Chair of Academic Affairs

Ramya Chengalvala ’20

Hi! My name is Ramya Chengalvala, and I am a member of the Class of 2020. I am a co-leader of the South Asian Student Association and a photo editor for the Bowdoin Globalist. Next year, I hope to be your chair of academic affairs.

The chair of academic affairs entails a variety of responsibilities, including, but not limited to, being a liaison between faculty and student leaders and helping with academic problems. One of the things I’d like to address is the inequality between incoming students from different schools. Some Bowdoin students come from prestigious college-preparatory schools while others come from large public schools that lack the same kind of preparation. As a result, many students are overwhelmed upon their arrival. I want to work with faculty, deans and Peer Health to help students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds have an equal chance of excelling here at Bowdoin.

Aneka Kazlyna ’20

I’m Aneka Kazlyna, and I’m running for chair of academic affairs with Fanta Traore, who is running for chair of the Student Organizations Oversight Committee (SOOC). I am the BSG multicultural representative, a multicultural life student director, the Muslim Students Association’s chair; Anokha’s president and representative to the Committee for Middle East/African Studies. I am also an interviewer for new faculty. I have already built a relationship with the administration. My experience shows that I am always looking for ways to enrich the academic experience.

Our vision: revolutionize academic and personal support and increase access

• Wellness Vending Machine: 24/7 accessibility to low-cost contraception & health products

• Peer-Nightline: an anonymous mental health hotline to help with academic stress

Policy:

• Evaluate ESD/IP requirements and fight for a more culturally relevant curriculum

• Allow first-semester students to take classes for credit only in order to transition

• Expand resources through drives for books and professional attire

We will empower all voices with your support. Thank you.

Nicole Tjin A Djie ’21

Hello! I’m Nicole Tjin A Djie, and I’m running for BSG chair of academic affairs. Currently, I’m a writer for the Orient and the Globalist and will be a 2018-19 proctor for Coleman Hall.

If elected, I will work to strengthen Bowdoin’s academic support system by promoting:

•  Improved CLT workshops centered on balancing well-being with rigorous coursework

•  Increased discussion and accommodations regarding student mental and physical health in

academics

•  A platform for faculty to post lab/research position openings

•  Student-faculty dialogue through luncheons and meet-and-greets

•  Textbook stipends for low-income students

•  Extended library hours

•  Individual language tutoring

•  Continued work towards the current committee’s goals (e.g. uploading syllabi and ESD

requirement reevaluation)

Above is my vision. However, I can promise only sustained engagement. As chair, above all, I’ll work to hear all Bowdoin voices, grasp the academic challenges and triumphs that students face and pursue change accordingly. It’s through this that I hope to best represent you. Thank you.

 

Chair of the Treasury

Theo Christian ’19

This past year, it has been a pleasure sitting on the Student Activity Funding Committee (SAFC), and I hope to bring that experience to chairing the committee as chair of the treasury. My main goals are to:

1. Increase the transparency of the decision-making process. In an effort to truly be transparent with the campus, I want to release minutes of SAFC meetings alongside BSG minutes so that everyone can know exactly how each decision is made.

2. Simplify the funding process. I want to update the funding form so that you can reference the applicable section of the guidelines all within the same document, streamlining the process for club leaders.

3. Clarify the guidelines available. Guidelines are typically updated twice a year, but I found a version of them still on the BSG website from 2015-2016. This is ridiculous. It should be clear for club leaders exactly which rules apply.

Harry Sherman ’21

Hello, everyone! I am tremendously excited about the prospect of serving as your treasurer. As a representative to the Student Activity Funding Committee (SAFC), I understand the importance of a strong relationship between the SAFC and the student organizations that it serves. Clubs should always feel confident that the committee under my leadership will be doing its absolute best to provide all necessary funding. Here are some steps I’d take towards improving the funding process:

1. Adding a glossary to the guidelines defining any confusing and “jargony” terms used throughout the process

2. Should the SAFC be unable to fully fund a request, providing a list of other potential sources of funding from around campus

3. Providing explicit justifications for all of our decisions

Managing the $700,000 activities budget is a complex responsibility that deserves someone thoughtful, creative and detail-oriented to assume it. I trust myself with these responsibilities, and I hope you will too. Thank you!

 

Chair of Facilities and Sustainability

Ian Culnane ’20

I’m Ian Culnane, and I am running for chair of facilities and sustainability.

My goal for my term is to increase the ease of life at Bowdoin, ensuring the time you spend is time you enjoy.

