Believe it or not, the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) has a tremendous amount of influence on the way things are run here at Wesleyan. It’s time we stand up and use it. That’s why I’m running for President of the WSA with Saul Carlin ’09 as my Vice President.
As chair of the Student Affairs Committee and a vocal member of the WSA’s Executive Committee, I have always been an advocate for students. Over the past two years, I’ve developed close relationships with key administrators, who actually listen to me when I disagree with things the administration is doing.
One great example of this was last year when Fire Safety began to ramp up its inspection process. I had friends who were fined hundreds of dollars for violations that they didn’t know existed. They couldn’t appeal fines, they couldn’t get fines reduced and their rights as students were being trampled. I saw this happening day after day, and I couldn’t believe that this was going on and nothing was being done to stop it. So, I stepped up and got involved. After months of intense negotiations with Fire Safety, I successfully enacted a series of reforms including the creation of an Appeals Board and fine-reduction seminars. Making real progress on an issue that actually impacted student life was incredibly rewarding. That’s why I’ve continued to fight for students on a multitude of issues, from alcohol and party policies to the Army Base in Middletown.
The reason I’m running with Saul Carlin is because he is also an innovative leader who has stood up for students and will continue to do so. He has taken the lead in advocating for transportation improvements here on campus, recently securing a major reduction in the price of a bus ride to New Haven and creating a free shuttle to a cheap commuter bus stop on weekdays.
Although we’ve already made a serious difference in the lives of students, we’re not running because of our records. Over the next two weeks, we’ll talk more about what we’ve done for you as WSA representatives, but more importantly, we’ll talk about our philosophy of leadership and our vision for the future. We’ll share our plans for turning the WSA into a body that can work with the administration when it is right, but effectively stand up to the administration when it is wrong. We’ll tell you about our plan for continuing to improve the WSA’s responsiveness to students by making it more transparent and developing partnerships with student groups on campus.
We need to increase academic flexibility and to explore the possibility of academic minors. We need to protect our woodframe houses, and we need to fight for class-appropriate housing for every student at Wesleyan. Finally, we need to end the administration’s backwards stance on alcohol by focusing on education and cooperation rather than on crackdowns and punishments.
We believe the WSA can stand up for students effectively and make a real difference in the daily lives of students here at Wesleyan. We know how to get the job done, and if elected, we will fight for you with everything we’ve got.
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