This Thursday, the Class of 2020 will elect five representatives to the Student Assembly senate. These representatives will join the 324th session of the senate and will serve until the SA elections in the spring.
12 students are campaigning for the position of Class of 2020 president, and 22 students are campaigning for one of four positions as Class of 2020 senators.
Class presidential candidate Kelsey Vita ’20 says that she decided to campaign because she wanted to increase student involvement in SA.
“I want to make sure the freshman class knows they have people to come to,” Vita said. “I want to be able to bring up issues that they have and support new class initiatives.”
Vita has proposed building a class website, holding biweekly office hours in Swemromas and hosting monthly town-hall-style meetings for students to vote on what projects they want SA to take on. On her campaign website, Vita lists more ideas that she would like to address if elected to SA. This list includes extending the hours for on-campus dining options, providing more meal plan options for freshmen and extending Student Health Center hours to 24/7. Vita also had identified sustainability as an important issue on campus.
“Our college can do a lot more to eliminate waste,” Vita said. “We should set up compost stations around campus by dorms and for certain events on the Sunken Garden. We should also look into electronic recycling and tailgate recycling.”
Another class presidential candidate, Kelsey Short ’20, said that she wants to help freshman halls bond since she feels that many freshmen remain separated from their hall mates at this point in the semester.
“I just really want to know the class and make sure that everyone has a say in important matters and can voice their ideas and concerns,” Short said. “I want them to be able to come to me. I want to make everyone’s year unforgettable.”
I just really want to know the class and make sure that everyone has a say in important matters and can voice their ideas and concerns. I want them to be able to come to me. I want to make everyone’s year unforgettable. — Kelsey Short ’20
Two issues that Short has identified as important on campus are sustainability — particularly related to recycling — and finance in SA. To connect with students and share her platform, Short filmed a short video that included biographical information about herself as well as interviews with some of her friends.
“I have a friend in Student Assembly who’s told me a little bit about it,” Short said. “So far I’ve liked looking at the finance that they do. But I’d want to see what the freshmen want us to look into first.”
Class presidential candidate Caleb Rogers ’20 said that for him, serving as class president would help him represent the College of William in Mary.
“I’ve always been involved[/interested] in politics,” Rogers said in an email. “William and Mary has been a dream of mine for a long while now, so I have always wanted to represent the school. I would like 2020 to mean something at William and Mary. We can be another graduating class or we can stand out. As president, I would bring the grade together and facilitate our class’s ideas to get us there.”
On his campaign website, Rogers lists a four-prong platform focusing on communication between himself and the student body. On his website, Rogers said that he is interesting in making food-waste recycling as efficient as possible through building relationships with Campus Kitchens and The Food Recovery Network. He also said that he would like to hold Class of 2020-specific events, including dances and holiday parties.
“Inclusivity is a huge goal,” Rogers said on his website. “I will constantly have my eye towards bringing our class together. I never want to only know people I agree with. I’m hoping these events will introduce us to new friends who will challenge us. We all have things in common, let’s find these things out together. Collaboration is a great way to do this. If elected, I plan to create a system in which you can find other freshman [sic] who share a class with you. Through this, you can find study partners for you to get even better grades.”
Campaigning began Sept. 19 at midnight.
