Candidates

President: Sage Arnold; Vice President: Finn Abbey

For too long the Student Government has ignored the real priorities of the student body. No longer! A vote for Finn Abbey and Sage Arnold is a vote for freedom; A vote for liberty; A vote for a Student Government worth paying attention to. Our policies include: Nationalizee Hillside, decriminalize library sex, abolish the business department, donate the endowment to charity, end all foreign conflicts, turn the freshman quad into a community garden, outlaw college Republicans and Democrats, turn Public Safety into delivery drivers, and sell lighters at Hillside.

Hi! My name is Sage Gittleman Arnold, my pronouns are they/them, and I’m here to change your life. As your president, I want to go where no other candidate has gone before. I will pursue a holistic upheaval of life at the University of Rochester. My foremost goal is the abolition of the present state of affairs and the exorcism of all paper tigers which haunt the vision of a better world. I promise to represent the will of the student body absolutely and relentlessly, as I believe horizontal rank and file organization to be the best path towards empowering collective action. Together, let us escape the vile systems which oppress us. Alongside my beautiful running mate Finn Abbey, I promise a glorious descent into madness which will breathe life into this wretched campus. No gods, no kings, no bedtimes: now and forever

My name is Finn “Mr. No More Messing Around” Abbey, and I’m asking for your vote for vice president, I mean senate. I have long been passionate about helping others, speaking loudly and running for things, so I have nearly all the qualifications for this position. I’ve been waving and kissing babies since at least middle school, and I’m the only candidate I know of to have run for State Senate as a high schooler. Did I win? Depends on who you ask. But I hope I can win your vote for this deeply important position. Together with my dashing running mate Sage Arnold, I hope to make Rochester unrecognizable by junior year. Pokemon go to the polls and vote Abbey/Arnold for every position.

President: Adrija Bhattacharjee; Vice President: Sybilla Moore

Hi, thanks for checking out our platform! Our names are Adrija Bhattacharjee and Sybilla Moore, and we’re running to be your next Students’ Association (SA) President and Vice President. Let’s keep this simple: our campaign priorities are Advocacy, Equity, Transparency, and Inclusivity. We know. Big words for Elmo. But no seriously, here’s what these words mean to us, and we hope by the end of this election, they mean the same to you. Advocacy: Always fighting for the needs of students before our own and continuing to have uncomfortable conversations with each other and the administration to better understand the campus community and push for policy changes. Equity: Prioritizing student community needs that have less access to resources and representation, and better connecting with those students by proactively reaching out to them and establishing a relationship with SA for the future. Transparency: Look at our zodiacs, bro. Just kidding. Eliminating the bureaucracy and elitism that comes with SA, changing the outdated policies and rules of procedures, and keeping you as a central part of our dialogue at all times. Inclusivity: Establishing that every student on this campus has a place in SA and in creating campus changes that matter to them. No student should ever feel that SA is not here for them, and every group on this campus will be taken into consideration with every decision that is made. Overall, we see the issues on this campus. We know you see them too. As two people that have been students at the UoR for the past two difficult years, we recognize and understand your hesitancy to trust SA. Student Government should be a space where all of you feel comfortable sharing your experiences and feel assured that your needs are at the forefront of our advocacy. This may not always be evident as SA can present itself as an agency that does not always produce all of the results students want, but that is not going to stop us from continuing to put in the work for you. So you don’t have to care about SA, but we are still always going to care about you. We care about giving your concerns a space, and each and every one of you is a reason to pressure the administration. And that reason is enough for us to represent you as the face of Student Government, so we hope it’s enough for you to trust us with your vote. Students First, Structures Second. For more specific policy goals, campaign information, or simply a place to voice your concerns, follow @vote4sa on Instagram.

President: Cole Senecal; Vice President: Michael Hardy

My partner and I want to create an open and transparent atmosphere that we believe will best bring our class together. We don’t want to be anything more than the voices of our classmates; merely the means by which they accomplish what they choose. They will be our priority, and we will do whatever we can to make them and keep them happy. Both of our personalities and backgrounds, as both a student athlete and normal student, gives us insight into the daily life of the everyday student, and makes us extremely understanding of our fellow students and classmates . A subject that we look to address in our term of office is the ongoing struggle of mental health in students. We take it extremely seriously and would focus a lot of our effort on combatting such things, and creating a healthier environment. An environment conducive of not only a productive and successful life, but a healthy and enjoyable one as well. We hope we can improve everyone’s experience and make a difference in the day to day life of our classmates.

President: Abhinav Singh; Vice President: Matthew Cosentino

Hey YellowJackets! My name is Abhinav Singh, and I am running with Matthew Cosentino to be your next SA President and Vice President. Our platform is built on three key pillars: empowering our student body, creating a culture of transparency between administration and students, and an inclusive community for all yellowjackets. As members of campus organizations from clubs, greek life, and varsity sports, we understand how great it is to be a part of an organization that supports our interests, but also understand the challenges that come along with running an organization. We want to work directly with all our campus leaders holding exec roles, to proactively remove roadblocks and support their objectives. We will empower you by significantly enhancing the communications through weekly updates, social media interactions along with direct lines of communications with SA leadership. When representing the student body, your voice is our voice, and we will do everything in our power to push for whatever is right. Creating a culture of transparency is mandatory for an effective relationship between our student body and our administration. We look forward to working with the university administration to create an environment of trust where we can be consulted, and have the inputs of students from all communities considered in any major decisions impacting us. As outsiders to the SA government, Matt and I understand the frustration felt by students who are not as involved and are yearning for better transparency and stronger communication. Lastly our platform will focus on making this community more inclusive and equitable for all students. We are all yellowjackets and we are proud of having a strong diverse community. We want to engender trust and create a sense of unity and solidarity by developing stronger ties with all underrepresented communities. We commit to being available and accessible and will ensure that your voices are being heard and represented. Having spent three years at this university, Matthew and I have come to love our Rochester family and the yellow jacket spirit and if there is one thing we have learned about this student body it is that we are a strong-minded community, with great ideas. With your help, and our determination to drive change, we are energized by the opportunity to make our Rochester community ever better.

