The Bowdoin Orient

President

Sarah Nelson ’14

My name is Sarah Nelson and I am running for the position of BSG President. The diversity of my involvement on Bowdoin’s campus has provided me with the institutional knowledge necessary to succeed in this position. I’ve served as a member of Class Council, Student Activities Funding Committee (SAFC) and BSG, and have organized events like Winter Weekend and Spring Gala. I am the College House intern for Residential Life, which has provided me with unique insight into how the College House system works. Finally, I intern in the Student Activities office and played a central role in ushering in the new student events app. My platform contains new goals for the BSG including the sponsorship of a leadership program to support club and College House leaders; however I also plan to pursue current BSG initiatives like pushing back the Credit/D/Fail deadline. I believe that the primary duty of the BSG President is to facilitate communication between the administration and the student body and to utilize a deeper understanding of the campus to efficiently advocate for the interests of the students. I promise that if elected I will be a clear, strong voice for all members of the Bowdoin community.

Neli Vazquez ’14

Hi everybody. My name is Neli Vazquez and I’m running for the position of next year’s BSG President. I currently serve as an Interest Representative to the BSG and as a member of BSG’s Student Affairs Committee. I am also this year’s IHC President after having served as the Vice President to Helmreich House my sophomore year. I juggle a variety of jobs and clubs at Bowdoin and continue this involvement every year because I truly care about this campus. I work hard to make it better because it’s what I genuinely enjoy doing. This year, I’ve found that a major part of being IHC President has been helping the eight College Houses stay motivated throughout the year to continue doing for the campus. I want to take this leadership experience and bring it to the next level next year by working as a facilitator to the BSG’s sub-committees and making sure we work hard with BSG year-round to make this a better campus based on what you all want to see happen. I hope I have your vote and if I do, I promise to make it count.

Vice President for Student Government Affairs

Michael Colbert ’16

Fellow Polar Bears, the BSG needs leaders committed to making student government truly representative of student voices. I can promise that as your Vice President for BSG Affairs, I will fulfill this duty. As BSG Representative this year, I worked with my Class Council to coordinate events, such as the First-Year Sophomore Semiformal and the Portland Prowl. Additionally, I have actively sought constituent feedback and advocated for students at BSG Assembly meetings. Further, my work on the BSG and its committees has educated me about the BSG’s functioning as a whole. If elected, I will take advantage of this experience with both class council and the BSG Assembly to foster greater communication and cohesion between the groups. Furthermore, I will strive to make the BSG a truly representative body of the College. We can get there with the addition of a voting McKeen Center representative on the BSG, as proposed in the referenda, and by continuing to connect with other areas of the College, especially with the multicultural community. Let’s make the BSG as representative of students as it can be. Please consider me when you vote this weekend!

Allen Wong Yu ’14

I have been proud to serve my fellow Bowdoin students for the past three years on Bowdoin Student Government. As a two-term Vice President for Student Affairs, I have made my committee the #1 advocate for students and the #1 liaison between the student body and the administration. Over the years, I have also established a network across campus working with many deans and faculty. With this experience and with your support, I am now running for Vice President for Student Government (BSG) Affairs. The job of Student Government Affairs requires the strong working relationships that I have and maintain with people across this campus. I look forward to working more closely with each class council, as well as facilitating the goals of my fellow members of the Executive Committee. I will continue to make BSG’s presence on campus known to the student body, and pledge to make our actions more transparent and accountable. I am excited to serve you once again as your voice on Bowdoin Student Government.

Vice President for Student Affairs

Cole Duncan ’14

This year I served as a Representative for the class of 2014 and sat on the SOOC (Student Organizations Oversight Committee). The experiences I received from these positions have prepared me for the responsibilities given to the position of Vice President for Student Affairs     If you vote for me to be your Vice President for Student Affairs, I will ensure that your ideas to improve student life at Bowdoin will be heard. If I am elected, I will create an anonymous drop box in Smith Union for students to place suggestions for how to improve student life at Bowdoin. Along with the suggestions from my fellow Bowdoin students, I plan to improve student life at Bowdoin in many ways including: making improvements to the social house selection process, making improvements to freshman orientation and helping the counseling and career planning centers with their outreach efforts. As Vice President for Student Affairs, I will work hard with my fellow students to create positive and meaningful changes to student life at Bowdoin.

