The election blurbs for Spring 2014 senate elections are below in alphabetical order. Elections assembly will be held from 3-5PM on May 6 in the SU. Elections will be open on SIN from 8AM Thursday, May 8 to 11:59 PM Saturday, May 10.
Elaine Andersen ‘16
Hi! I’m Elaine Andersen (sophomore, political science). Please vote for me <3
Things I already do/have done:
~go to senate meetings
~co-wrote/ direkted Humplay (MMXiV)
~organize cool things (STI testing! vaccination events! survivor advocacy!) with the Feminist Student Union (FSU) & Reedies for Sexual Health Awareness (RSHA)
~werk in the admission office
Things I want to do on senate:
~foreground student health & wellness through compassion and harm reduction
~advocate for community inclusivity (vote for me for a queerer senate!)
~respond to y’all’s queries (email me at andersee@reed.edu)
Other reasons to elect me:
~snapchat game on point
~Rennie called me a “student leader” one time
Liam Bowcock ‘16
I have one main goal I want to achieve: defend student body autonomy tooth and nail while maintaining a congenial relationship with the administration. I will work damn hard to make sure the ever-threatened autonomy is protected. I’ll also work damn hard on whatever else Senate will inevitably get pulled into. When you think of me, think “Damn Hard.”
Jasmyn Curry ‘16
Hello, I’m Jasmyn (or The Amazing Jasmyn). I’m fun and great and I care about Reed. For more important details, I can be contacted/followed at:twitter.com/jasmynisamazing
Emily Curtis ‘16
Hey guys, I’m Emily. I’m going to give this to you short and sweet, bullet point style.
Things I’d like to do on Senate:
- Consolidate and disseminate information on student involvement & activities: I wish my friends and I had realized earlier how ridiculously easy it is to turn a Cool Idea into a Cool Thing on this campus…Cheese Club probably would’ve come about a lot sooner. The lack of simple, accessible information about student involvement poses a challenge especially to new community members, when things are still shiny and new and concrete information difficult to come by (“what is a SIN?”). I’d like to create a community resource focused on involvement at Reed which would ideally present simple, streamlined introductory information on how to start a club/hold an event, which student groups are currently active, what resources are available for student projects, and top all this off with a massive calendar for Student Body events.
- Create Community Health & Wellness Liaison: at Reed we take a lot of things seriously, and rarely is it our health. The HCC and Community Wellness Office do great work, but there’s still plenty of room to grow. Senate should be a part of a pro-active campus conversation of how we can better look after our community members and ourselves.
- Talk about mediation: Recent events have highlighted the need for a discussion of what mediation looks like in our community, not simply amongst students, but faculty and staff as well. What kind of place do we want mediation to hold in the future of governance and judicial proceedings at Reed? Who can mediate with whom? How does honor fit into interactions between students, faculty, and staff? This discussion needs to take place, and we should use it as an opportunity to clearly define our community standards of mediation.
To sum it up: I love Reed, and I think the student autonomy we have is a gift that we can’t appreciate passively. Instead, it needs to be used to promote difficult, but essential conversations about what it means to be a part of this community and how we want to define ourselves. I want to use a position on Senate to have these conversations, but also to do something about them. If you have any questions, you can shoot them to my email at curtise@reed.edu.
Sita Goetschius ‘15
Hey! I’m Sita. I’m a junior Political Science major and am really excited to run for senate. I have been a student intern at the Multicultural Resource Center for three years, am one of the Orientation Coordinators for 2014, and am on the Student Diversity Committee. Long story short, I know how things at Reed run. I’ve worked with the administration, various college offices, other student groups, and my peers to organize events, projects, and campus- wide discussions. I was also the signator for Reed Student Advocates for a year and a half and am a trained sexual assault and domestic violence support advocate. I’ve planned budgets, advertised events, and talked to students about issues they face on campus.