President: Boris Sorokin; Vice President: Isabel Edelstein

The platform of Boris & Isabel will have seven parts in total, covering the most important aspects of improving the U of R student body. Among all the reforms, Democratization of Student Government Policies and procedures will be a high priority. Currently, it is very difficult for a regular student to get involved in SA as the vast majority of the methods are bureaucratic and untransparent. This needs to be changed; this will be changed. Within this necessary change, it is imperative to get student athletes involved in more leadership opportunities and other extracurricular activities here on campus. Going further, we will continue the fight with the Administration for better Diversity Symbols as one of the most important distinctions of the University of Rochester. It’s been a focus of our work to make sure that the flags are returned back to the Hirst Lounge yet, not much has been achieved yet; we must develop alternative ways of representation for our diverse community that we are all so proud of, and use them as stepping stones to achieve better symbols of diversity throughout the university. Furthermore, more work should be done to assure that our faculty is taking more actions to be inclusive. For that, we will make sure that all students of all cultural backgrounds are eligible to have days off if they have cultural celebrations on those days. In addition, there is a clear need to push for better dining options on campus; these options are supposedly present with the changes Administration has made, but it is not enough. There needs to be more than just some percentage of food that is vegetarian – if it is just the steamed broccoli and the salad that is vegetarian, that is not a nutritious or acceptable meal for students. Our platform will also focus on bettering the weekend bus system which is currently unreliable, inconvenient, poorly timed, and overall exponentially worse than the weekday system. Lastly, the platform of Boris & Isabel will increase the number of resources for first-generation Americans. The U of R has ample resources for international students, however it fails to support first-generation American students in the same way; the parents and family members of first generation Americans may not fully understand or answer questions about the higher education system; there is a gap between first-generation Americans and the proper understanding of financial aid and potential scholarships. It would be unacceptable for our platform to only benefit some parts of the student body but continue failing another part simply because that is what the University has previously done.

For too long the Student Government has ignored the real priorities of the student body. No longer! A vote for Finn Abbey and Sage Arnold is a vote for freedom; A vote for liberty; A vote for a Student Government worth paying attention to. Our policies include: Nationalize Hillside, decriminalize library sex, abolish the business department, donate the endowment to charity, end all foreign conflicts, turn the freshman quad into a community garden, outlaw college Republicans and Democrats, turn Public Safety into delivery drivers, and sell lighters at Hillside. My name is Finn “Mr. No More Messing Around” Abbey, and I’m asking for your vote for President, I mean Senate. I have long been passionate about helping others, speaking loudly and running for things, so I have nearly all the qualifications for this position. I’ve been waving and kissing babies since at least middle school, and I’m the only candidate I know of to have run for State Senate as a high schooler. Did I win? Depends on who you ask. But I hope I can win your vote for this deeply important position. Together with my dashing running mate Sage Arnold, I hope to make Rochester unrecognizable by junior year. Pokemon go to the polls and vote Abbey/Arnold for every position.

For too long the Student Government has ignored the real priorities of the student body. No longer! A vote for Finn Abbey and Sage Arnold is a vote for freedom; A vote for liberty; A vote for a Student Government worth paying attention to. Our policies include: Nationalize Hillside, decriminalize library sex, abolish the business department, donate the endowment to charity, end all foreign conflicts, turn the freshman quad into a community garden, outlaw college Republicans and Democrats, turn Public Safety into delivery drivers, and sell lighters at Hillside. Hi! My name is Sage Gittleman Arnold, my pronouns are they/them, and I’m here to change your life. As your senate representative, I want to go where no other candidate has gone before. I will pursue a holistic upheaval of life at the University of Rochester. My foremost goal is the abolition of the present state of affairs and the exorcism of all paper tigers which haunt the vision of a better world. I promise to represent the will of the student body absolutely and relentlessly, as I believe horizontal rank and file organization to be the best path towards empowering collective action. Together, let us escape the vile systems which oppress us. Alongside my beautiful running mate Finn Abbey, I promise a glorious descent into madness which will breathe life into this wretched campus. No gods, no kings, no bedtimes: now and forever.

Hello Class of 2025! My name is Navya Bhagat and I am an intended Health Policy major. I feel as though by this point I do know a good amount of you all, but for those who I have not gotten the chance to meet- I can say with full confidence that as a senate representative, my primary goal will be to reach out to and connect with as much of our class as possible. It is my belief that as a leader I cannot make the best decisions for us all if I do not even fully understand who these decisions are benefiting. The foremost issue I hope to tackle as a senate member is environmental sustainability on campus. I am a strong believer that the climate crisis is one of the if not the most pressing issues in this day and age. One big thing that can be done on campus is the more widespread use of composting. A few years ago, I was able to establish a composting system in elementary schools in my hometown- St. Louis. I would love to bring this same idea to UR along with other programs such as setting long term goals and implementing more eco-friendly practices and rules in general. While we may not be able to stop the climate crisis in the world outside of us, we can strive to make our campus community the greenest place possible!

