Here are the minutes from Candidates’ Forum on February 4. I apologize for any and all spelling and grammatical errors and improperly represented questions. Please send any complaints about these errors to elections@brynmawr.edu.
You can read the minutes behind the cut.
Hannah C-M: Welcome to candidates’ forum!
Candidates for President: Sophie Papavizas, Rodline Louijeune, Sarah Sherman
Liana Donahue ’12: What are the changes you would like to see at SGA? How do you feel like its current state?
Sophie P.: Previous years we’ve had drama and made progress. I’d like to see more support for arts community and also like to change the role SGA takes in the campus budget process.
Sarah S.: I think SGA has been doing better this year than last year. We want to build membership; I think we need to make it more accessible, so that people feel free to come.
Roldine L.: I admit that it has improved greatly. I think this year it is one thing to build the administration’s trust, but we need to build student trust and we need to reach out to faculty and to make it clear that SGA is the student’s forum. We also need more diversity in the student government to reflect the student body.
Taline Cox ’10: What are your time commitments?
Roldine L.: This year I will be done with major and I am very much ahead. I will reduce my course load next year and finish my thesis 1st semester.
Sarah S.: I will still be doing traditions and I’ve applied for HA, but I don’t know how that’s going to work out. Also, my thesis won’t start until later next year.
Sophie P.: Ahead in senior year I have three classes and a thesis but it shouldn’t interfere with the position.
Zandra Martinez ’11: Sarah [Sherman]-Do you any anticipate any problems with potentially holding the position of SGA president and Traditions Mistress simultaneously?
Sarah S.: May Day is all ready underway. I don’t think it should interfere. If we weren’t as prepared it would be a problem.
Student ’11: What do you expect to be most difficult about being president? How do you over-come these difficulties?
Sarah S: The time commit, but I want to spend the time on it.
Sophie P: SGA is all ready an expected part for me. The challenge is welcoming the new undergraduate dean-it will be a significant change to SGA and student life. Second is dealing with trailing budget issues for the college in the economic downturn.
Roldine L: The time commitment and although at Bryn Mawr we tend overload ourselves I intend to decrease that load if I get the position. I hope to reach out to people who are not in SGA and usher in new dean and new class properly.
Tanya Kaur 10: What is your greatest strength and weakness?
Roldine L: I wasn’t here last semester-but by reading bi-co and checking in with people I’ve worked to sufficiently catch up.
Sarah S: Weakness is that I am involved in many things, but I also think it structures me because if I have too much free time, then nothing gets done. I think my greatest strength is from being in SGA– I know what I want for the future.
Sophie P: Strength is my ability to bring out the best in people, although sometimes it can be a weakness because I set the standard too high.
Liana ’12: A big problem in SGA is lack of frosh involved. How do you intend to attract them?
Sophie P: One problem is the script procedure but I think in the last year with appointments we have received an extraordinary number of great freshmen. We have seen a lot who come at the end of the year also.
Sarah S: I agree that appointments is great way to get involved. There’s custom’s week-why isn’t there SGA customs week? I think there might be encouragement from HA’s and customs people for the freshmen.
Roldine L: I heard a point of info that the frosh do get an intro to SGA, but I do agree with Sarah that reaching out to HAs and customs people to encourage frosh. Also making SGA a more welcoming environment by just smiling and greeting people would be very helpful.
VP Candidates: Yong Jung Cho, Sarah Shaw
Greta Bednarczyk ’10: What has your role been with appointments?
Yong: I was just on the appointments committee so I would say I am very aware of the process and spent a lot of time working on it. We got a large increase in applications this year.
Sarah S: I too was just recently a member like Yong. We definitely had a wider degree of applicants this time around.
Sarah Sherman ’11: Time committments?
Sarah S: I’m on the Mayuri dance team, which requires a max 5 hours on saturday and sunday. We have a showcase in April. And I’m customs in Merion but that’s not much of a time commitment. I am also scheduling supervisor at Wyndam 2-3 hrs a week, but that’s it. I am applying to be an HA.
Yong: VP requires a lot of time and is very involved on campus. I am pres of the greens, customs Rhoads N 1st floor, and I work in the office of the arts.
Tanya Kaur ’10: A lot of situations come up in exec board. How would you deal with a situation in which someone didn’t do what they were supposed to?
Yong: There are always appropriate excuses and when those happen we need to be considerate, but if we have a bad attitude no one will be happy.
Sarah S: We have had several occurrences of people not getting work in on time but as a committee we need to keep an eye out for the best person.
Jasmine Howell ’11: What is the role of vice president?
Sarah S: Appointments committee is imperative, also to assist the president, which does get downplayed, but you are a part of the exec board and you do have the duty to do more than just ask people questions.