While on Senate, I plan on continue working with the Student Diversity Committee on creating a bias incident reporting system at Reed. I have already begun research on the types of systems Reed’s peer institutions have in place in order to assess how Reed can implement one of its own. I also would like to work with the ADSAPR and Reed Student Advocates about ways in which Reed can provide more institutional support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Lemme know if you have any questions/comments etc. at sigoets@reed.edu
Meagan Harris ‘15
Hello my name is Meagan Harris and I am running for Student Body Senator. I am not a fish, I am not an elephant, I am a Reedie, and I am here, you know. It’s hard to pay attention to all these different things going on at the end of the semester. In the midst of finals, packing, and spending some glorious moments on the front lawn in the sun with friends, I urge you to not let these Senate elections fall to the wayside. Because I can be your friend in the sun and on the lawn. The Student Body Senate is not a detail of Reed College, just as we, the student body it represents, are not a detail of Reed College. Read the blurbs. Talk to your candidates. Go to the elections assembly. Vote. Make Reed yours and be active in making it a better place. Together we can promote those dynamics that make it great. We will adapt what doesn’t work into new and even better projects, creations, and traditions. Even those that only happen once will be yours. In my three years here I have been on the Quest Board and seen how wonderful Reed can be. In this time, there are countless stories of Reedies making campus a better place. It is clear that our energetic and distinctive community depends on the students that embody this enthusiasm and creativity. And this is why I am running for Senate. I want to help. I can help. Reed has a lot of resources, but often students are unaware of them. I will open up much needed communication between our campus communities, including the administration, CSOs, and even faculty to realize how to utilize them best. More programs and opportunities. Senate is the place to do that, to facilitate the student body in making the school the place we want it to be.
Galen Harrison ‘15
Hi everyone, I’m Galen Harrison, and I’m running for Senate for the first time, though I’ve been involved in student governance via the Judicial Board for the past two years. There are a couple of reasons why I think I could contribute to Senate. 1. It’s extremely likely, if not certain, that the Discriminatory Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy (DHSM, if you want to use a cool initialism) will need to be revised. As a chair of the Judicial Board for the past year, and as a regular member for the year before that, I’ve seen what our sexual misconduct adjudication process looks like. I want to bring that knowledge and experience to bear on forming a new policy that doesn’t put Reed on the Department of Education’s shit list while preserving a fair and just process for everyone involved. 2. Relatedly, I know things about how this school works, like things that are completely pointless and boring to anyone normal. However, this sort of procedural knowledge is really important when it comes to Getting Shit Done, especially when dealing with the administration. I know how to make things happen in the administration, and I want to continue to use that to advance the interests of the student body. 3. Last year, the Division of Mathematics and Sciences accounted for the largest percentage of graduates from Reed (www.reed.edu/ir/enrollment), and yet the composition of student government has failed to reflect that. If we want to preserve student body autonomy, it’s crucial that senate be representative of the student body. While I don’t think that somehow all STEM (or, more aptly, S&M majors, since we have no technology or engineering related majors) majors represent some kind of unified unrepresented interest group, I do think that everyone should know, or at least know of, someone who’s involved. TL;DR: There are changes coming down the pipeline, and what they look like is up to us. I think I have the chops for the job, and I want to put them to use. I’m pro- Honor Principle and pro- student body autonomy. If you want to talk to me about senate, or about J-Board, hit me up at gharriso@reed.edu. Remember to vote, preferably for me, but if you vote for someone else, that’s also chill.
Ashlin Hatch ‘17
Hey, I’m Ashlin! But if you’re trying to get my attention across a crowded room, I also answer to “Steve NAshlin,” “Bangers and MAshlin,” “Damn—I forgot where I hid my StAshlin,” etc. I’m a Lit/Theatre Freshman, my favorite genre of music is very cheesy Christmas carols (I am always down to sing one with you, if you’re looking for some cheer), and I have been known to do pretty okay Sarah Palin impressions. Other (debatably more important) things to know about me as a candidate for Student Senator:
- This year, I was Senate Secretary! This means that I’ve gone to and taken minutes for EVERY SENATE MEETING since September. I’ve gotten to be a partof a lot of important policymaking conversations, and I’ve acquired an intimateknowledge of how Senate works. I have a good handle on the issues that Senatehas dealt with this year, and I’m hoping to use that institutional knowledge tocontribute to upcoming discussions in a constructive and informative way.
- I have experience on committees. This year I’ve been a Senaterepresentative on both Student Diversity Committee and Murals Committee. This work has taught me a lot about bureaucracy at Reed and has helped me create foundational working relationships with many of the administrators andfaculty members with whom Senate interacts.