Robo Tavel ’16

Hi, my name is Robo Tavel (Roberto Tavel, if you prefer some Latin flair), and I am running for Vice President of Student Affairs. As President of the Class of 2016, I have played a central role in the implementation of our Class Council’s ambitious agenda. Additionally, I have been an active coordinator between different segments of the Bowdoin community. As a result, I have built valuable relationships with prominent members of both the administration and the student body. My campaign for VP of Student Affairs is based on three central pillars: first, the BSG needs a more efficient Student Affairs Committee. My experience as Class President gives me confidence that I can achieve this goal. Second, I would aim to improve BSG programming. Not enough was accomplished this year with the resources at the Student Affairs Committee’s disposal. I hope to change that. And third, increased communication between the Student Affairs Committee and the Class Councils is a must. Should I be elected, I will make fostering a closer relationship between these two branches of the BSG a priority. So Bowdoin, join the movement. For your VP of Student Affairs, vote Robo fo’ Bobo.

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jordan Goldberg ’14

Hi, my name is Jordan Goldberg and I’m running to be your Vice President for Academic Affairs. I’m running because I want to do all I can to contribute to Bowdoin and to improve student life, and because I believe that my past experience on campus provides me with the skills and knowledge to make the most of the opportunity. Having served on many committees at Bowdoin, including the Academic Affairs BSG subcommittee and the Curriculum Implementation Committee, I understand the many ways that Academic Affairs works, and how it doesn’t. As Vice President for Academic Affairs, I would make it a top priority to work with the administration to clean up the inconsistencies of distribution requirements (so that all courses that should fulfill them are accounted for) and continue working on BSG’s proposal for Credit/D/Fail reform. I would also continue working on bringing accessible test prep programs to campus, and look into the possibility of arranging half-credit program for unpaid internships that are relevant to majors. I want to do all I can to represent the student body on these issues, and any others that you think are important. Thanks so much for your time, and hopefully your vote!

Vice President for Facilities and Sustainability

David Levine ’16

Hello, my name is David Levine, and I am running for Vice President for Facilities and Sustainability on the BSG! I have served this year as a BSG At-Large Representative and have become very committed to making Bowdoin the best that it can be. To this end, I have come up with several ideas I would like to pursue should I become the VP for Facilities and Sustainability, including installing Adirondack chairs on the Quad, extending the hot breakfast hours at Moulton, starting a service to rent skates, expanding the number of timed lights on campus, and adding weekend hours to the OneCard office. Through my time on the BSG, I have gained a wealth of experience by serving on three committees and working on several different projects. This has given me an insight into many areas of the College, a necessity in pursuing the interests of the student body should I be elected. I have not only begun conversations with the administration to ensure my ideas’ feasibility, but I have also solicited student opinion to gauge how the Facilities Committee can best help the student body. Thank you for your consideration. I hope I can count on your support!

Vice President for Student Organizations

Danny Mejia-Cruz ’16

Do you know what the SOOC is? If you don’t (many of my friends didn’t), my goal is to change that next year. My name is Danny Mejia-Cruz and I’m running for Vice President for Student Organizations – the Chair of the Student Organizations Oversight Committee. I’m a first-year from Houston, Texas, and throughout this past year I represented the Class of 2016 on Class Council as Treasurer and on the Student Activities Funding Committee. While I have not yet served on the BSG Assembly, I believe that my past experiences in student government, my involvement in a variety of organizations, and my participation in the Leadership Development Series at Bowdoin have taught me how to make wise and understanding decisions. As Chair of the SOOC and a former member of the SAFC, I would work to increase the visibility and utility of my office, make leadership training accessible for club leaders, further integrate the College Houses and organizations, do my best to work with the Chair of the SAFC to attain appropriate funding for all groups, and would seek to help foundering or inactive groups. I hope to achieve all of this, but I can only it with your vote!

