8:00 p.m.| The Vassar Student Association (VSA) Executive Board is still waiting for all the candidates to arrive before starting the debate.

8: 10| The candidates have taken their seats on stage. Adrienne Kurtz and Thomas Rafferty are not present. VSA President Mat Leonard ’11 is welcoming Turpin as moderator.

8:12:| Turpin asks all the candidates how tthey will represent their constituency, and how they will bring their constituents’ opinions to VSA Council. Thompson: “I will communicate through e-mail and Facebook.” Moore: “I will try and go dorm-to-dorm to increase face-to-face communication with my constituents.” Lester: “I will not send out too many e-mails. Not everyone has Facebook, and that’s why I would set up events outside the [All Campus Dining Center] to increase face-to-face communication as well.” Parlak: “Throughout the year, I will try to make myself available. I want to spend my time to get to know everyone in the Class of 2014.”

8:18| Turpin asks Lester how he plans to add to the already-existing student organizations on campus, as he mentioned in his statement. Lester: “There should be an easier way for students to do what they like to do, even if they don’t get into the groups they wanted to; there are a lot of people who deserve to get into groups but didn’t make it. That’s why, there should be more than 120 student organizations already present.”

8:20| Turpin asks Moore how he plans to improve Vassar-Pougheepsie relations. Moore: “I would work with organizations like Hunger Action…and make sure freshmen have access to these organizations” that provide opportunities for students to go out into the Poughkeepsie community.

8:24| Turpin asks Periera how she plans to foster community spirit. Periera: “I think getting the houses to interact more and making people comfortable venturing into other dorms is something I can do.” Periera also focussed on improving campus programming to appeal to all students and not just a limited few.

8:26| Turpin asks Petrarca how she will overcome the fact that she – as mentioned in her statement – isn’t very well acquainted with Vassar. Petrarca: “I think if I showed up at a VSA meeting, I would have no idea how to change things.” Petrarca hoped to “learn from her elders” at Vassar and absorb as much as she can.

8:30| Turpin asks all candidates how they will help their classmates celebrate the College’s Sesquicentennial.Thompson: “I think that we should do some big freshmen event like a carnival and a fair, where there would be a lot going on.” Moore: The freshmen presence must be strongly felt in the celebrations. Lester proposes a “Welcome-Back” carnival in January. Parlak: “To be honest, I have no idea, but I’m open to suggestions. I am glad that the freshmen class is here for the celebration, though.”

8:36| Turpin asks the candidates what the freshman class should know about the candidates. Thompson: “I love the color black. I always wanted to ride a lama. I’ve always been a person who’s open to meeting other people.” Thomspson says she’s a good listener and would love to hear other people and what they need. Moore: “Lion King is my favorite movie ever.” Moore explains “Servant Leadership” — a concept that implies that leaders work “at the same level” at its constituents, and one he has been exposed to and wished to implement in he tenure. Moore also adds that he “has the ability to listen.” Periera: “I am very friendly and I love talking to people.” Petrarca: “I am obsessed with student government; I will work really really hard if I’m elected. I hate when people make jokes about [student government.]” Lester: “I like Harry Potter things.” Lester adds that as president, he doesn’t want to be “the guy that leads people,” adding that he can “help [the class of 2014] to get to their goals and be there for them.” Parlak:”I’m half Turkish and half Greek, and I think this is the reason I thrive so well here and this is what makes me diverse.” As a leader, Parlak says “she’s objective and a hard worker,” and that she is “willing to sacrifice her free time” to work on her duties as President

8:46| Leonard asks the candidates what they would do if an issue of personal importance comes to VSA Council. Thomson: “I would do what’s best for my class and not myself.” Moore: “You represent your class’s voice, and that is the priority. But I wouldn’t say you have to be necessarily separated.” Periara: “Within a government, you have to separate yourself from an issue emotionally and look at it logically.” Petrarca: “It comes down to the president to decide what [he or she] thinks is right” by interpreting and processing various opinions.” Lester: “I would abstain to vote if I feel strongly about the issue.” Parlak: “I will make sure that the voice of my class is heard, and not mine.”