As we exit a cataclysmic pandemic that upended everything we knew, it is critical to seize this moment to enact the changes we want to see and to move forward into this new era. The Senate can be a powerful tool for change, if we use it correctly. The Senate elected this year needs a renewal, a means of adapting to meet the challenges of the new era head-on. I believe that the Senate should be truly representative of all students. Right now, too many believe it is simply ineffective, but it does not need to be this way. Senate needs improved transparency and communication, to not only reach all students, but also to be reachable to all. The reason we need a renewal is that the advocacy that Senate does is vital to ensuring the needs of students on campus are met. There are many issues we have faced, such as the removal of the flags and the decreased dining hours, that have received little attention or flat-out dismissiveness from admin. If I am elected, these issues will not go unheard, because I will use my voice in Senate to mold it into the positive force for change on this campus that it needs to be.

I am a Neuroscience major (Premed) and history minor, and I am asking your vote for student senator. I am also currently in the fraternity Kappa Alpha Theta, Salseros and more. Furthermore, I have also taken classes at RIT, so I bring in a unique perspective of how we can continuously improve our university. Not only that, but I want to be your student senator because of the many injustices seen by the administration to the student body, and I WILL NOT stand for compliance. This past year we’ve seen the school handle issues the student body is against poorly due to their own monetary gain, and as your senator, I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure your voices are heard and not silenced. As we transition back into what we hope is the most normal we’ve had since 2020, I will continuously be monitoring the climate of my constituents and be your voice in the student body, regardless of my personal beliefs, and be your unbiased voice.

Hi everyone, my name is Annie Chin and I’m from Glastonbury, CT! Here at the University of Rochester, I am studying Linguistics and Psychology. This past year, I have served as a Senator, and I hope to be able to continue! After experiencing the Senate process over the past year, I have some ideas for implements to help with students’ mental health, especially when it comes to burnout. In addition to mental health, physical health is also very important, especially as a student. I know that many of us struggle with finding healthy and appealing food in the dining halls, and I hope to be able to help improve the options, especially for those with dietary restrictions. After living in Hill Court this past year, I also see a lot of room for improvement when it comes to campus safety. There have been too many instances of students getting accosted and even attacked on the bridge, whether at night or in broad daylight, and this situation must be ameliorated. As Senator, I will work hard to be accessible for those who want to reach out, whether it be to address an issue, just have a friendly conversation, or anything in between. Additionally, I will do my best to help your individual voice be heard and to pass the legislature necessary to solve your problems and make our community and school ever better!

My main goal in becoming a senator is to increase LGBTQ+ representation. I wish to help LGBTQ+ students feel more seen and heard by their student government both by bringing the ideas and concerns of gender and sexual minorities to the table and by making our representative body better reflect our diverse student community. I also seek to improve student accessibility. I want to work with disability resources and relevant academic departments, as well as pressure administration, to increase the ability for students who need it to gain their education in ways outside the in-person norm. Communication between administration and the student body is also a big focus of mine. I would press for clearer, better understood communication and messaging from administration to students, as well as making requests, ideas, concerns, etc. from students to administration easier done and more assured. Students deserve to be heard. Lastly, I would like to advocate for greener and more friendly space on campus. I would work with Green Space to create greener, friendlier, and calmer spaces around campus, such as adding more plants to Hirst Lounge. I would also seek to press administration for the refacing, or even remodeling, of University spaces to boost student wellness, which is especially necessary in the winter. Students’ well-being is important; renewed spaces could go a long way.

Hey everyone! My name is Kate (K8) Hidalgo and I am currently a Senator of the Class of 2025. This year has taught me a lot about how Student Government runs at the collegiate level. I truly enjoyed being in this role and I want to continue advocating for students and fostering an equitable and inclusive environment on campus. As a first-gen Latina, I feel like college is an opportunity like no other, and given this chance I want to make sure I pay it forward. Student Government gives me the opportunity to help other students and truly be a part of change. This year I worked on extending the Pass/Fail policies, class recording, adding cultural holidays to the school’s recognized calendar, dining issues, and many more. Next year I am hoping to continue to work on, having the P/F policy extended every semester, a better grading system (where students know their grades before its too late), transparency with students, shuttles extended to run to marketplace on Wednesdays, partnering with Class Council as a means of connecting with students, wifi issue, textbook affordability, addressing diversity and inclusion issues, and empowering students. I am hoping to partner with the Class Council and have them send out biweekly emails asking what the student body needs from us. It is important to me that students know that we care. I am also hoping to continue the town halls as a tradition at Rochester. Feel free to reach out with any questions 🙂

Hi Everyone! My name is Falisha Hola and I’m running for Senate! SA lacks in various areas including advocacy, communication, and involvement within the student body. It is an organization that continues to pride itself as advocates but yet the student body lacks knowledge on the abilities and work that SA leadership achieves. But this lack of impact is recognized by many people within the student body and within SA. SA is in the midst of being reimagined and reframed to better advocate for the student body. The most important thing that needs to be established is the relationship between SA and the student body, so that we can cultivate a stronger relationship to speak up to administration. I’ve participated as a Senator and the Academic Affairs Chair, and I understand how important it is to bridge the gap. I know that SA can strive and build the gap between the student body and administration. It’s important that we foster relationships, foster conversations, keep leadership accountable, build communication, and build a more supportive and stronger student body. I truly believe that I can assist with building those bridges and help create the atmosphere and culture needed to uplift the voices of the student body. Everyone in SA are advocates on various levels, and so choose the leadership that you want to see and choose the individuals who are willing to work with you and advocate for you! Thank you!

Be gay, do crime; steal from Hillside until and unless prices are lowered. http://www.campustimes.org/2022/03/20/why-it-is-our-duty-to-steal-from-hillside-market/

A reenergized and enlivened Rochester is what I want to see. One where the Rochester community can come together again as we come out of the the hardships created by the coronavirus pandemic.