Julian Tamayo ’16

Polar bears, my name is Julian Tamayo and I am running for Vice President of Student Organizations. Why? What could a first-year know about leading a committee in the BSG? This role necessitates a thorough understanding of club life, event logistics, the Orbit, and Bowdoin’s resources in order to support student organizations on campus. In other words, experience matters. Experience, experience, experience. Without experience, it would be difficult for a VP to answer the what’s, why’s, when’s, and how’s of the student organization world. Luckily, I’m all about that life. In the beginning of this year, the current BSG Executive Committee gave me the unique opportunity to work in the student government in two different capacities – At-Large Representative to the Student Activities Funding Committee and At-Large Representative to the BSG Assembly. What does that mean? I have already work to charter new clubs, oversee old clubs, reconfigure the chartering/re-chartering process, and improve The Orbit while on the SOOC. On the SAFC, I review budget proposals, compile spreadsheets for the Bursar’s Office, and update the public allocations spreadsheet on the BSG website. A vote for me is a vote for my experience and passion that I will bring to the SOOC.

Vice President for the Treasury

Ryan I. Davis ’15

As the treasurer for the 2015 class council, I have not only been a voting member of the Student Activities Funding Committee since coming on to campus, but I’ve also planned and executed successfully, multiple large events. In this time, I have been able to gain an excellent understanding of the rules and procedures of the SAFC and gain an appreciation for what it’s like to plan events. If elected, I promise to be fair, respectful, and above all, communicative to student leaders and those who would like any help with funding an event. I promise to both respond to emailed concerns and act as the primary resource for those that would like help in planning their events. Some of the changes I plan to add are an example funding request so that even newcomers to the funding process will be able to send in their budgets with minimal mistakes as well as eliminating dues for all clubs. I promise to treat everyone that comes into contact with the SAFC with respect and will encourage my fellow SAFC members to do the same. We are your peers and want to help you succeed!

Megan Gina Massa ’14

Hi everyone! I’d like to thank you for considering my candidacy for Vice Present for the Treasury / Student Activities Funding Committee (SAFC) Chair. For my past three years at Bowdoin, I have been a member of both the BSG and SAFC while also being a club leader on campus. These concurrent positions have given me the unique perspective of being able to see both sides of the funding process. While both the BSG and SAFC have made great strides during my time here, there is always room for improvement. As SAFC Chair, I would work hard to ensure every voice is heard and all decisions are executed fairly; that club leaders are not only provided a full breakdown of the SAFC’s decision-making process, but that they have specific SAFC members serving as their own personal resource; that the SAFC/SOOC relationship is strengthened by the SAFC Chair’s attendance at SOOC meetings, and that all student groups receive the help and support they deserve. I feel that my experience and knowledge of Bowdoin’s intricacies well qualifies me for this job, and I would be honored for the chance to make a difference in your college experience. Thank you!

Referenda on Constitutional Amendments

1. These amendments make changes to reflect and clarify normal business in relation to the BSG Executive Committee’s power to appoint students to serve on Faculty and Trustee Committees and the responsibilities of appointed students.

• Change a reference to “all major committees of the College” to refer to Faculty and Trustee Committees. As the Faculty and Trustee Committees are the major committees of the college, this would clarify what committees are being referenced.
• Shift responsibility for updating information related to student representatives on Faculty and Trustee Committees from the Vice President for Student Organizations to the Vice President for BSG Affairs. This would allow the Constitution to reflect the reality that the Vice President for BSG Affairs completes this task.
• Remove clauses which specify that it is the responsibility of candidates applying to serve as representatives to the Faculty and Trustee Committees to be honest about his/her study away plans and withdraw from interviews should they conflict with the term for which he/she is applying. This is included on the application form and its presence in the Constitution does not make it any more enforceable. 
• Remove a clause that specifies that the Executive Committee must take into consideration previous commitments of candidates applying to serve as representatives to Faculty and Trustee Committees. The time commitment for representatives is not demanding. Representatives to Faculty Committees meet at most every other week. Representatives to Trustee Committees meet three times a year.
• Remove references to the responsibility of student representatives to Faculty and Trustee Committees to submit individual reports of Committee meetings to the Executive Committee. The information discussed in Faculty and Trustee Committees is confidential and therefore, representatives cannot meet this requirement.
  

