My name is Nikhil Gadia and I am running as representative for CIT in the student senate. As a senator of CIT, it will be my task to represent your views and problems to the stud ent senate and ensure that they are adequately dealt with. However, I believe that my re sponsibility as a senator does not end here. It will be my personal aim to establish gr eater networking and unity amongst the CIT students. I distinctly recall during orientation as 1300 excited freshman gathered together during convocation cheered their respective colleges, however amongst these cheers, CIT?s name was barely audible. I would like to change this and see that CIT students establish greater networking amongs t each other, and take active roles in community life because as engineers we are designed to work together, influence one another, and encourage one another. I will aim to establish a communication link amongst students of our college so that the views of all CIT students can be easily be expressed and voiced in the Senate. Beyond this, one of my long term aims will be to develop an interdisciplinary program whereby CIT students will be able to develop a close rapport and understanding amongst themselves.
Since the very beginning of the semester, I have actively involved myself with the student senate as a Member at Large and through this I have gained invaluable experience in dealing with various issues facing our college and university. I am an active member of the Campus Affairs committee of the Student Senate and through this I have been able to work on various issues facing our university now. O ne of the projects that our committee is currently working on is the assessment of the me al plan system at CMU where we have surveyed over 600 students on their opinions and suggestions on improving the cur rent meal plan. We will be presenting this data to Dining Services and work together with them to improve the current meal plan. Our committee has also worked with Housing Services for various housing related problems, improving the escort service, on campus and off campus security. Apart from thi s, in high school, I was the student council representative for my year group, editor for the business magazine, and head of an organization called Global Concerns which sponsore d 26 charitable projects around the world. This has given me the necessary experience in dealing with the school administration, communication with various student bodies, and d ealing with other student related issues.
My task as a senator I believe is one that requires commitment, responsibility, and resol ution. My past experiences have given me the necessary qualifications for this purpose. And I promise my fullest dedication to CIT and our university as a community. It will be a privilege for me to represent CIT in the Student Senate. I thank you for your suppo rt.
Gautam JainAnyone running for the position of Senator must feel a heavy weight of responsibility. If not, he has no conception of the powers and duties of the office upon which he is about to enter, or he is lacking in a proper sense of the obligation which the position imposes.
I am no exception to this. I have had the honor to be a member-at-large in Student Senate for a whole semester, and have had several marvelous opportunities at observing the internal workings of the system. The steps that present Senators have taken and the legislation that has passed under their hands have accomplished much, and have brought about in the business a much higher regard for the existing law.
To render the reforms that are still lasting, however, further legislative and executive actions are needed …
Carnegie Mellon University is not made. It is still in the making. It has today an impending crisis as menacing as any in collegiate history. I find that citizens of this school are very passive. It is almost as if no one really gives Student Senate a big deal, and I feel that this is maybe because they are not represented well enough. This is a call to higher ideals in citizenship of CMU - a call for the preservation of the representative character of the student government itself.
Every man should have faith. There’s work for everyone. The field is large. It is a glorious service, this service for the college community. The call goes out to every CMU citizen to participate in an unending struggle to make and preserve well, this student government representation. Each one should pocket a patriotic duty to build at least a part of his life into the life of his university, to do his share in the making of CMU a better place.
Mere passivity is not enough. Students must be more aggressive in their wants. The students are slowly realizing this, but this realization seems to have not picked up enough momentum.
I feel that I have it in me to help build the momentum up. And I say this because I have had the experience. While a member of the Academic Affairs committee here on campus, I have helped implement several changes as far as student needs are concerned. For example, ECE students were not receiving sufficient advising from their department, and therefore my committee had the ECE advisors send mail to each of the students in order to facilitate better assistance from their side. In addition, we currently are working on issues like the effect of +/- grades during the midterm, and we are also coming up with a reform wherein every student dropping a course would be required to give in a satisfactory explanation for the same. As far as student government is concerned, I have been very familiar with its workings since my school days. In my high school, I was the Student Body President. Under my leadership, I had a Student Cooperative Consumer Store set up in my school for students’ benefits that was later transformed into a full-fledged business. I also had plenty of experience with school administration during my term, and organized the school’s biggest events such as the Sports Day, the Graduation Ceremony, and the Student Carnival.
Having thus reviewed the questions and the crises that are likely to occur during this next term, and having expressed in a brief summary way the position which I bear in these several issues, I invoke the considerate support of my fellow students and the aid of the Almighty to help me represent them so that I can discharge my duties in a more responsible and powerful manner.