- I want to advocate for student leadership stipend subsidies. With the new Endowment bylaw change having just been passed, I want to advocate thatthe money we get for Student Opportunity Subsidies be used to raise stipends for students with financial need who are looking to hold appointed or elected Student Body leadership positions. Getting this system off the ground will be complicated, but I’m confident that my knowledge of this bylaw’s creation process would be helpful in making this opportunity into a reality.
- I want to be a Senate voice for curricular change. I am so excited about the student support of Gender, Race and Ethnic Studies programs that was shown at the recent Reed Union, and I’d like to use my voice on Senate to continue advocacy for their creation. I would also like to be an advocate for Theatre production and Studio Art classes continuing their journey toward getting more widely recognized group credit and having sufficient staffing.
- I want to generally defend your STUDENT AUTONOMY. Sometimes policymaking and politicking gets to be messy and difficult and group-cryinducing. I want to help make sure that we never lose sight of the value of ourautonomy, even when things get tough. I want to fight for YOU! If you have questions, comments, concerns, hopes, dreams, OR just want to sing, hit me up at ashhatch@reed.edu / come chat with me whenever!
<3 AshHatch
Kate Hilts ‘16
Kate Hilts, Environmental Studies-Political Science major here to solve the problems of collective action. Recently, CSO engagement, administration censorship, etc have put student autonomy at serious risk. ~im here to protect it~ Seriously through, I’m ready to deliberate//think real hard//take careful notes//engage in that discourse//listen to any of you who want some representing//generally continue the recent tradition of strong female senators who kick ass. Luv you Reed, I’ll make you proud<3
Christina Johnson ‘15
Greetings Reedies! I’m Christina and I’m a rising Senior Biochemistry-Molecular Biology (BMB) major. I’m a Night Owl, a member of SSDP, and a nationally registered EMT. This year, I have been working with both the Night Owls and SSDP to help keep Reed an informed and safe place. Saw the “How much alcohol is in YOUR 40 oz?” posters? That was me. Saw the SSDP info guides this Renn Fayre? Also me (with help). I am big into making sure that Reedies have all of the information and resources they might need to be happy and healthy at Reed, so I’d like to act as sort of health and wellness liaison on senate. You gotta problem with the way the administration handles heroin recovery? I’m your girl. You wanna see more widely disseminated drug harm prevention info? I can help you out. You wanna start a dialogue about why substance abuse is prevalent at Reed? Let’s talk. You wanna talk about stress culture and mental health and what Reed can do to help? I got you.
The reputation of the college shouldn’t come before Reed student’s health and wellbeing and harm prevention efforts shouldn’t be a casualty of rebranding the school’s public image. Help me stop this from happening and help me keep all of you guys chilling by voting for me!
Thanks,
Christina J.
Theo Landsman ‘16
Hey, I’m Theodore Landsman and I’m running for Senate. I love Reed and I’d love to get a chance to improve it by serving as one of your Senators. I want to be part of the conversation with the administration about recent crackdowns and policy revisions concerning Reed’s CSO search protocols and recent treatment of students. I also want to be part of the conversation on how outsider involvement at Reed is treated, what outsiders need to do to generate trust, and what Reedies can do to maintain the honor principle and the other foundations of our trust in each other and our community.
Kathryn Loucks ‘17
As spring semester comes to an end elections assembly draws near. You are probably wondering who to vote for. Actually you are probably not wondering that at all, Rennfayre is coming up so I think it is safe to assume most of our minds are elsewhere (thanx alienz). If you are wondering who to vote for the answer might be me. Though I am but a lowly freshman, I truly think that I could be a valuable edition to Reed Student Senate. This past semester I have developed a deep appreciation for this school, and this community. Along with this deep appreciation (possibly even love?) I have also developed a growing sense of urgency to become more involved with this place. Eating, sleeping, and learning within the confines of ODB, commons, and the library just is not enough. I came to Reed expecting a lot from this school and I have gained so so much from being here with all of you. I am enthusiastic about giving back all of the wonderful things I have received. I want to change this place (yes change, I know, terrifying) for the better, and I want each and every one of you to want to change this place too. I have decided to make a concerted effort to make Reed the place I want it to be. It is likely that none of us will ever again have the ability to so actively construct the community that surrounds us. Let us take it upon ourselves to continue making Reed the amazing place it is, and can be. With that hopeful, idealistic, mildly sleep deprived rhetoric, I urge you to go to elections assembly and vote! Thanks lovely people I hope to see you there.
