Current Student Assembly secretaries Stacey LaRiviere ’14 and Alicia Moore ’14 believe they are ready to “inspire, engage, lead” the student body at the College of William and Mary.
“The inspire part means … recognizing what issues William and Mary students care about the most and making sure that that is reflected in the work that we do,” Moore said. “The engage part is actually going out to students and getting them involved in the process. The last part of our slogan, lead, relates to how we execute things.” LaRiviere and Moore plan on training leaders, reaching out to the City of Williamsburg and increasing the SA’s collaboration with other organizations.
“We want to inspire people to be engaged [and] to want to participate, not just within the Student Assembly but at the community level,” LaRiviere said.
LaRiviere, who previously served as treasurer of PanHellenic Council, plans on using open applications to appoint the Executive Appropriations Committee to make a more representative body. The EAC, determines the initial budget for the SA and student organizations and is currently appointed by the secretary of finance. LaRiviere also wants to add an undersecretary of financial outreach to help organizations understand how the budgeting process works.
If elected, the duo will use an open application process to appoint executive secretaries. They hope to have the opportunity to appoint a graduate student to their cabinet.
“This isn’t just an undergraduate campus. There’s the law school and then there’s the School of [Education]. I really think those populations need to be drawn in rather than separated,” LaRiviere said.
Moore, a public health major and member of Health Outreach Peer Educators, hopes to continue the mental and sexual health efforts of the current SA, including continuing to provide subsidized STI testing and free flu shots.
Even with the proposed budget increase, the budget for STI testing subsidization will be tight. Moore says she will ensure efficient use of the funds and hopes to provide increased health education opportunities.
“If you look at the effectiveness of any program, the magnitude of the impact is affected by the level of education,” Moore said. “It’s the foundation of everything we do with public health.”
LaRiviere and Moore plan on updating the SA’s website and using an online form to reach out to students.
“You have to live by what you believe in and I think that Alicia and I do that,” LaRiviere said. “We really have the students first in our hearts and in our initiatives. We are trying to make the Student Assembly more student-friendly and I think by working together, Alicia and I can deliver what we promise.”