Lam Mays
Sophomore, Biomedical and Health Engineering / Mechanical
Engineering
Grade school student council…high school class officer…CIT senator freshmen year at CMU… Once again I am very excited to have the opportunity to run for a student government position. I currently sit on the Academic Affairs Committee of Student Senate. Together with other members of the committee, I am working on improving communication between ECE students and their advisors, expanding the course offerings of different departments in H&SS, and getting feedback from my constituents on the recently implemented plus/minus grading system. During the remaining time of my term, I plan to continue trying to resolve these issues. I hope that I will have another term to work on any upcoming concerns as well as finish any unresolved issues. Student government has always interested me as it allows the students to voice out concerns and act upon those concerns to better student life. My job as your CIT senator is to be liaison between you and the school’s administration. Throughout my involvement with student government, I’ve worked hard to represent the needs of the students and I will continue to do so if elected.
Alison McKenna
Junior, Civil and Environmental Engineering / Engineering and
Public Policy
Hello, my name is Alison McKenna and I am running to become a senator for CIT. I have been a voting member of Student Dormitory Council since last fall and I am currently a member of the Communications, Food and the Housing and Student Life committees. I am also the National Communications Coordinator for SDC, which means that I am responsible for maintaining communication between SDC and representatives of other universities? residence hall associations. I am also recently became a Member-at-Large in Student Senate and I am a member of the Campus Affairs committee. Through my as a member of SDC and also now as a Member-at-Large in Student Senate, I am working to try to improve things on campus. I feel that I have the experience necessary to continue to address issues students have including food, housing related issues, as well as other concerns that students have. I hope to continue to work to address students? concerns through Student Senate and it would be my pleasure to serve as your senator. Thank you very much.
In the short time that I have been senator for the College of Fine Arts, I have learned a great deal about student government and they way that things are handled. By meeting, interacting, and working with the other senators, I have become aware of the many possibilities for the betterment of Carnegie Mellon. I feel that I have the necessary skills and qualities to help in accomplishing the student senate's goal of improving our campus. I am a very outspoken person and always willing to argue my point of view. In high school, I was Editor-In-Chief of the yearbook, an active member of student council, and various other extra-curricular and volunteer activities. Currently, I am working at the art supply store in the UC and I am playing intramural soccer. Because of these are the only two other activities I will be participating in, I know I will have enough time to devote to the student government. By remaining a senator to the already under represented CFA, I hope to tackle some issues that have not yet been brought up. There are problems with the teaching staff and the equipment available for students. As senator, I will dedicate my time to get these issues corrected.
My name is Jennifer Lin, and I am running for re-election as one of the senators for the School of Computer Science. I became a senator in spring of 2001 and am currently the Public Relations Chair. Working with the general Senate body as well as the Senate executive committee has allowed me to make a difference by acting upon the interests of my constituents. I am not afraid of speaking the opinions of my peers and have learned a lot of diplomatic tact and etiquette through years of leadership training. Through the experiences and skills I have gained over the years, I feel that I can contribute to my full extent. I know the meaning of commitment and understand how much time it will take up, but feel that it will be time well spent. With my interest, experience, and skills, I feel that I would be an ideal candidate to represent the School of Computer Science in the Student Senate. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue contributing to the school and feel that the experience would help me develop as a person as well if re-elected.
My name is Stephanie Mathias, and as a freshman this year I am running to represent the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. HSS is a diverse and challenging place to learn as students and grow as individuals, and it deserves a strong voice in those campus issues that affect our ability to make the most of our Carnegie Mellon experience. It would be a privilege to serve the student body in this capacity. In my first months on campus, I have found a number of ways to get involved with our campus community; I am the historian for Scotch ?n' Soda, a voting member of the Student Dormitory Council, a new member at Delta Delta Delta, and a voting member of Student Senate as well as a member of the Internal Affairs committee. The people I have met are unmatched in their passion for what they do; I would like to remain as active on campus as possible. As your representative, it will be my top priority to ensure that our school plays an active role on campus. I want to help make the Senate as active and visible as it can be. I want to make sure that students in our school are as informed and aware about the Senate as possible. Most importantly, I hope to be visible and accessible to bring your ideas for our campus and our community to the people who can make them a reality. It would be a true honor to represent our school. Thank you for you time and support.
My name is Paul Richelmi, and I am running to be re-elected as an H&SS Senator. In the past year, I have been devoted to improving life on campus, and in H&SS. Along with our Student Body President, Adam Harber, I've fought to keep +/- grades off of final grades and transcripts, and I will continue to do so. I played a part in funding for Carnival last year, and bands such as The Clarks and Henry Rollins. I am also the Academic Affairs Committee Chairman within Senate, where I head all academic endeavours that Senate undertakes. Two big initiatives that I've started, and will continue to work on are information sharing in the IS department, and broader class offerings in H&SS. My committee is trying to get SIA and SCS to share information with IS students, so they are informed about jobs, internships, and any other opportunities that CS and business students have. I personally think that there is a disturbing lack of pure humanities courses within H&SS, and I am working with the administration to provide a better selection of classes. I believe I have served the student body well, and I will work even harder next year if re-elected. Give your vote to Paul Richelmi, for H&SS Senator.