8:51| VSA Vice President for Student Life Samin Shehab ’11 asks candidates what they feel is the biggest issue at Vassar. Petrarca: “Food.” Moore: “I will increase involvement and dedication.” Thompson would “help student balance their activities and reduce stress.” Periera: “I think we need to get everyone to be united and everyone needs to be a part of what Vassar does.” Lester: “I concur, food.” Parlak would focus on solving the problem of alcohol abuse.

8:59| An audience member asks the candidates what they feel would be their biggest weakness. Thompson mentions that balancing her time would be a weakness for her, but she would try her best to work on it. Moore says the biggest problem for him would be “removing himself emotionally from an issue.” Periera says that “taking on a lot of things at once” would be her biggest weakness. Petrarca says that she feels she will face a problem with delegation of duties. Lester says that his weakness would be to acquainted with Robert’s Rule of Order, and that he would feel “out of place” — initially — at VSA Council meetings. Parlak thinks that, were she elected, she “would have no social life.”

9:01| Turpin thanks everyone for attending the debate.

7:02 | Operations announces that filing for VSA spring elections will begin on April 14.

7:04 | Operations moves to amend Section 5 of the VSA Bylaws, which outlines the rules for student campaigning. “We’re simplifying it a lot,” says Operations, “and we’re making it a lot shorter than it used to be. Basically, we reorganized the passages, and various things that are repetitive have been taken out. The major differences are that we’re allowing the use of the internet—we thought it was realistically ridiculous that we didn’t allow the use of the internet. And because we’re giving candidates the power of the Web, we’re taking away fliering—we felt that it was a waste of paper, and it’s not worth doing. Instead, we are just going to give people posters that they can put up in main spaces on campus.”

7:11 | Council members discuss making alterations to the wording of the Bylaw amendments.

7:15 | Finance asks if its really necessary that campaigning be banned during the actual voting period. 2011 responds saying that “there’s something to be said for” having the voting period be a time when students aren’t being “bombarded” by campaigning methods and messages.

7:20 | 2010 asks about what “the limits are” for things you buy—like printed t-shirts or baked goods—that would aid a candidate in his or her campaign. Operations responds by saying that anything can be purchased as long as its within the spending limits set forth by the Bylaws.

7:32 | After discussion, Council votes unanimously in favor of the Bylaw amendments.

7:34 | Activities moves to decertify Better Body Image Project (BBIP). Activities explains that the VSA Activities Committee met recently with two leaders from BBIP. “Basically this is a decertification of an organization that’s no longer as active as it used to be,” says Activities. “It’s more paperwork than its worth for them, and the two representatives were both totally fine with this,” he says. “The membership of the group is four people, and the use of their budget is very limited.” Council votes unanimously in favor of the decertification.

7:37 | Finance moves to allocate $800 from the Conference Fund to Act Out. Leslie Hamilton ’10, Co-President of Act Out, explains that the organization hopes to bring approximately 24 students to Washington D.C. on April 9 in order to lobby for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; the Safe Schools Act; and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Finance’s motion passes unanimously.

7:42 | Finance moves to allocate $2000 from the Speakers & Lecturers Fund to Forum Political Thought for their event, Bao Phi: Asian American Spoken Word and Politics. Motion passes unanimously.

7:44 | Finance moves to allocate $4000 from the Speakers & Lecturers Fund to the Asian Students Alliance for their conference, The “Me” in Media. Motion passes unanimously.

7:47 | Finance moves to allocate $4000 from the Hosting Fund to Squirm for their celebration of their 10th anniversary. Motion passes unanimously.

7:49 | Council adjourned.

“I am proud of our students for all of these ways in which they reach out beyond campus,” wrote Hill. “So many of them have a very strong commitment to the local community where they live the vast majority of the year. They also by law have the right to register and vote locally.”

Read Hill’s letter in full below:

Ease Voting Process For Vassar Students

Vassar College students take part in the local community in many ways: several hundred volunteer each semester, working in human service agencies, at health-care clinics, as tutors in local schools, to note only a few examples. Through internships in the community, they contribute what they’ve learned in classes and gain additional on-the-job experience in government, business and social services. They raise money for local causes, including contributing to the college’s annual Community Works campaign, which to date has raised more than $500,000 for local nonprofits. I am proud of our students for all of these ways in which they reach out beyond campus. So many of them have a very strong commitment to the local community where they live the vast majority of the year. They also by law have the right to register and vote locally.