Yong: I agree. I will fulfill duties of president as necessary. Appointments is an important, approachable resource. VP also has duty to attend meetings and to provide voice of student and find out what they care about.
Sophie Papavizas ’11: When reviewing an applicant. What is most important? Does class year factor in? What about involvement in SGA and other activities?
Yong: First think of person needed on a committee. Customs and, say, admissions intern are very different-I like to see how student fits into role. We usually encourage newly involved students to volunteer.
Sarah S: First we consider what the position requires of them, look at the application, the interview is obviously a very big part- if you have a position you need to be able to perform under pressure and not clam up. Class year is not so important. If we are appointment committees we want a diversity of class year because its important but it isn’t deciding factor. Experience is depending on the role if we think experience will help perform role better.
Tanya K ’10: Without putting anyone down, what makes u unique from others? Why vote?
Sarah S: You’re right SGA is important. Some days I am totally with SGA and others… The most people think it’s great where the rest to do not. I believe I am creative and innovative, I’ve done great work with advertisement on appointments.
Yong: Best qualities: Take initiative, and get things done. There is evidence of that in previous activities. Right now I am not that detail oriented, and I’m working on it, but I do like to think big on SGA. I have a lot of experience working with administration and speaking with both staff and students
Taline Cox ’10: For sophomores, given that you may be more involved with appointments how do you deal with interviewing people who may be older or more experienced than you?
Yong: Through activities and being involved with offices and students I am well informed on the students and committees. I’d say that age doesn’t affect anything. I don’t think that that it would necessarily would be a bad thing or make me less of a VP, interviewing someone who is a senior or frosh you need to know what the position requires and if person can do it.
Sarah S: I share those opinions. I don’t think age can change ability to interact with someone a year or two older-everyone is a BM student. I know depending on your year your view of SGA is different. That is a very small aspect.
Treasurer: Laurel Lemon ’11
Sarah Kelley ’11: What are your qualifications?
Laurel: I am currently treasurer. I was also previously on the student finance committee.
Julia Fahl ’12: What are your goals for next year?
Laurel: The biggest one is to have communication with the Haverford treasurers. I am unsure of what they spend vs what we spend and I’d like to learn so we do not doubly spend. I’d like to make the budgeting process as easier and work with blackboard. There’s a lot of files in SGA house going back to spring ’03 and I’d like to bring them to excel to see progression of clubs and entire budget.
Yong Jung Cho ’12: How do you make sure that SGA is fiscally responsible?
Laurel: I enforce the Student Finance Committee bi-laws and make sure that clubs don’t spend money on things they’re not supposed to. I want the committee to go through and make sure they buy responsibly. I’m still open for suggestions. I do put all club budgets on blackboad. I’m open to make process more transparent.
Tanya Kaur ’10: If people aren’t fiscally responsible what measures do you put in place?
Laurel: If a club buys something they weren’t supposed to they won’t get funded or reimbursed. People make mistakes but there are rules to say that you won’t get funded for that.
Secretary: Courtney Pinkerton, Julia Aranda
What experience do you have?
Courtney: I don’t have any experience other than attending meetings. I did participate in student government in junior high and high school and I was an officer in clubs.
Julia: My experience is mostly as a community member in 2 ½ years and I have volunteered at all plenaries.
Tanya Kaur’10: What is the role of the secretary in SGA?
Julia: The secretary is the voice of students for administration to hear. She also maintains the minutes at the meetings and keeps record of attendance and knows the constitution well.
Courtney: I agree that the secretary is important as far as minutes and making them available and sending all emails of minutes.
Emma Wisniewski-Barker ’11: How are your organization skills? What are your other commitments?
Courtney: I have efficient typing and I am organized. I work on campus 6-8 hours, I’m class representative for dorm and I take a regular course load. I might not study abroad if I get this position.
Julia: I am pretty organized and my only time commitment is my thesis in fall semester.
Sophie Papavizas ’11: Follow up for Courtney-Are you aware that the position runs until next February and you’d have to resign if you decided to go abroad?
Courtney: Yes, but if I get this then I wouldn’t go abroad
Honor Board Head: Priya Saxena, Susie Kim
Sarah Kelley ’11: What is your experience with the honor board?
Susie: I am currently on it as junior representative, I sat in on 1 of 2 hearings last semester. I have also been member at large and have been at all meetings and plenaries.
Priya: I am sophomore representative and I am dorm rep in haffner. I also work with peer mediation and I’m working with Carolyn Lloyd on that because I think peer meditation goes hand in hand with honor board.
Sophie Papavizas ’11: What do you feel the role of Honor Board Head is?
Priya: It has a role in exec board and in budgeting and plenary
Susie: I have the impression that we direct hearings. Communication is key.
Katherine Redford ’10: What are your time commitments?