Mark RoboffHello, my name is Mark Roboff and I am a freshman running for an H&SS Senate position. I have had much experience with student government in high school and already I have become very involved with student government here at CMU. As a senator, I promise to be committed and resolved in being an active, vocal member of senate. I promise to provide a strong voice for the H&SS community, and through that I promise to bring results to the concerns of my constituents. I will strive to better the H&SS School and the university at large.
On senate, I have been a member at large since the beginning of the year. That means that while I am not a senator, I do participate in general body and committee meetings. Thus, I already have knowledge as to what senate does and to how it runs. I also am very involved with CMU’s Student Dormitory Council, the representative government for students who are specifically residents on campus. I have been a petitioned, voting member of that organization since the beginning of the year, and am very active within several SDC committees. However, what gives me the most experience and expertise is that I act as the liaison between the two organizations. At SDC meetings, I report on what Senate has been doing, and at Senate meetings, I serve as an SDC ex-officio member (in addition to being a Senate member at large) and give reports as to what SDC is doing. As a liaison between the two organizations, it is my job to understand in detail what each organization does, how each organizations run, and with how they are similar to and different from each other. Through that, I can provide a unique benefit as a senator because I have the knowledge to see that your concerns will be dealt with through the most effective and productive means within both organizations.
I have always been resiliently committed in what I do, and I am anxious to be so committed to pursuing your concerns and desires within student government. I have many ideas with how to improve the effectiveness of Senate, and I will work diligently to make Senate a better organization for the student body. I am ready to work for you. I am ready to offer you resolve in putting your problems and desires into actions. I have the knowledge and drive needed to be an effective senator, and I have the desire to make CMU a better place in many ways. All I need is your vote to make it happen. Vote Mark Roboff for a better voice in government and for a better CMU.
Quinten SteenhuisMy name is Quinten Steenhuis. For the past year and a half, I have served the school as a senator, a role I take very seriously. This year I served as Chair of the Internal Affairs Committee, where I have made it a goal to improve the day-to-day operation of Senate. I make it a point to work on the little things as well as the large. My most visible accomplishment has been the implementation of online elections this year, the first time they have been held at our school. At the same time, I instituted office hours for Senators to share their concerns about Senate with me. I organized educational and group-building activities, so that we would better be able to serve the campus. I have also made it a goal to improve Senate's interaction with the campus as a whole. A priority for my committee has been to re-examine and possibly eliminate some of the red tape that currently stands in the way of organizations getting money, while increasing equity in the distribution of funds.
Beyond Senate, I have served as a representative to the Computing Services Student Advisory Council. I participate in several organizations on campus, have founded others, and am active in campus and national politics. Nevertheless, I do not allow my participation in particular organizations to intefere with my representation of all campus organizations.
If re-elected, I will continue my work to make Senate more responsive, more approachable, and more efficient. I will also continue to represent my constituents in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences to the best of my ability. Vote for me on November 6 and 7.
As your current MCS senator, I feel I have much to offer if re-elected. I have spent the past semester as Chair of Senate, a job I feel that has really allowed me to voice our student opinions more than ever. In regular meetings with administration, I assure that the needs of MCS students are heard, and delineated to make change possible. I have worked alongside my fellow senators to alter University Policy to best meet the concerns of the student body, as well as to allocate sponsorship of great activities here on our campus. I am now completing what is my 5th semster of Student Government, and I have many plans for the upcoming semesters. Senate looking into a midterm policy, like the finals policy, to assure no more than 2 midterms within 24 hours; working on campus food issues, bookstore prices and operations. These are all issues Senate is charged with, and will continue until resolution, along with any new concerns from students directly. I want to continue to best serve you, and I feel I can achieve such if re-elected.
I am currently running for the opportunity to represent the BHA/BSA/SHS Senate Seat. I believe that I will be a strong senate member and will be able to represent both the BHA/BSA and SHS programs in a fair and productive manner. The reason why I am running is mainly because I believe strongly in the concept of both interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary education, and I would like to see our respective programs become more of a presence at CMU. The Senate also is in charge of reviewing and proposing legislation concerning academic affairs, deciding on the funding and recognition of various student organizations, coming up with proposals to improve the general quality of life at CMU etc. If elected, I would definitely let all of you know what the current senate issues are, and find out what your input on these issues is via bboards, email, as well as direct communication. A few things that I have ideas for are: increasing voter awareness, increasing interaction between SHS, BHA/BSA colleges, having interdisciplinary events be more accessible to the community at large via increased funding and publicity, increasing the awareness of interdisciplinary education, and deciding on whether or not BHA/BSA and SHS should have their own respective Senate seats. I know that I will be a very productive Senate member if given the opportunity. Please take me into consideration while deciding on a candidate.