If I were elected as Senator, my goals would be to guarantee that every student’s voice is heard because I understand that everyone’s voice is highly valuable for the success of both the student body and the university. Therefore, I wish to participate in discussions with students about what matters to them. It can involve conversations about diversity, COVID-19, sexual harassment and assault, or mental health; it is essential to provide an environment for students to express themselves without being judged or criticized. Finally, I want to challenge myself and my student leaders to speak with people more, learn about them, and do everything to make them feel represented and included.

It is time for the COVID restrictions to end. For two years, we have followed the rules. We’ve been kept out of class, hidden our faces, and lived our lives in fear – of sickness, sure, but also of the repercussions of acting against over-reaching regulations that have transformed our every waking moment at the University. Many students – myself included – received the required vaccinations in the hopes that acquiescence would permit a return to some sense of normality. Dropping the mask mandate was a step in the right direction; however, the events of January 2022 serve as a reminder that without proper representation from our own student government, we are beholden to policies that are no longer in the best interests of the student body. We cannot stand silent on this issue which has impacted our educational growth, social cohesion, and personal liberties. My core platform:

• the rescinding of mandatory student vaccination policies for the 2022-2023 school year
• compensation for students who faced hardships as a result of the January 2022 online learning period
• direct student engagement in any future COVID-related policy proposals from the University administration

Representing your voice on this issue is my most important undertaking as your senator. Join me as we chart a common-sense path for UR together.

Your common-sense senator,
Jacob Lytle
Class of 2025 AS&E – History ESM – Trombone Performance

Hello, my name is Ruchita Makhun, and I am running to become your next Student Senate! As a sophomore majoring in Financial Economics, I’ve been actively involved in many E-Board positions, like Business Manager and Communications Lead for FEC, Publicity Chair for HSA and First Year Representative for SASE. Within my roles, I have worked closely with many students, organizations, and administrative officers with the goal to build stronger relationships and innovate our events/content to the UofR community. Thus, I have experienced many issues here (as a student, friend, student club member and an international student) which I wish to change. With my main goal to effectively improve the UofR experience for my fellow students as Senate, my objectives are:

Dining and Food

• Extend The Pit hours of operation until 2 am to provide access to food when all other options are closed.
• Reopen Southside Market to provide easier access to food and other necessities without having to travel to campus, especially during weekends
• Provide better variety of Vegan and Vegetarian food options in Dining Halls

Online Facilities

• Improve WIFI connectivity and capacity in dorms and classrooms
• Require professors to record their lectures so that students with disabilities and other travel difficulties can easily access classes

Student Support

• Provide better and easier access to resources for International Students, like information sessions when finding on-campus jobs or how to navigate through academics

Most people wonder why I make an effort to speak to everyone. Some think it’s a campaign-strategy, a ploy to become popular, or a desperate attempt at making friends. No! This goes beyond trivial cravings for attention. See, in my culture, the sense of community means everything. One has to connect with people and understand them; feel what they feel, think what they think- to be one with them. Every year you get scores of student representatives that want to be ‘the voice’, that’s noble. But let’s be honest, it is hard for ten or even hundred individuals to represent the diverse student voices in their entirety. When it comes to high stake situations in faculty meetings, being merely the voice is not enough. It would mean one would have to infinitely go back and forth for every minor detail to give you feedback or questions. In such situations, one needs to be able to think- ‘Students are not here right now to decide, but if they were here, what would they decide and why? What are my biases? How can I deal with them and make a fair decision?’. This embodies the art of being ‘the mind’ of the people, not imposing your own decisions on them but letting them decide through you. I strongly believe I can be more than ‘your voice’. I will continue engaging with you, connect more and understand you. I can be your mind! This is my service to you. It’s your boy, Charles!

Years of pandemic took away many of our invaluable experiences, and some of our petitions or ideas were forgotten, as the University dealt with more urgent health and safety issues (COVID). I believe now is the time for us, the student body, to come back and progress strongly, coming up with better ideas, and importantly, ensure our voices heard better. For example, no students shall have to spend too much time worrying about housing and dining problems, as college shall be where we enjoy our academic interest, our friendship, and our social life, I believe… There are many things we can improve! If voted into the Student Senate, I would prioritize on making the process of hearing and sharing opinions/ ideas – discussing them – and turning them into reality easier and more communicable to students. All social media platforms, opinion boxes in public areas would be ready for every of us to conveniently share our constructive opinions of how we can improve campus spirit and environment. It’s most important that our voices are heard, no matter where they’re expressed. As a member of Student Senate, it would be my role (and my peers) to deal with university officials and organizations to turn all possible ideas into beneficial actions. UR’s motto means “Ever better”, and I set that motto for myself too! After all, who doesn’t want a four-year of great experiences? With that in mind, I would dedicate my best to ensure my and your college time most enjoyable!

To make change on an administrative level, our voices must be united and loud. As our Student Association stands, there is a large divide between the student body and the organization itself. From extremely low voter turnout to a lack of knowledge on what SA is, we must work to make it easier for students to give input and voice their concerns on issues that are affecting them. Issues that cannot be solved with a simple vote of the Senate such as administration policy on equity, financial well-being, and dining require not only the support of the Senators, but the participation and voice of the student body. We will do this by reaching out to the entire student body on what the Senate is actively doing as well as better collecting information that is important to students. We need to realize that issues continue to affect students far beyond election day. By creating and implementing a recurring Senate newsletter to reach out to students with information on Senate action, university news, as well as polling on issues, we can reach a broader and more collective student body audience. This is why I am not running as a representative for you, but a representative of us. Join me as we fight to strengthen our voice and make SA the union that I know it can be.

I ran last semester and I’m giving it another try. Vote for me if you’re cool or you get schooled. #Jason4senate

It is my desire to become more involved with the student politics at the University of Rochester. SA works toward a common goal of bettering student life and fostering positive change in the community that we live in. I’m passionate about advocating for all students, and it is my hope that I can help to make the University of Rochester ever better.

