Student Events Advisor, Angela Meng

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

Hi fellow Swatties,

My name is Angela Meng ’12 and I would like to be your Student Events Advisor. From my experience on SAC, SAO, and a Gazette reporter for StuCo meetings, I understand the multiple and diverse needs of the student body. My unique perspectives and involvement in these pertinent student groups has helped gain me insight on how Student Council can be more effective, more responsive, and more proactive in fulfilling Swatties’ needs and interests.

The Student Events Advisor’s duties on StuCo are essentially two-fold: One, to serve as a liaison between SAC and StuCo and two, to serve as a member of StuCo and propose innovative ideas to improve Swarthmore.

For the first duty, here are my following ideas:

1. SAC Office hours: As SEA, I would work to institute SAC office hours where a SAC member would be in the SAC office for two hours each week and students can drop by for any SAC-related questions, inquiries, or concerns.

2. SAC Closet: I will publish an inventory list outlining the contents of the SAC closet so that students would know what kind of decorations they can borrow from the closet beforehand and write their proposals accordingly. This list will be updated monthly.

3. Liaison System: I will promote a more structured SAC liaison system and advocate for each SAC liaison to send a personal email right after the proposals’ budgets are finalized, a week before the event, and the night before the event. I believe this process will make events run more smoothly, iron out details that the event’s organizer may have missed, etc.

4. Party Themes: As SEA, I will advise, encourage, and work with students to brainstorm more interactive and fun event ideas so we can invigorate and revitalize the Swat social life. Annual party traditions are important, but I also think it’s important to spice up the social life here with fun, interesting party themes.

As a member of StuCo, I am primarily interested in making the connection between StuCo and the student body stronger and closer. For this goal, I believe interaction between the two is key to accomplishing this goal. Here are several of my proposals to do so:

1. Events: Organize a StuCo social event twice each semester to encourage for students to stop by and talk with their StuCo representatives. Ideas include fun Parlor Parties, a monthly off-campus dinner with StuCo members, a luncheon every semester with StuCo members and important school deans and administration members where students can drop by for good catered food and chat with their representatives, etc.

2. Newsletter: A monthly newsletter on current initiatives and StuCo action to reach out to the student body and keep them up-to-date with what is currently going on in Student Council meetings. I would work closely with the StuCo secretary to make this happen.

3. Student Groups: I would advocate for StuCo members to continue to invite student groups and follow up with these groups with personal emails and have at least one StuCo member attend their next event. We would particularly focus on student groups that have major upcoming events the following week. I have noticed that StuCo reaches out to student groups and invite their representatives to talk about their groups; however, I believe that StuCo should continue this interaction by following up with these groups.

4. Board of Managers: I advocate inviting student groups to these board meetings, but with a different type of groups each meeting. I have observed that StuCo has started inviting student group reps to Swarthmore board meetings and I believe that we should continue in this tradition while specifically inviting representatives of groups that currently have important events or issues on campus.

Qualifications:
1. SAC: My experience as a Social Affairs Committee member this past semester will help my transition as a Student Events Advisor. As a SAC member, I understand the inside processes of how student events occur on campus—everything from the SAC proposal to publicity to the actual management of the event.

2. SAO: As co-publicity chair on the Swarthmore Asian Organization board, I have a first-hand perspective on what it actually takes to put events together and have successful turnouts, including personally planning and throwing the SAO Traffic Light Paces party. Concerns about attendance, publicity, and other important details are important and as Students Events Advisor, I would do my best to address these needs on Student Council.

3. Daily Gazette: As a Daily Gazette reporter specially assigned to report on Student Council, I have attended more than ten Student Council meetings and written the StuCo reports. (http://daily.swarthmore.edu/news/stuco/). I can and do comfortably interact with sitting StuCo members, grasp how StuCo meetings are run, and appreciate what StuCo actually does in service to the student body. I am up-to-date on the current business of StuCo and feel completely comfortable with jumping right into StuCo. I am ready from the very first meeting is crucial to serving the student body’s interests.

If elected as your Student Events Advisor, I promise to make StuCo a more responsive and interactive body of representatives. Through my experience in different types of student groups on campus, I have the adequate experience and understanding of what and how to improve the Swarthmore community. As a Swattie, I can relate to all our shared experiences and needs, especially the social life; my SAC membership and Gazette involvement on StuCo has taught me the tools on how to improve it. With my initiative, creativity, and experience, I am the most qualified candidate for the job.

It would be a pleasure to serve my fellow Swatties on Student Council so please vote for Angela Meng for Student Events Advisor. Thank you.