For that reason, I would ask election officials for the opportunity to work together to resolve the obstacles for future elections that made it difficult for students to vote in the last election. Many of our students were challenged as they went to the polls, being required to vote by paper “affidavit” ballot rather than using a voting machine. The issues cited involved students’ addresses on campus, a situation complicated by the fact that the Vassar campus is in multiple voting districts.

We need to be able to assure our students who are registered voters of their opportunity to participate in elections.

Catharine Hill

President, Vassar College

Poughkeepsie

11:05 | Committees elections results are announced.

Admissions and Financial Aid: Aashim Usgaonkar

Committee on College Life: Emily Bernstein

Residential Life Advisory Committee: Fardeen Chowdhury

Judicial Board:

Paul Weinger
Max Frankel
Jordan Miller
Lane Kisonak

Freshman House Representatives:

Strong: Sophia Wasserman

Davison: Cory Epstein

Raymond: Jake Harris

Noyes: Jenna Konstantine

Main: Alexandra Magill

Lathrop: Natalie Allen

Josselyn: Dan Flynn

Jewett: John Lee

Cushing: no one ran.

Freshman Class Council:

Treasurer: Jason Rubin

Secretary: Raffi Kiureghian

Vice Pres: Matthew Horton

President: Eli Berns-Zieve

“I want to thank [the Freshman class] for having the confidence to put me there, to lead the class, the express their interests, to sit on the Council,” said Berns-Zieve. “If I could think more coherently, I’d put that more eloquently.”

Class of 2013 Election Results Party from The Miscellany News on Vimeo.

9:03 | The debate is about to begin. The candidates for Freshmen Class President are Bob Lutz, Clayton Masterman, Joshua Rosen, Matt Kramer, Daniel Lempert, Sharon Onga, Patty Walton, Eli Berns-Zieve and Ocasio Wilson.

Editor in Chief of The Miscellany News Ruby Cramer is moderating the event.

9:08 | The candidates are introducing themselves.

Questions will be posed to the whole group.

9:14 | The first question asks the candidates to consider how they will balance representing the opinions of their consituents and their ow judgments.

According to Onga, “It’s about listening to the voices.”

Lutz draws on his background at a Quaker high school. He discusses the importance of making people with opinions feel comfortable sharing those opinions.

Walton discusses the importance of hearing her consituents.

Rosen: “It’s important to solicit the opinions of those who do not have strong opinions.” He hopes to reach out to many consituents.

Masterman says that it is not the job of the president to make decisions him or herself.

According toWilson, he was surprised by the talents of his class. “It is my job to define broadly, and then come to you and say, ‘fill in the blanks.’”

9:23 | The next question is: How will you familiarize yourself with the College and feel comfortable enough tot share your opinions with the Council?

Wilson addresses the social dynamic of the class. “It’s not a solid, cohesive class yet,” he says. He suggests doing a freshman activity or project to bring the class together.

Masterman says, “I woudl be willing to work it all out.” He says that he is willing to prepare himself by reading the VSA constitution and ask questions.

According to Rosen, “I will be as vocal as I can be in VSA Council.” He promises to follow up “on any information given to me.”

Berns-Zieve suggests that freshmen should get to know older students in their houses to learn about the College.

Walton says, “The president would speak up and be vocal because they are there to represent the class.”

According to Lempert, “There is a definite learning curve to joining a new group…I’m not really afraid to talk to people, address people.”

According to Lutz, reading the VSA Consitution is not necessarily the best introduction to how the school works practically, but upperclassmen are a great resource.

Onga says that talking to upperclassmen, reading the paper, reading the VSA Constitution and asking members of the greater community are the best ways to stay informed.

9:32 | The next question asks: What would you advocate and fight for as a top priority in the College given the economic climate.

Onga says that she woudl fight to make sure that student voices were always heard.

Lutz says, “Fundraisers are an absolute must.” He suggests that the class needs to take initiative to put on events.

According to Lempert, the eclectic mix of students is the most valuable thing about Vassar. He says he woudl fight for the existence of eclectic groups.