2. These amendments make changes to reflect and clarify the normal business and powers of the BSG Assembly.

• Delete a clause that specifies that At-Large Representatives should represent the interests of Residential Life and the McKeen Center. This would allow the constitution to reflect that it is generally not possible for this to be the case as applicants for At-Large positions are by and large members of the first-year class who are unaffiliated with either organization.
• Delete clauses that require that an updated version of the BSG Constitution be kept in the Student Handbook. The Constitution is available online on the BSG website and in recent history, has not been published in the Handbook.
• Remove clauses that imply that the Assembly must confirm members of the Judicial Board before the Board can appoint them and that the Assembly can remove members from the Board. While the BSG oversees the Board by reviewing its annual report with its advisor and chair at the beginning of every year at a public meeting and sending a member of the Assembly to serve as a representative during the Board selection process, the BSG has never had these powers over the Board and its membership.
• Require that the BSG hold public assembly meetings every week unless found unnecessary by the Executive Committee. Currently, the Constitution requires that meetings be held every other week; however, for at least the past four years, meetings have generally been held every week.
• Move all clauses relating to the Student Activities Fee and Chartering Authority to Article III of the Constitution, Student Governance Committees. This information can now be found under Student Activities Funding Committee and Student Organizations Oversight Committee.
  

3. These amendments make changes to reflect normal business in relation to the Class Councils.

• Change a clause that specifies that first-year Class Council election should occur in mid-October to say that the election should occur in the fall before the first Assembly meeting. For the past several years, first-year Class Council elections have taken place earlier than mid-October so as to allow the Council and the BSG to begin work before that time.
• Removes a clause that specifies that the minutes of the Assembly must be sent to the Class Councils. The Class Councils each have two representatives on the Assembly who report back to the Council and the minutes of the Assembly are generally available on the web. This requirement has not been met for several years
• Specifies that the Student Activities Office staff will serve as the advisors to the Class Councils as opposed to the assistant deans. This change reflects the current advising structure. 
• Delete a clause that specifies that the Programming Chair organizes Leadership Council meetings. Given that the Programming Chair is not a member of the Leadership Council, he/she has not generally organized these meetings.
  

4. These amendments remove the President of the Inter-House Council from the Bowdoin Student Government Assembly (a member of the Executive Committee of the Inter-House Council remains on the Assembly) and add a representative from the McKeen Center to the Assembly.

5. These amendments update outdated references, as they pertain to the titles of roles and committees, and delete references to non-existent groups and committees.

• Change the title of the Programming Chair to the Programming Director. This change would reflect the common name used for this position.
• Replace all references to the Captain’s Council with references to the Athletics Council. This change would reflect the fact that the Athletics Council has replaced the Captain’s Council.
• Replace all references to the Campus Activities Board with references to the Entertainment Board. This change would reflect the fact that the Entertainment Board replaced the Campus Activities Board.
• Change a reference to the “Budgetary Priorities and Financial Planning Trustee Committee” to the “Financial Planning Committee.” This change would reflect the fact that the Financial Planning Committee replaced the Budgetary Priorities and Financial Planning Trustee Committee.
• Delete clauses that specify that the President and Vice President for Student Government Affairs sit on the Administrative Committee of the College. This change would reflect the fact that this committee does not exist.
• Delete References to the Special Programming Committee. This committee has not existed for the past several years and the Programming Director has absorbed its duties.
• Remove a clause that specifies that the senior class president will serve as a member of the Young Alumni Leadership Program (YALP).  YALP has been replaced with the Senior Class Gift Campaign. Directors of the Senior Class Gift Campaign are paid employees of the College chosen through an application and interview process and therefore, a director position cannot be tied to the presidency.