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.
Dear Fellow Students,
For the past year I have had the wonderful experience of being one of your Campus Life Representatives. In this position I have been able to help with Student Council outreach and transparency, as well as my favorite, publicity! Over the course of my term, the members of StuCo became very close, leading to excellent teamwork and making StuCo an integral part of my Swarthmore experience.
I have decided to run for Vice President because I have the experience and the passion for Student Council necessary for this position.
Unlike other StuCo positions, the President and Vice President have much more demanding responsibilities such as attending regular meetings with the Dean of Students and President of the College, as well as the privilege of being an observer at the board of managers meetings. The Vice President is also the constitutional expert and in charge of the elections process.
I feel I am uniquely qualified to meet these demands.
I have worked closely with the current VP Nate Erskine for the past year, so I have first hand knowledge of what the job will be like. As an RA and ex-SAM I am very comfortable communicating with the administration. I have put a lot of effort into publicizing the elections and would love to be in charge of the process! And though I’m no constitutional expert yet, my meticulous scheduling and planning skills will have me a knowledgeable in no time.
Besides meeting my administrative responsibilities, if elected Vice President, these are the goals I wish to accomplish:
I promise to initiate regular meetings between Student Council and student group leaders. As elected representatives, I feel it is our responsibility to get input from the leaders of the ICC/BCC communities, religious groups, environmental groups and any other interested group in order to maintain StuCo as informed as possible on the needs and concerns of Swarthmore students.
I promise to make Student Council a more active student voice. StuCo is criticized for being too neutral on controversial topics, and though we do need to maintain some neutrality as we represent all the student body, it is also our responsibility to actively support or oppose administrative decisions.
I promise to continue my work on publicity by helping to popularize StuCo’s facebook page as well as our website. I want to make sure we are able to communicate our goals and accomplishments as they are happening, without spamming of course. 🙂
On a more specific note, I really want to improve life for students with food allergies and diabetes. I will collaborate with Dining Services to bring sugar-free options, always have non-fried alternatives, and more gluten-free options. Also, I will work with athletics to allow students who cannot workout in a scheduled time frame to get PE credit from going to the gym regularly on their own hours.
Ultimately, I am passionate about Student Council and the differences I can make. After a year on StuCo, I feel I am absolutely ready to be your next Vice President.
Sincerely,
Ambar Mariela La Forgia