Hi all! I’m Zach Sussman and I am running for Senator for the Students’ Association Government! A quick get-to-know me: I am from a small suburb of Maryland outside Washington, D.C. I am majoring in Political Science, Music, and German. On-campus, I am involved with Mock Trial, multiple music ensembles, and I do stuff at the Eastman School of Music! I am currently a member of the 2024 Class Council, so I have experience representing our class, and now I wish to represent our class in the Senate. In the Senate, I would create and sponsor legislation that targets sustainability practices here on campus, including improving our recycling practices and reusing more materials located on campus. In addition to sponsoring sustainability legislation, I want to advocate for our entire class, no matter who, by going to university administration with our demands and wants, so that the administration can actually give us what we want; we pay a lot of money to go here, we should at least get some things that we want. Please, if you want me to represent you, or if you want my ideas to be brought before the Senate, vote for me! Thanks!

Hey! I’m Olga and I’m running for Senate to represent our Yellowjacket student body. I’m a first-generation student from Ukraine, majoring in Biochemistry on a pre-med track. As your Senator, I pledge to ensure that students of all backgrounds and identities feel heard and represented truthfully. As a Senator in the SA since Fall 2021, I have worked to improve dining issues by facilitating adequate compensation for students and staff after worker shortages and the closure of Danforth. One of our biggest accomplishments this Fall was the addition of GrubHub! I’m a part of the Campus Life Committee, which closely works with the student body to make sure our needs as students are met. I’m currently working on projects related to residential Life, UHS and student healthcare, and the collective transparency of student government and University administration. I’m also an active member of the Dining Student Advisory Board, Student Programming Board, and the Middle States Reaccreditation Student Steering Committee. I strive to advocate for my peers of underrepresented backgrounds to support every student in any way I can and to ensure fair treatment for everyone on campus. As your representative, I will continue to make our campus and U of R community a safe and inclusive environment full of opportunity for students of all races, ethnicities, religions, sexualities, and genders. I have a passion for my role as a Senator and I hope to be able to continue to improve your college experience by working towards positive changes!

Greetings fellow classmates, my name is Andrew Zhou, I was one of the programming chairs for the 2025 class council where I worked on events such as Maskquerade/Winter Formal for Spirit Week. I also took part in planning other large scale events such as the Winterfest and the upcoming BBQuad. This year I am also running for senate because I want to do more for my community and the student body. I find that taking the legislative side of things will allow me to not only connect more with everyone but also bring more direct and tangible change for the campus. I will aim to increase student voice in the student government and make sure that even those who are too shy to speak out will have a way to voice their concerns.

I loved being a part of 2023 Class Council for Spring 2022! Fostering community engagement is something I truly enjoy and hope to continue while at UR. With our senior year quickly approaching, I hope to be able to plan important events such as our Senior Night and Senior Week events! As a council member, I will make sure to justly represent our class and take into considerations any recommendations for possible events.

I am running to continue all the work I’ve been doing to support the class of 2023 and the larger UR community for the past 2 years. As a 3rd term council member and current vice president, I have extensive knowledge on the structure of class council and program planning. I’ve helped organized events such as a school wide Halloween Costume Contest, Paint and Sip, and a week long Scavenger Hunt and have help support my fellow council members through transition periods and large scale projects. On top of my council experience, I worked as an event planning intern for a nation-wide non-profit education foundation. I’m well versed in project management, team leadership, event planning, and budgeting and have been effectively applying these skills within class council for three years now. I hope you’ll re-elect me for class council!

By being reelected onto the 2023 class council, I will ensure my best to provide fun events for the class to participate in. As we are going into our Senior year of college, this is the last opportunity to create memories and events of our collegiate experience. By being able to be a part of the class council junior year, I was able to learn more skills that make me equipped to be a part of the class council senior year. For instance, I’ve bettered my time management skill and I know more about event registration, which allows me to help plan exciting events. I love being a part of the class council because of all the skills and experience it has and will teach me, but also because I am able to engage more with our class year. It’s very easy to get stay in a bubble at school, but I’ve enjoyed the many opportunities where I have been able to reconnect with the 2023 class. If I get elected onto the 2023 class council, I will do my best to plan memorable and enjoyable events, and also listen to any concerns or comments that arise from the 2023 class.

I joined class council in the beginning of the school year, beginning as Secretary and transitioning into the Business Manager position, and have found event planning and joining the group as an amazing experience. To be able to participate and to create community within our class has been the highlight of my time within class council. As we’re approaching senior year, I am beyond excited to see the events planned for our final year and I look forward to assisting in every way that I can. As someone who also does Student Programming Board, I understand the ability to foster community and engage in fun activities and events with the student body but even my own class year. I think both my experience in SPB and in class council, has made event planning worthwhile and has motivated me to engage again with class council. I hope you consider voting for me in this upcoming election, and I look forward to what our senior year brings! Thank you!

My name is Lindsey Michaud and I am running for Class of 2023 Class Council. I have served on Class Council since sophomore year and I want to continue this to our senior year! I have the experience needed to plan amazing events for our final year at the University of Rochester!

Going into senior year, I want to ensure I am able to give back to the class that has given me so much. I want to help in creating traditions for our class before we graduate and become alumni. Especially since we have had such a unique college experience due to the pandemic, I want to focus on doing as many in-person events as possible. Apple picking and roller skating have been some of my favorite events hosted in the past, and it would be great to help keep those traditions going. However, from being at home for a semester and studying abroad this current one, it would still be great to hold hybrid events so people could join remotely as well. I would love to help strengthen our relationships with current alumni so that when we graduate, we can still be resources to students. I also really emphasize the importance of inclusion and empathy within the Students Association government as being representative of our class; I trust that I could help the other members of the council plan fun events to connect us as we finish off our time at UR. I would also help organize events with the council to go off campus into the Rochester community and continue to build a relationship with others who live here. I am excited for the opportunity to be on class council, and thank you for taking the time to read my platform!

