at our Instagram. So we started putting these things on here. And so we went from zero to having people engage. This shows social media has the ability to help disseminate information, which is why I was passionate about updating posts for deadlines, posting agendas, and introductions to financial leadership posts. 

SL

Earlier, you talked about how you are really big on surveys.What are the limitations of that? 

Damjanovic

Not getting responses is the big one. But I think Treasury can disseminate the survey in a couple of ways. The first will be email which will be looked at throughout the year, anytime. There is also a QR code and Treasury reps can push it out after they finish their meetings or through tabling at the DUC. The Activities Fair is another opportunity, last Activities fair, we got 50 responses and I don’t think that’s an insignificant amount. 

SL

Your platform is pretty broad; how do you plan on getting it all done?

Damjanovic

I care a lot about SU and I’ve learned I can dedicate a lot to SU. I spend a lot of time in the office, more than my three hours a week. Also, the financial leadership team is an amazing group of people and they are always willing to help each other. I’m also comfortable finding out which things can be allocated or designated to other people’s projects. It is expansive, I can see that, but I think if the financial branch can coalesce around these goals, we can get a lot done. 

Photo Credit: Alan Knight | Student Life

Major: PNP LCC

Position: Student Body Vice President of Finance

SL

I’m curious why you chose to run for an executive position.

Suarez Lopez Gallo

I think it’s a good idea to try to get into things early on. I ran for the ArtSci Council last semester. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to have a position. But in regards to the executive board, I think it’s a good idea to try to get someone new, with some new ideas, possibly. I know that Meris, he’s the current committee chair for the Treasury Committee and he’s also running for VP of Finance and he’s been there for a while.

SL

If elected, what are the three biggest things you hope to achieve?

Suarez Lopez Gallo

Listening to student organizations. Being new and not having much prior experience of being part of Student Union, I think it’s really important to listen to the people who we’re funding and understand where their funding comes from and why they want such funding; but also for us, going to them and asking them about their mission overall. Two, I don’t think that many students actually know a lot of us in Student Union so I think it’s also important to try to connect with the student body as a whole to increase understanding of what Student Union does.

SL

Could you expand sort of more on this fresh perspective that you talked about in your platform and why that is so key for you?

Suarez Lopez Gallo

I think it’s important because of a possible status quo that might already exist within SU. Some members feel like it’s a very cliquey environment. So I think having someone new with another perspective, even though every member has a new perspective, I think, but someone who really hasn’t been connected that much to university politics or politics in regards to running for an office like this. 

SL

Since you are new to SU, Treasury and Finance come with a lot of rules and regulations, as you can imagine, I’m wondering how you plan to make meaningful strides towards the sort of big picture goals that you have, while also learning the new minutiae of the job. 

Suarez Lopez Gallo

I’ve been doing some research in regards to the role; Stud Life did an interview thing with the former VP of Finance, I was reading over that to see what her perspectives were and how the finance part of the Student Union is run. Additionally, part of that included the Trello board. Right now, I have been looking over what the regulations are because even if I don’t get it, I think learning about the student body and what they do in SU is important anyway. I think it’s important to understand that as a student as well. Learning the minutiae is the most important part as of now because it’s the basis for understanding if the ideas I have will actually function or not.

SL

One thing that kind of stood out to me from your platform is that you talk a lot about facilitating connections with student groups, and that’s not something people always think about when it comes to the finance role. Why do you think being the Vice President of Finance uniquely sets you up for making those kinds of connections with students?

Suarez Lopez Gallo

The VP of Finance gives the funding towards these groups, its funding for the three major projects, plus additional social events. As someone who tried to be a part of a lot of things during high school and tried to get involved in a lot, I think it was very important to me to not only learn about myself, but learn about others in order to see a new perspective of what the value of these congregations hold. Being the VP of Finance, I would have to allocate funds in such a way that can foster greater opportunities for students in the sense that they can build connections not only within their community, but as well as with other student groups. 

SL

The counter to that question would be how do you plan on balancing the funding requests? You talked just now about how funding can be this thing that can unlock the experience for a student and is really the key to that, but at the same time, there is a finite amount of money, right, and not every single thing can get funded and I’m wondering how you see that balance.

Suarez Lopez Gallo

I think so far most of the regulations that SU has regarding funding are fairly reasonable. One campus organization was looking for a certain space to host a gathering and they asked for a certain amount of money because last time in the space, it got too crowded, so they saw it as a concern for safety. And then SU got back to them, denying the request to change this and so at that point they had to do an RSVP with only a certain number of students to keep it from being overcrowded, even though the idea was for this gathering to be for all students. And so, to me, it was a bit silly in the sense that it was a hazard but also you want to have more people be there to connect especially because there’s a lot of people who are part of this group.

SL

So again, where’s that line for you? At what point would you say, ‘Sorry that that’s enough?’ Do you think you’d stick with the regulations?

Suarez Lopez Gallo

I think I would stick to the regulations mainly. Of course, there’s always the Treasury Board to talk to in regards to what they think especially on request for over $1,000. But even still, starting out, I think going to someone who is probably a chair in a committee in the Treasury Department could be a way for me to understand if this is something that should still be funded, even when, let’s say, another person might disagree. So I sort of need to gain another additional perspective if it is something we should fund or not even if it doesn’t specifically follow regulation that’s already in place.

SL

Another part of your platform you talk about is being goal-oriented. I’m wondering if you could sort of expand on that and if you think that’s different from the current method of thinking of SU. 

Suarez Lopez Gallo

I was reading over the 2024 financial plan PowerPoint SU had available, and one of the slides talked about important goals for the upcoming semester. One of the focuses that I think was really important was in regards to affinity groups and cultural groups as well. However, there wasn’t much to the slideshow and it didn’t outline 100 percent how things were supposed to get done. Maybe the idea was to include it for the sake of thinking about it, but I guess if you have such a big budget, millions of dollars, you have to have a goal somehow and have an understanding of what you’re trying to do. I think without that goal-orientation, you could easily get lost in what you’re trying to really do with funding.

SL

What do you think is like a mistake you’ve made in a club or leadership role, what did you learn from it, and how do you think you can take that experience and apply it to being the Vice President of Finance?

Suarez Lopez Gallo

In the past, I’ve made the mistake of failing to communicate as much as I should. I was a section leader when I was playing an instrument for a wind ensemble, and whenever we had to take certain roles with what pieces to play and practice, I didn’t communicate specific timelines. At some point, things did fall apart, so I had to learn from that instance. The only way for anything to improve is to learn and always want and try to improve for the sake of the people you are responsible for. 

SL

Is there anything else you wanted to add about your or your platform?

Suarez Lopez Gallo

Whether or not I got elected, I think the most important part is just having people vote. The main thing people should do is to vote for whoever they think is fit for this position. We should encourage people to learn more about SU and what they do and how they can get involved. Additionally, I would tell SU to try to be more connected to the student body as well. SU should do Instagram takeovers to connect with the study body because you hear the names of who is running, but you don’t know what they look like or who they are.