Walton agrees that the students make Vassar unique. She adds that she would fight for financial aid, which, she says, helps to make the student body as unique as it is. She suggests fundraising.

Berns-Lieve recognizes that Vassar is affected by exterior forces and that students need to be flexible. He supports need-blind admission and hopes that it may be applied to waitlisted students.

According to Rosen, “Academics are something that we have to maintain to the highest level.” He also emphasizes social justice through financial aid and reaching out to the local community.

Masterman says he will work to bring back library hours and support transportation for students. He also wants the VSA to take a role in keeping prices low on campus.

Wilson says that he doesn’t know the issues, but he wants the class to tell him what to fight for.

9:41 | Next question: What would you do to establish the presence of the Class of 2013 on campus?

Wilson plans to use the talents of his classmates. “We can only try to understand our greater Poughkeepsie area…There are a lot of things that we are ignorant to because we are not face to face with them.”

Masterman discusses class unity through projects, class picnics and other activities, such as extending VCash acceptance to more local businesses.

Rosen emphasizes community service and social justice.

Berns-Zieve also discusses class unity. He hopes to host activities between dorms. He says that once the class builds unity, they will naturally leave their mark on the College.

Walton recognizes that bringing the whole class together will be difficulty. She hopes to rally the class behind one issue to find a common ground.

Lempert says that his first goal would be a party, and then a “Freshmen Pride Day.”

According to Lutz, bonding activities are a “dime a dozen” in houses and that this is a good thing.

Onga says that the class should stay informed about available opportunities. She also hopes that the class can find creative ways to fund activities and organizations.

9:51 | An audience member asks a question about the point proposal for disciplinary actions that Council is working on.

Rosen takes a firm stance against the disciplinary point system. He says that it “takes away from the case-by-case review” of each situation.

Berns-Zieve suggests that it has potential, but that it needs to be developed and that it tries to do too much. “I think there’s a lot that could be done with it.”

9:53 | VP for Operations Brian Farkas asks what one thing the candidates would change about the College.

Lutz says that he would hope that the class will project itself well to deter stereotypes about the College that affect prospective students.

Wilson says that he would change the shuttle. “I think it should be more accessible. It should run more often.” He also says it should have more stops.

Berns-Zieve says he would revise the meal plan. “Everybody would get the same amount of points.”

9:56 | Audience member: What is the funniest thing that’s happened to you?

Walton recalls a humorous and embarassing tale of missing the trashcan.

Lempert says that he was terrified by his bunkbeds.

According to Lutz, as he was campaigning in ACDC and had an awkward encounter.

Wilson says that the thing that sticks out the most to him is that people were baffled that he irons his clothing.

2013 Class President Candidates:

Bob Lutz

Let’s face it: money’s tight. Vassar, like every other college in the nation, has been faced with economic hardship and forced to cut some corners. As a candidate for Class President of 2013, I don’t propose to fix things that can’t be helped at the moment. Instead, I intend to secure for the freshman class its rightful share of the budget we do have. Whether that means redistributing available funds or creating fundraising opportunities for student organizations all depends on one thing: whatever best serves the class of 2013. At my previous school, I was elected into presidency in a year where student budgets were cut by almost 50%. Needless to say, people were anxious. Clubs with few members assumed they would get less priority than others, or disbanded entirely. After some adjustment, however, most came to realize that the situation was hardly as serious as it seemed, with the appropriate amount of give-and-take. Students and organizations who showed ingenuity, elbow grease, and willingness to compromise were the ones who ultimately stood to benefit from the situation. These are the qualities I intend to bring to VSA council. Of course, this is no longer high school, but the principles of problem-solving are very much the same. So long as students and organizations are willing to put forth the effort to claim what they need—even if that means hosting events to raise funds—there should be no problem in dealing with the current constraints. To fully enable this, it will be my responsibility to inform those in need of every such opportunity available to them. As a representative for the class of 2013, I will ensure that our voice as a freshman class is heard as clearly as possible, and that no freshman student or organization goes without the representation and resources it deserves, budgetary or otherwise. It is my view that the freshman class deserves every penny it requires, and my goal to get it for us.