Hey everyone! My name is Imaan and I am running for the 2023 Class Council! Being on Class Council for the last three years has been a really great experience for me and I have truly loved every minute of getting to plan programs for the class. Class Council is all about school spirit and making sure everyone gets a break from the constant stress of school. But it is not possible without input from everyone in the class and taking your ideas into account. As a member of Class Council, I tried my best to do that this year along with fellow members of the council. Even though it wasn’t always smooth, I think mistakes make you who you are and they definitely helped me learn how to become a better member of the community and a better student leader. Since it is going to be senior year, we have more opportunities than ever to have fun! Some of the programs I would love to help plan, if elected again, are networking fairs, Senior Week, Senior Nights and Happy Hours and of course study breaks in between exams are always fun! I would love to hear your ideas and what you would want to see in future programs. Last but not least, I would love it if you guys would vote for me! Every vote counts and I would appreciate the support. Feel free to send any questions that you might have about my platform my way! Thank you!

Hello, yellowjackets! My name is Elisa Stefani and I am running again to be part of our 2022 – 2023 senior Class Council. Creating a community not only in our grade but also in our school is a challenge that I am more than willing to take on. Being part of the Class Council has given me helpful insight and really prepared me to take on the role again this next year. It is my goal to plan more fun events and to enable students to become more involved and connected with each other. Let’s make our senior year the best one yet! Go yellowjackets!

We, the class of 2024, occupy a unique position in the course of history. A pandemic start led to a very different experience than we had expected. During this difficult time, class council was there for us, acting as a unifying force through holding events. I believe that going forward, class council still has an important role. As time went on and things opened up, class council was still there for us, still a constant presence. It is necessary to have a strong, cohesive class council to continue to strengthen the ties between the members of our class. If elected, I will be sure to work with the other members of class council to create the best possible experiences for everyone, and to ensure that class council continues to be a strong, recognizable, unifying presence that everyone in the class can be proud of.

Hello Class of 2024! If you liked events such as the Pumpkin Patch, Mystic Moonlight Maze, Sophomore Internship Night, and more, then be sure to be part of the Chan Clan again! Having gained a lot of programming and budgeting experience, as well as getting to meet as many of you as possible, I can confidently say that I have the skills needed and passion required to keep hosting what I hope will be some of your favorite events in these four years. Thank you all for an amazing year and I hope to do it all over again!

Hi everyone, my name is Annie Chin and I’m from Glastonbury, CT! Here at the University of Rochester, I am studying Linguistics and Psychology. I hope that everyone is having a great time so far, especially as COVID ameliorates and things turn back to normal. After serving on class council this past year, I have found the experiences incredibly fulfilling and am excited to continue. As a member of class council, I will work hard to be accessible for those who want to reach out, whether it be to address an issue, just have a friendly conversation, or anything in between. I think that our class in particular has had the most difficult time meeting our peers and hope to plan lots of events to help us become closer. I know that I’m always excited to meet new people; especially when they’re in the class of 2024! I have a lot of ideas for more in-person activities next year, and am excited for many more opportunities to give out free food and merch!

Hey everyone! My name is Giovanni Andre Correa-Quiñones and I am running for Class Council again! As we know, the academic year was difficult in all aspects. Making connections, friends, and having a good academic standing was challenging, but we got through it together. My promise to you if I am elected is to work hard to strengthen our class through resiliency and creative programming. I believe that you along with the Class of 2024 deserve to be heard. I will make this possible by ensuring that both in-person and online students can participate in events that bring them together and that meet their needs as students. Additionally, I will always make sure to stay accessible to my fellow classmates as they would always be at the center of every decision I will make if elected. I hope I can count on your support to make the Class of 2024 more inclusive and resilient! #EverBetter #Meliora

Hello! My name is Hannah Grable from the class of 2024. I am majoring in History with a minor in religious studies. I am running my campaign platform off of making events accessible for all, with emphasis on accessibility for people with physical handicaps and neuro-diverse individuals! I feel especially passionate about this due to being neuro-diverse and having both current and past experiences with chronic and temporary, long-term, physical handicaps. So many students on campus feel as though they cannot participate in events due to limitations, however, all students should have the ability to take part in student life.

Check out my instagram for my campaign ⊂(▀¯▀⊂) @timothy.lai5 . Hope you enjoy 🙂

Hi all, it’s the lady from all the emails! I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet many of you while coordinating lots of fun events for our class and greater school community as your Class Council President over the last two years, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! Alongside the other lovely Class Council members I’ve had the pleasure of working with, we’ve established an annual fall pumpkin patch tradition, hosted super fun events ranging from Halloweekend to apple picking to roller-skating, and hosted more career focused events like internship night with the Greene Center! As we all head into our junior year I would love to continue organizing events to give us all a break from the pressure like cozy giveaways, a giant water balloon fight, and a St Patty’s happy hour, as well as more events geared towards career and internship connections and abroad opportunities. So remember to vote Moore for more from Class Council 😉

My past experiences of working in the Chinese Student Association as well as the Student Union in my high school have enabled me to achieve great communication skills and organizational capabilities. Being a member of the Class Council for half of the semester has provided me familiarity with related affairs. I really enjoy planning fun events and making a relaxing and pleasant afterschool atmosphere on campus for everyone. I am more than glad to contribute my creativity and capacity to our community. It is also important to make myself as accessible as I can to hear more voice and meet more need. I firmly believe that I have the credibility, passion, and understanding of the organization and the position itself. I would take the responsibility seriously to help more students establish bonds and create a sense of belonging for class of 2024. Thank you for your support!