During my first year on BSG, I was an integral member of the Facilities and Sustainability committee. I contributed to the installation of quad lights to facilitate a brighter, safer campus, helped create gender-neutral bathrooms in Smith, added a men’s bathroom in the library and helped start Free Flow. In my second year, I have streamlined the assembly as Historian.

As chair, I plan to reduce laundry costs for students on financial aid, bring wireless TV to students’ computers, increase local food presence and build on important past projects, like improving lighting and creating more outdoor seating. I encourage anyone to reach out or read my full platform.

Nate DeMoranville ’20

Hi! My name is Nate DeMoranville, and I am running to be chair of facilities and sustainability.

I have three major goals for this position: 1. To increase accessibility for all on this campus, 2. To oversee student input on developing housing projects and 3. To facilitate dialogue on the College’s new sustainability goals post-2020 carbon neutrality. Much of this work will happen in partnership with the administration, and through my various leadership positions—class president, proctor, Multicultural Coalition Co-Chair—I have already established the necessary relationships with administrators to leverage meaningful change.

Now, I have also set a few smaller goals to provide tangible products of my committee’s work while we push through these larger, institutional reforms. I intend to make more bathrooms gender-neutral, provide additional outdoor seating at dining halls and put compost bins in student spaces.

I hope you will consider me for this position. Thank you!

Rose Warren ’21

Hi everyone! My name is Rose Warren, and I am running for chair of facilities and sustainability. I currently serve as the director of facilities and sustainability on BSG. As a result, I am the only candidate running who has experience leading a group of students in the facilities division of the Assembly.

I believe that inclusiveness is an overlooked aspect of facilities, so my goal for next year is to make Bowdoin more accessible and safe for everyone. Next year, specifically, I would like to:

1. Create more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. This year, I’ve successfully ensured that gender-neutral bathrooms will be built in the new residential facilities

2. Increase the number of water filling stations and hand dryers in buildings to reduce germ spread and reduce carbon emissions

3. Ensure that signs at Bowdoin have Braille on them and also create a designated facility for students who have extra time accommodations

 

Chair of the SOOC

Jono Harrison ’19

As chair of the SOOC, I intend to focus on issues of inclusivity, sexual assault reform and inter-organizational communication. During my time at Bowdoin, I have enjoyed participating in clubs across a broad range of areas and hope to ensure that students from all backgrounds are able to fully enjoy extracurricular life. In the past year, we saw the successful implementation of mandatory inclusivity trainings for club leaders, but the conversation must not end there. To maintain a continuous dialogue, I will create an annual second-semester meeting with all club leaders to reflect and share ideas on inclusion initiatives.

Additionally, I fully support initiatives to reform sexual assault prevention and will work to devise sexual assault training for club leaders. I believe that I am well-qualified to serve as an effective member of the BSG Executive Committee and am excited by the opportunity to create a more healthy, welcoming community within student organizations.

Jenna Scott ’19

Hi everyone! My name is Jenna, and I’m running for chair of student organizations!

I believe that my organizational skills, enthusiasm, efficiency and experience make me the best candidate for this position. For three years, I’ve served as BSG head of programming and operations, where I’ve planned Spring Gala and other events and worked in the Student Activities (SA) office, where I’ve built great relationships and have helped lead numerous groups, including producing RISE 2018.

If elected, I’ll work closely with club leaders and SA staff to make student organizations run as smoothly as possible. I will incorporate sexual assault prevention and mental health into new training, plan dinners and awards for student organizations and work to unify various leadership trainings under the umbrella of Student Affairs. I’ve already started working with Nate Hintze and Lisa Peterson on developing these ideas and am excited to implement them if given the opportunity!

Fanta Traore ’20

I am Fanta Traore and I am running for chair of student organizations alongside Aneka Kazlyna, who is running for chair of academic affairs. I am a RA with ResLife, the secretary of Africa Alliance, the Muslim Students Association’s treasurer, the president of H4H, the leader for BASE and BSS programs and an intergroup dialogue facilitator. I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the re-chartering process and have established myself in the very organizations in which I partake. This makes me the most qualified and hands-on experienced candidate because I’m familiar with the failures and successes that come with running clubs.

Our vision: Revolutionize academic and personal support and accessibility

• Wellness Machine

• Peer Nightline

SOOC Vision:

• Strengthen the relationship among student organizations and enrich community events

• Reconfigure the re-chartering process and hold hands-on club training workshops

• Open workshops for active members