Miranda Mishan ‘17
My name’s Miranda, and I’m here to get shit done. I’m a freshman, and my hobbies include rugby, playing the violin, and getting shit done.
I’m running for senate because I love Reed, and I’ve realized how precious our autonomy is, and how hard we must work to defend it. I’m not afraid to try and change what I don’t like, or to fight hard for what I love.
I believe that my determination, commitment to honor, and dedication to a good time would be a positive addition to Senate.
Leila Pyle ‘17
My name is Leila. I love people and trees and art. If I could say one thing to every person at Reed, I would tell you with certainty that every single person, including you, has the ability to make the world a better place. I thank you for taking the time to consider me for Senate. I strongly believe that three of the most important things at Reed are Sustainability, Honor, and Community, and I believe they all related in the way we interact with each other and our land. I really care about making Reed a healthier, more sustainable place to live and play. So I’m asking you: What do you care about? What do you think would make Reed a more livable community? Or sustainable, or joyful, or respectful, or honorable, or engaging, or fun, or fabulous, or whatever! I spent my first year at Reed becoming involved with Greenboard, SEEDS, and the Science Outreach program, all of which taught me that this school is filled with so many amazing and passionate people who really care about making our campus and our world a better place. As a senator I would work to make sure that student voices are fairly heard, and I would work not only on issues that I care about like sustainability, but more importantly on issues that YOU care about. So let me know! How can I best represent you? Feel free to email me at pylel@reed.edu to get in touch.
Thank you!!!
Aaron Ramcharan ‘17
Hey, I’m Aaron. Let’s get to it. Here’s why I’m qualified to be a senator: -I’ve been to every senate and faculty meeting this year. I’ve done my research into how senate operates, and I’ve been there for all the major and minor events that Senate has gone through this year. I cover the faculty meetings for the quest. But, after all that, I’ve realized that it’s not so much about following the rules, it’s more about making shit up as we go.
- I’m familiar with committees. This past year, I’ve been on SCAPP, the Student Committee for Academic Policy and Planning, with 4 other senators. I can work in those environments, but I know that often times the best thing to do is listen to Daft Punk to get us going.
- My potential for institutional memory. I could, theoretically, be on senate for 3 years (please, don’t hold me to that). I still have a lot to learn with regards to institutional knowledge, but, as a start, I’ve read most of the online quest archives and much of the community documents.
- I know how to articulate why I love Reed. This past year, I’ve worked in the Admissions Office as a lunch host, morning greeter, and over-night host. Next year, I’ll be a campus guide. I have had plenty of time learning how to articulate myself to prospies about why I love Reed. I know my position in the school and know what I can do from here. What I would do on senate:
- Use my knowledge of faculty and administrative bodies to the advantage of the Student Body. Having been to all of the faculty meetings this year, and sat in on almost all of the Committee for Academic Policy and Planning meetings (which includes people like Nigel Nicholson and John Kroger), I can use my experience dealing with the other community bodies to the advantage of the Student Body. I have learned some of how the faculty and administration work, and can use that knowledge to best represent us.
- Bring new perspective. Reed hasn’t yet made me jaded. I like to think that I’m still active, rather than reactive. With the coming implementation of things like the Strategic Planning results, it’s important to represent the student body as a whole.
- Work on more committees. Specifically, I’d like to work on Appointments Committee and AOD Committee while continuing to work on SCAPP.
Vote Aaron for Senate!
Email aaron.ramcharan@reed.edu with any questions/comments. I’d love to talk.
Daniel Spielberger ‘15
For the past three years, I have been very lucky to be part of this community. I want to address the everyday issues, like the giant printing bill that my aggro dad just sent five ALL CAPS emails about and making sure that every building has a gender neutral bathroom. Let’s talk about it.