Hello! My name is Soomin Park, your fellow sophomore majoring in BME. To tell you more about myself, I’m from Korea, and I enjoy singing and dancing in my free time. I am running to be part of your class council because I want to contribute in making the remaining two years of our undergraduate experience the best it can be. As the Covid-19 policy keeps changing, I see more opportunities for us to go back to the campus life we had before the pandemic. I also wish to focus on bringing more experiences that value all diversity and creating a fair environment. As of my experiences, I have been elected as a class council member before, but I decided to take a gap year. Also, as a former member of the Quad Residence Hall Council, I enjoyed planning and providing programs for residents to make memories with friends or to simply take a break from studying. I wish to join the class council again to ensure that the students’ voices are heard and make the campus life of our fellow class of 2024 better than ever. I will not make you regret your choices, so please consider voting for me as your class council! Thank you.

As a class council member, I intend to create events that bring students together on behalf of the 2024 class. The circumstances of our first and second years were extremely isolating, so I would love to find a way to generate camaraderie. The students in the class of 2024 have already suffered a great deal and deserve to be recognized and celebrated. I also want to try to bridge the gap between the Rochester community and the students of the University of Rochester by finding fun ways for students to not only engage with each other, but also with the community. While I have some ideas about what we could plan for next year, I encourage suggestions from students and want to know what students want. I have enjoyed my role in Class Council, and I look forward to seeing what next year brings. Bucket, we ball.

Hi all! I’m Zach Sussman and I am running for re-election for the 2024 Class Council! A quick get-to-know me: I am from a small suburb of Maryland outside Washington, D.C. I am majoring in Political Science, Music, and German. On-campus, I am involved with Mock Trial, multiple music ensembles, and I do stuff at the Eastman School of Music! Over the past year, I have helped create and sponsor a multitude of events for our class, including, but not limited to: the pumpkin patch, the mystic maze, our upcoming major declaration event, and many more! As a member of Class Council, I plan on bringing more ideas to the table in order to program for our class! I plan on programming specific events, such as: outdoor events, field games, water games, additional animal therapy events ahead of exams, and additional events for this upcoming fall. Hopefully next year, we will live on a campus that is post-COVID, and we as a Class Council have a duty to reprogram events in order to do whatever we can in order to ensure our class is having a good time while being a student. Let’s go into our junior year with a bang, and plan as many events as possible. If you would like these events, vote!

MK Ultra was the code name of an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The experiments were intended to develop procedures and identify drugs such as LSD that could be used in interrogations to weaken individuals and force confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture. MKUltra used numerous methods to manipulate its subjects’ mental states and brain functions, such as the covert administration of high doses of psychoactive drugs (especially LSD) and other chemicals, electroshocks, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, and verbal and sexual abuse, in addition to other forms of torture. MKUltra was preceded by two drug-related experiments, Project Bluebird and Project Artichoke. It began in 1953, was reduced in scope in 1964 and 1967, and was halted in 1973. It was organized through the CIA’s Office of Scientific Intelligence and coordinated with the United States Army Biological Warfare Laboratories. The program engaged in illegal activities, including the use of U.S. and Canadian citizens as unwitting test subjects. If you vote Abbey/Arnold, we’ll make sure this never happens again.

For too long the Student Government has ignored the real priorities of the student body. No longer! A vote for Finn Abbey and Sage Arnold is a vote for freedom; A vote for liberty; A vote for a Student Government worth paying attention to. Our policies include: Nationalize Hillside, decriminalize library sex, abolish the business department, donate the endowment to charity, end all foreign conflicts, turn the freshman quad into a community garden, outlaw college Republicans and Democrats, turn Public Safety into delivery drivers, and sell lighters at Hillside. Hi! My name is Sage Gittleman Arnold, my pronouns are they/them, and I’m here to change your life. As your class council representative, I want to go where no other candidate has gone before. I will pursue a holistic upheaval of life at the University of Rochester. My foremost goal is the abolition of the present state of affairs and the exorcism of all paper tigers which haunt the vision of a better world. I promise to represent the will of the student body absolutely and relentlessly, as I believe horizontal rank and file organization to be the best path towards empowering collective action. Together, let us escape the vile systems which oppress us. Alongside my beautiful running mate Finn Abbey, I promise a glorious descent into madness which will breathe life into this wretched campus. No gods, no kings, no bedtimes: now and forever.

Hello Class of 2025! My name is Navya Bhagat and I am an intended Health Policy major as well as this past year’s class council vice president. In my role, I strived to have a platform focused towards community engagement and service. I hope to continue to enhance the opportunities for students to do good both on and off campus. Thus, my plan as a class council representative will be heavily service oriented- even more this coming year than last year. I hope to give students the opportunity to get involved with the Rochester community through the programs class council holds this year. My platform will be used to connect us with the city and people around us who can benefit from our resources and various events. I have had ample experience with this throughout high school as president of the National Honors Society. Additionally, I was able to raise over $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Through my work with the LLS, I have seen that fundraising is a great way to engage the entire community in fun events while helping a good cause. An example of this is Dance Marathon, which is held at many other schools already and is a phenomenal way to help severely ill children. I hope to spread my passion for helping others through my platform in a way that brings our class closer.