Clayton Masterman

Hey there! I’m Clayton Masterman. It’s time for 2013 to vote on our class council, and I’m telling you I’m the best bet for our new president. There are a couple of reasons for this. Issue by issue, I have all of you at heart. Since we’ve arrived issues have already come up and I’ve got ideas. We’ve seen the prices of our food raise—maybe it’s time to plan some class picnics. The battle to extend library hours is on—you can count on me to back our freshman in this fight. Our weekend shuttles were almost taken away; a class council that I’m president of will keep those shuttles running. Some freshman are feeling homesick and out of place—together we’ll keep freshman morale up and make sure everyone feels at home in the Vassar family. We can get kids out of the Vassar bubble and into the Poughkeepsie community. This class has a spirit, and we want to see that spirit alive. The freshmen know how to have fun, and as President I’ll take any ideas to help us make the next year the greatest we can. I’ve been a president of a club and a captain of a team. Everyone can drop by or send an email and we’ll get your ideas put into motion. Remember, Masterman has the master plan. Vote for me for Freshman President.

Joshua Rosen

Over the next year, Vassar College students will be forced to deal with some of the most pressing issues of our time – a financial crisis, two wars, a potential pandemic, among others – and all the while, embrace the academic and social experiences that the college has to offer. I submit to you my candidacy for the office of freshman Class President with the hope that you will enable me to represent the views and interests of the Class of 2013 on the Vassar Student Association council, and shape the future of our college. The formative experiences that I have had in my work with progressive political campaigns ranging from the mayoral level to some of the most contested Senate and House races in the nation, as well as my experience an elected representative in my high school, during which time I worked collaboratively with administrators and other student elected officials, have prepared me to serve you as the president of the freshman class. My analytical temperament is one that is conducive to impartial judgment and levelheaded – but never drawn-out – decision-making that will benefit our community. Additionally, I wish to impress upon you the gravity with which I approach this office – I aspire to be not only your representative, but also a resource for community and campus activism, as well as a source of information regarding campus events and issues of concern. I pledge to regularly address the freshman class, as well as allow ample time for meeting in person with freshmen to keep you abreast of the issues and concerns I am addressing. Furthermore, I pledge to be an assiduous advocate for the interests of our class, for we are all equal partners in shaping the future of our lives as Vassar students. While Vassar has grown and changed to meet new times and new situations, I believe that a number of policy changes and additional offerings are in order. In particular, in these financial times, it is necessary to streamline services – not only for financial savings but also for student convenience and organizational efficiency. In light of this, I endorse the unification of the Office of Fellowships and Pre-Health Advising, the Field Work Office, and the Career Development Office into a single Office of Career and Advanced Education Resources (CAER), so as to eliminate redundancies in graduate school and career advising, as well as to encourage students to consider options that they would not have otherwise looked at if the offices remain separate. In terms of the academic experience, I plan to initiate a comprehensive review of the freshman writing seminar requirement, among other policies, in regards to how well these courses teach students to write at the college level. I hope to include focus groups of freshmen that took different FWS courses in this review process. Furthermore, I hope to ensure that the Quantitative Analysis requirement does not become overbroad. Though it is important to ensure a similar degree of quantitative competency as we do writing competency, I fail to see how professors should be subject to a certification process for determining whether their course meets the definition of quantitative analysis. I take issue in particular with the use of anecdotal evidence as the basis for passing judgment on the quantitative reasoning required of students in a particular course. While academics are, naturally, a key component of this institution, I feel that we must also address the role of the college in activism, social justice, and student rights. First, I wish to emphasize that the VSA should work to produce a comprehensive document detailing student rights and responsibilities, above and beyond the content of the student handbook, so as to ensure that we as students understand our basic rights as they apply on campus. Also, in the pursuit of on campus freedom of expression, I would like to see a review of the college regulations on speech and student expression, which have been criticized in the national media for their restrictive, illiberal nature. In the same vein, I strongly oppose the socioeconomic discrimination inherent in making the admissions waitlist need-sensitive. It is preferable to address potential cost savings within the institution rather than restricting qualified, less affluent applicants’ ability to attend Vassar. I am a strong proponent of social justice and activism by students and I hope to encourage more of these laudable activities as the freshman class president. Even in the past few weeks, we have grown to live and thrive in a community that is not the one we were raised in, but certainly one where we can all grow as a diverse group of people united in the pursuit of academic excellence and social justice. I firmly believe in the power of students to effect meaningful change, both on campus and throughout the community – we have much to do in bettering Poughkeepsie, and I will be a stalwart leader for our community.