David Satten-Lopez ‘16
In my Why Reed” essay I wrote: School should not be all about grades and it most certainly should not be a competition. It shouldn’t be a chore or a means. School should be a place to learn for the love of learning. School should be a place for self-betterment and self-fulfillment. The teachers and students should be engaged with one another (like peers). Assignments should be worthwhile and meaningful for students. I felt (this) sense of community (at Reed) that’s shared among students and fostered by the institution itself. After about two years since I submitted those words I still find them to resonate with me and my vision of Reed. And no matter if this sort of idealism is, untenable, I believe it is something to still be striving for. I think the key words needing interpretation are “fostered by the institution itself.” I believe the administration needs to give Reedies range to make our community. It needs to be organic. Administration can help no doubt but at the request of students. Reedies create norms, not Res Life nor the admissions office. With strategic planning gaining momentum, I hope to be as involved as possible to try to hold Reed to my idealism. If we, as students, don’t fight for this ideal, no one will. Senate is another opportunity for my involvement. Overall, my main hope is that in some way I can make senate louder. Get more dialogue happening on campus, not just in senate meetings. I’ve seen Senate Beat happening in The Quest again. Solid, that’s a step. So, this ideal, I believe others do have or have shared this notion of Reed with me. I know anecdotally from speaking to you, hearing your disappointments and sharing mine. So, I urge you guys to show up to senate meetings and strategic planning forums to say what you’ve told others, yourself, or me about Reed. I’m not going to make claims about getting more people to show up to senate. That’s been done and they tend to not pan out. I will promise this though, that if you do come to me I’ll listen and respond as best I can. In turn, I’ll raise our concerns at the meetings and the forums. That’s what I can do as a representative, regardless of being elected.
If you’d like to get to know me, learn more, shoot the shit; let’s do it. My phone is 5207304929. Find me on campus; I’m living grove side this year.
Helen Spencer-Wallace ‘15
Dearest colleagues, as I sit here on Renn Fayre eve, my 4th such eve in my time, I think about why I want to be your senator, as I watch the people I came to Reed with earn their laurels (gonna miss y’all)… Being on senate would be an excellent way to give back to this school that has given me so much. I’m qualified: I’ve been to so many senate meetings that many people assume I’m already on senate. I know about committees, bylaws, amendments, crises (I’ve seen 4 years worth of spring crises at Reed), the administration, the question of student autonomy, and more. I was on Honor Council for a semester. I would go into Senate knowing the ropes. But that leaves the other side of the coin: what would I DO about it? I’d listen to you. I’d orient you to senate when you are new around here. I’d have patience and check my emails and go to the committees and answer your questions. I’d speak up for you if you want me to, make my own opinion heard when it’s relevant, and be quiet when my voice is not needed. I’d remember that even though I don’t know what it’s like to be you, I can represent you as your senator as long as I listen. I have experience with speaking up for people and groups on campus when it’s really hard to do so (like I did during the smoking policy debates): I’m not afraid to say that my views have changed, that I disagree, or that I don’t know the answer. There are a few issues that I’m currently paying the most attention to (but I’m always open to new ones): continuing conversations about bike storage, sexual assault and the DHSM, the newly approved SOS policy which will hopefully allow more lower-income folks to serve in student leadership positions, the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy in general, being chill, Renn Fayre 2k14 close encounters. Vote for me if you think I’d do a good job. I think I would. Feel free to email me at hspencer@reed etc etc etc. Love, Helen Spencer-Wallace (ES History)
August Wissmath ’15
Hey all—I’m a rising senior whose running for senate with hopes of bridging relationships between students and administrators. I chose to run after reading Annam Swanson’s reflections on senate in the Quest. I come to senate with an interest in ways this community can feel more like a place of belonging, (which I believe signifies something deeper than the word “inclusion”). In my time at Reed I’ve built a number of relationships with peers, professors, and administrators, but I’ve been troubled by perceived disconnects between those three parts of our community. When recently talking to an administrator in Reed’s Public Affairs office, I was struck by her choice to describe Reed as a community where students belong, but administrators don’t. Her description gave me the distinct impression that administrators and professors had somehow become part of the landscape in which students belong. It is in my interest to expand our shared sense of belonging to encompass both the student body and the administration. If elected to senate, I hope to build relationships between the administrators, professors, and students; participating in the shared conversations between us which constitutes the very essence of our community.