I am a Neuroscience major (Premed) and history minor, and I am asking your vote for student class council. I am also currently in the fraternity Kappa Alpha Theta, Salseros and more. Furthermore, I want to be part of your class council, because it has become increasingly apparent that our school struggles with a healthy work-life balance. While I am also a complete nerd for learning, I also have recognized the mental health implications that have come with UR. As a class council member, I want to continue alumni-loved traditions, as well as have new events that support academic and extracurricular learning, but also provide a much-needed break to be normal young-adults. I especially aim to have more inclusion with the activities of all our different backgrounds and personalities by catering to more than just one idea of fun. As your class council member, I will be listening and project the student’s wants and needs to the student association government, and do my best to provide the best 2022-2023 year possible.

Hey everyone! My name is Kate (K8) Hidalgo and I am currently the President of the 2025 Class Council. If you’re class of 2025 you’ve probably seen a few emails from me (if you haven’t, you’re fake) I am running for Class Council again because of how much I love creating class unity and fostering class spirit. I have learned a lot from this year and I am determined to create an unforgettable sophomore year with no COVID limitations. Some ideas include a colors war, field day, paintball trip, sophomore sunrise/sunset, “drive-in” movie night, spirit week, and creating better incentives. These include better door prizes that would be given out at events or even raffles to engage more students. I hope that a diverse plethora of activities will help create class unity, morale, and spirit. We have both old and new traditions that I value greatly. However, I have noticed that some of our old traditions don’t have the best turnouts. I want to make sure that our Class Council serves the students; to make sure of this I want to have students share events that they would be interested in having through biweekly emails/polls. This feedback will allow us to re-work events or even create new traditions. We all only have three years left of college and I want to make sure every year is as memorable and enjoyable as possible for all of us! Feel free to reach out with any questions 🙂

Greetings Class of 2025! My name is Ryan Ko and I wish to be part of the Class of 2025 Class Council. Class Council members are expected to create and manage events that will help bring the class together and promote school spirit. I am familiar with these responsibilities, as I was the business manager for Class Council 2025. Not only have I managed the class council budget and other financial related decisions, but I also helped organize various events with my fellow council members. My experience with these responsibilities goes as far back as my senior year in high school, when I organized fundraisers and managed senior class activities as a member of my school’s Executive Council. Thus, these positions and responsibilities make me a capable candidate for the Class Council position. Personally, I have always enjoyed attending school events. Especially after hosting and participating in the events Class Council have held, I always found myself having a good time with the people I’m with. However, I equally enjoy managing events for others. Not only can I get to meet the diverse community that makes up UR, but I can also help everyone have fun with my efforts, which is, to me, an amazing feeling. With my prior experience and the recent relaxation in COVID restrictions, I can confidently say that if I get re-elected for Class Council 2025, I will continue to put my very best in organizing fun and memorable events for our school.

Hello Class of 2025, My name is Minsaw Kwak and I am running to be a member of the Class Council for the 2022-2023 school year. Although I was not involved in Class Council last year, I was able to observe my fellow classmates who participated in Class Council and Senate and have an understanding of what is expected of me as a part of Class Council. For this upcoming year, if I were a part of Class Council, I would like to listen more to the Class of 2025 and plan events that are formulated more towards common interests found within the Class. I would prioritize the opinions and thoughts of the Class when planning events and hope to work with the Senate and the Class President/VP to send out occasional surveys to see what students would be most interested in. This would not only allow for more class participation but also hopefully create more bonding between the Class of 2025. The voice of the Class of 2025 is important and I would like to show its importance when planning events. I am extremely excited for this upcoming year and am looking forward to more communication between the Class of 2025 and Class Council, more in class participation, and class bonding. Thank you for your time and I hope to receive your vote.

Hello everyone! My name is Jennasea (Genesee) Licata -yes, like the river :)- and I am running for the class of 2025 Class Council, in the 2022 campaign cycle! Being a part of the 2025 Class Council during the 2021 fall and 2022 spring semesters has opened my eyes to the truly diverse, spirited and unique community that the class of 2025 embodies. As such, it is my hope to continue to foster class spirit, tradition and unity through a multitude of inclusive school wide programs and events. Firstly, it is my goal to support school spirit where it exists and foster it where it doesn’t. For instance, I would like to work with the school to offer free merch, prizes and perks at sports games as incentives for attendance and work toward organizing a school-wide Kindness Rocks project to promote positivity within our college community. Secondly, I strive to promote class unity and uphold class traditions both old and new. Through this, It is my goal to assist the sophomore class in building lifelong memories and connections with their peers and the Rochester community. Lastly, I believe that criticism is the key to growth in any organization, hence I will ensure that all sophomores have access to an application that provides feedback on events, and will work diligently to re-work programs to create a more enjoyable experience. I can’t wait to see what amazing things this coming year will bring! Meliora!

I ran last semester and I’m giving it another try. Vote for me if you’re cool or you get schooled. #Jason4classcouncil

Hi Class of 2025, some of you probably know me but if you don’t my name is Matt Tierney and I am currently on the Class of 2025 Class Council. I have had such a great time creating events and being apart of the University of Rochester Community. I would be elated to continue being on the Class Council and I look forward to creating more fun things for us to do throughout our time at the University of Rochester. Thank you so much!!

Hello everyone, it’s my pleasure to run for class council once again this year. My name is Andrew Zhou, currently a freshman looking to major in applied mathematics. This year I was one of the Programming Chairs for class council and took charge in planning and executing events. The most notable and fun one I think saw the Maskquerade/Winter Formal for Spirit Week. I also took part in planning other large scale events such as the Winterfest and the upcoming BBQuad. I also want to acknowledge the shortcomings this year, with things such as ineffective advertisement, or getting inputs and feedback from you all. This year was a big learning experience for me, and I developed a better understanding of the event planning process the university has. I was able to gain skills that will help me in class council next year. I hope you will continue to support me and I will work to create fun events for you in the upcoming year!