Matt Kramer

Vassar is a vibrant community; I arrived here and instantly felt that I was amongst friends. One cannot walk form one end of this campus to the other with seeing some one they know or receiving a friendly wave. This is what makes Vassar great. Our campus is currently suffering under the recession. There have been cuts, the library closes early, the juice bar is gone and funds are low. There is one thing though that the recession cant take form the class of 09 and that is our spirit. Much of the focused of the class government is on the funding and that is good and I will be sure to participate in these ongoing discussions. I want to be president because I think that there are ways to add to Vassar without taking anything away. Our class needs to come together; I can count on my right hand the number of events I have been to that involved our entire class. We can hold events that will later become traditions. What better way to change this community than leave it better than we found it? I want to foster solidarity among the freshman class. I am running because I see this position as a way to better this community and this class. I know the issues up for discussion, the debate over drawing one requirement, and the funding problems for the Vassar shuttle. I know that as president I’ll have the ability to implement the change I speak of.

Daniel Lempert

I went to high school in Brooklyn, NY, and I have a pretty good background in student government. I was the class president sophomore and junior year, and I was the school president senior year. My academic interests are varied, but my main interests are English and theater. Here at Vassar I am involved in improve and sketch, as well as Phil. As far as jobs I’ve held. I worked at the I-Hop for two summers. I promise that nothing is more endearing than having an old person yell at you because his omelet came with pancakes. I had to inform him that at the ‘International House of Pancakes,’ everything comes with pancakes. Pancakes come with pancakes. This past summer, I also started doing extra work on movies and TV. Look in the background of Gossip Girl, you might find me. I believe I am qualified because this won’t be my first time participating in a meeting or writing an agenda. I have had tons of experience interacting with faculty and staff and I understand that certain situations require some finesse if anything is going to be accomplished. I like working, and nothing makes me happier than seeing ideas and desires realized. At the same time, I understand there are definite limitations on what is possible. I also realize that college is a not the same as high-school. The dynamic and scale of things are much different, and because of that I can’t make any specific promises. I don’t really know how the system works. But I can promise that I will work efficiently and ensure that there is an open line of communication. Often times in situations, a little bit of imagination can go a long way. I will strive to to ensure that the group addresses issues together. I believe brilliance can only come out of a group effort. I dealt with crotchety old people for two summers. This should be cake. Thanks.

Sharon Onga

No statement.

Patty Walton

My name is Patty Walton and I want to run for president, because I am awesome and my name sounds good with President in it. President Patty, (see it sounds jazzy). Well anyways I have no qualifications that make me a good candidate, but I am fairly nice, and I love to color and make things look pretty. I am a good listener and I like to talk a lot, so I can probably negotiate stuff. Also I am keeping this statement basic and brief, so as not to waste your time. See, its already done! So Please Pick Patty for President

Eli Berns-Zieve

Hi, my name is Eli Berns-Zieve and I am running for president of the class of 2013. I’m originally from Baltimore, Maryland but I now live on the fourth floor of Davison. I am running for president because I hold a genuine interest in politics and social justice and view this position as an excellent manifestation of these interests. During high school I participated in various activities ranging from volunteer work at the American Civil Liberties Union to the organization of a weeklong tour of historic civil rights locations throughout the south. At Vassar I would like to take my interest in politics and society to the next level and this position is the perfect step. I’m outgoing and very easy to talk to (ask my fellow group—Davison 4 north) and very excited about the possibility of being president of our class. Even though I’ve been at Vassar for less than a month I have some general ideas and goals I’d like to accomplish. As president of the freshman class my primary goal would be to smooth the transition of our class into the Vassar community. Older classes have already had a few years to develop a sense of community and it is absolutely necessary that we begin this process in the right way. My first goal is to extend library hours. If your lifestyle is anything like mine you probably more or less live in the library (in fact, I’m there now) and the longer it’s open the better. Another goal would be to talk more businesses in town to accept VCASH. Enhanced use of the VCASH system would serve to build a stronger bond with the greater Poughkeepsie community and personally I know that if more restaurants accepted it my life would be easier—imagine how much smoother those midnight restaurant visits would go! One more step in establishing a successful bond with the community is to develop a relationship of mutual respect with the security staff. This can be accomplished by something as simple as learning the names of the officers around campus. As for now I have to wrap up because the library is closing but I’m sure I’ll be meeting a lot of you in the upcoming week and don’t forget to vote for Eli Berns-Zieve starting September 22. Also feel free to stop by Davison 400E or email me at elbernszieve@vassar.edu.