Susie: I am currently peer mentor in rock, working in library 5 hours per week. I am also a chem major, which takes time, but I have managed well. As senior I am aware that chem course load gets heavier but the thesis is optional.
Priya: I work as supervisor 6-8 hrs week in Haffner. I am secretary and musical director of the Night Owls
Roldine Louijeune ’11: What will you bring to the position?
Priya: Being a peer mediator I have learned levels of conflict. I am very understanding, pay a lot of attention to what the professor has to say about a student. I bring in experience with mediation and all ready being on honor board
Susie: I’ve had 2 opportunities as a peer mentor and TA in math class. As Peer Mentor I listen to people in light of personal things in their lives and consult them to manage time. As TA I help concrete understanding of math and go to the professor to create digest of what students understand. An important quality to have is to look at holistic situation and not be biased on the specifics.
Elections Head: Sarah Kelley
Laurel Lemon ’11: What is your experience?
Sarah: I’ve been a community member since sophomore year and on elections board sophomore year, but worked with Hannah on two elections and been member at large.
Tanya Kaur ’10: Elections are often contentious. How will you deal with potential problems?
Sarah: I’ll consult the Elections by-laws. If they don’t help, I’ll speak with Hannah [Curry-McDougald] or MaryBeth [Horvath] or the undergraduate dean if necessary.
Taline Cox ’10: What are your time commitments?
Sarah: Time commitment for an election head comes in spurts other than weekly meeting. I’m a dancer, which I can drop if necessary. I also supervise at Wyndam and I’ve applied for HA next year.
Tanya Kaur ’10: What about the change from SurveyMonkey to blackboard voting?
Sarah: I’m not very tech inclined, but Hannah [Curry-McDougald] can help for first elect.
Appointments: Hannah Slavitt, Kendra Kelly, Meghna Singh, Alex Martin-Seaver, Rebecca Sanders, Susan Gao
Sarah Kelley ’11: Why are you good for this postion?
Alex: I like looking at different perspectives.
Hannah: I have experience previously. I am a good and active listener.
Kendra: I’m coming to SGA because I really like enthusiastic people and I’d like to help find other enthusiastic people to be involved.
Susan: I am an active community member- I am involved in the bi-co and I hope to learn more and find ways to contribute. With this position you need to have good judgment, and I believe I do.
Meghna: I am involved in community and a good listener and I love hearing people.
Rebecca: I am a good judge of character and that is important in interview process. I am very approachable and enthusiastic about getting more involved in SGA.
Sophie Papavizas’11: Hannah- you are the only returning candidate what have you learned?
Hannah: It is important to get a good set of questions as well as getting to know fellow committee members.
Sophie Papavizas ’11: Decisions on Appointments are made by consensus. How would you feel about a situation where don’t agree?
Alex: I was the high school editor of lit magazine which involved lots of compromise. I was worried about compromise with roommates but that’s been fine.
Hannah: Appointments most recently has been my experience with compromise but also in high school I co founded a women’s issues group with no hierarchy and had to decide by consensus. You just have to be very respectful to each other.
Kendra: Theater in high school, specifically, directing and casting to see how dynamics work to see who is going to be committed.
Susan: I come from a very diverse background and I tend to be very empathetic and can see into backgrounds.
Meghna: I was editor of lit magazine and student council head where I acted as mediator between staff and faculty and became familiar with conflict management.
Rebecca: I am customs in Rock, not only working with partner but DLT, where I share ideas while standing by convictions.
Yong Jung Cho ’12: Best and worst traits?
Rebecca : Best-personable. Worst-shy
Meghna: Best-committed. Worst-shy but also feel a need to get over that.
Susan: best-judgement and critical thinking skills. Worst-being a bit shy and not voicing opinions.
Kendra: Best– Not putting things off when I want to get them done. Worst-I get grumpy if I do not eat and sleep.
Hannah: Best–Focused and can have fun. Worst–Sometimes more independent.
Alex: Worst-I need structure. Best-can create structure.
Young: How are you with email?
Alex: Two words-Gmail and labels.
Hannah: My email is always up and my computer is always on.
Kendra: I’ve recently discovered tags and I am good with email.
Susan: I check it regularly and read every one
Rebecca: I’m pretty comfortable with it and need to check it on hourly basis.
Faculty Representative: Zandra Martinez
Sarah Kelley ’11: What is your prior experience?
Zandra: I started in SGA at the end of freshman year, last year I was member at large. I was abroad but I’ve caught up with this semester.
Susie Kim ’11: Why do you want the position?
Zandra: I love faculty and this is a way to work with them outside the classroom.
Sophie Papavizas ’11: What is your experience working with adults and how do you make sure your voice is heard?
Zandra: My work with Girl Scouts getting my gold award entailed working with other organizations, so I don’t think working with faculty here will be a problem.