Ocasio Willson

Before I start talking about myself, I want to talk a little bit about the many talents and skills I have seen among our freshmen student body in such a short period of time. Where I come from, what you see is certainly not what you get. This is the case at Vassar College as well. I’ve met talented singers, artists, dancers, poets, etc. I have met passionate and thoughtful intellectuals and activists. And I have met people who are trying to find their place in this new world. I would not expect all of this if I were looking in from the outside. I believe it is important to show all of this richness, and, more importantly, to leverage it so that our strengths can further each other in a collective progress. It sounds good, right? But what does all of this mean? As the leader of our freshman class, I intend to get to know you along with all of your concerns, suggestions, and interests. This requires you to be involved, and me to listen. Regardless of the short time we have all been here for, we have a pretty good idea about what we like and don’t like about Vassar so far. I want to hear it! We all should have a functional place in our community, and I consider it my job to be able to find that place for everyone. In doing so, we may optimize our potential, and achieve whatever we collectively decide is necessary. So, what makes me so qualified for the job? I don’t want to ramble on about all the stuff I have done, so I will try to make this short and sweet. I went to Albany High School in Albany, NY. It was a predominately black school in the inner city, shamed for its metal detectors, frequent violent outbreaks, and extremely low graduation rate. However, within the depths of this criticized institution dwelled sincere and passionate teachers, unbelievably genuine students, and a community that sacrifices everyday for the betterment of the students. This has inspired me to be a part of my community, and contribute as much as I can to it. In doing so, I have developed invaluable leadership skills that I can use as freshman class president. I have a very long history of being active with my peers, and leading many people with varying perspectives. I will briefly highlight some key activities. As the President of Key Club, one of the things I accomplished was bringing the Green Movement to my high school. The School Board is now considering using reusable trays instead of Styrofoam. As the Student Representative of the School Board, I have first-hand experience on how the bureaucracy behind education can sometimes affect the thorough consideration of all aspects of the system, and so I am in a better position to develop strategies that will help mitigate the conflict between bureaucracy and fairness. The position as Student Rep has also taught me how to voice the general consensus of a large number of people (over 2500), and so 600 will seem easy. I co-founded ‘Student Ambassadors,’ a peer-mentoring group where successful upperclassmen mentor a selected group of freshmen, to help them avoid the pitfalls of the high school experience. This will help begin to change the currently tainted image of Albany High. I have also founded Student Society of Finance in conjunction with the Albany YMCA in which we have partnered with our local financial institutions such as M&T Bank, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, and plan to partner with Siena College’s business school next year. This program not only promotes financial literacy, but also serves as a networking platform for students to connect with various opportunities in the community. My leadership involvement derives from my passion for service. Over the years, I have developed the skills necessary for this job. I am able to communicate ideas effectively, take and give constructive criticism, and build a strong team. Most importantly, I have vision. I, then, can develop objectives to achieve that vision, and break that in tasks to delegate to the appropriate people. This skill is invaluable when leading and I hope that you can relate to my vision. Put simply, my vision for us is to make the freshmen keenly aware of what is going on. So that we can really be a part of it, and begin to challenge the current social dynamic in which freshmen are looked down upon. If we are active and involved, we will be respected as a vital piece of the Vassar community. Since I have only been here for 3 weeks or so, I won’t pretend that I know about all the issues at Vassar. But what I can say is that under my administration, the issues will be heard and addressed to the fullest of our capabilities. I encourage anyone who would like to get to know me on a more personal level to contact me. I will be more than willing to meet everyone. Let’s not miss out on an opportunity to affect our school. When it comes time to vote, I’m sure you will know who is best for the job. Vote for passion. Vote for qualified. Vote for cool. Vote for Ocasio Willson.