UGBC Presidential Elections: Know Who You’re Voting For!

In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock: UGBC elections are TODAY!  Her Campus BC has decided to stay unbiased throughout the election and is here to provide you with some details on both parties running.  So read up and get out there to make an informed vote!  

Team: Chris and Kudzai
Hometowns: Clark, NJ /Harare, Zimbabwe
Majors: Political Science, Communication/ Philosophy, Economics
 
Involvement in UGBC thus far (please include committees, accomplishments, etc.…)
Chris:
Freshman year: Hardy Resident Hall Director Mabida- Raab Campaign
Sophomore year: Director of Student Rights
Kudzai:
Freshman year: Senator, Social and Cultural Issues liason
Sophomore year: Director of Special Initiatives
Junior year: Director of Public Relations in the AHANA Leadership Council

 
What characteristics do you have that make you the best team for President/Vice President?
We are passionate and charismatic individuals.  We have great communication skills, an array of experiences both in and out of UGBC, and a persistent nature and drive that will allow us to successfully complete our goals and initiatives.  We are ambition meets talent.
 
What are five specific things you hope to accomplish in office, and HOW do you plan to make them happen?
1. Make UGBC relevant (increase collaborations with registered student organizations, effectively publicize UGBC events, meetings, and activities.)
2. Major and Minor Fair (have a fair where students can talk to other students from each [academic] department about courses, professors, and what it’s like to be a ______ major or minor).
3. Dorm Representatives (Have a UGBC dorm representative in each dormitory hall.)
4. Student Involvement Council (Work with Nights on the Heights, SOFC, and RSOs to have better communication and decrease the over lap in events).
5. Restructure cabinet and UGBC meetings to draw more students and increase transparency (work with Student Programs Office and past student leaders to figure out the most effective way to structure the cabinet and run meetings).

Why are these things listed above important to the student body?
The items listed above are very tangible goals that will help make the student government more relevant to students on campus.  Our goal is to have a student government that answers the needs of all students on this campus.

How will you make UGBC more accessible to those not involved?
Our “dorm representative” idea is the most direct way in which we intend to reach out to those students who are not involved or who do not know that UGBC does.  We feel as though that having a direct UGBC representative in every building to be a direct contact opens up the line of communication between students and the undergraduate government, in addition to providing another publicity resource for UGBC.

Describe your team in a five word sentence.
Helping students find their passions.

What makes you passionate about being President/Vice President?
We’ve had an awesome three years here at Boston College.  We’ve both met a lot of great people and feel that this campus has truly invested in us.  We want to invest back in the community in our final year here.
 
What do you do outside UGBC?
Chris: Emerging Leaders Program, Radio Show, Quality of Student Life Committee
Kudzai: Intramural Soccer, Tutor/Mentor through PULSE, Music Blogger

Final note:
Our slogan “Because You Matter” is not just something we threw together.  Our campaign is about everyone on this campus.  Your ideas, your passions, and your experiences…because you matter.

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Team:  Vanessa Gomez and Jennifer Wanandi 
Hometowns: Providence, RI and Lake Forest, IL 
Majors: 
Vanessa: Philosophy and Communications Major and African and African Diaspora Studies Minor 
Jennifer: Political Science Major and International Studies Minor 

Involvement in UGBC thus far (please include committees, accomplishments, etc.…) 

Vanessa: 
Freshmen Year- Freshmen Senator, Student Life Department Liaison: Passed A Resolution to provide $2000 in additional funding for the Benigno Aquino Scholarship Celebrations 
Sophomore Year- Sophomore Senator, University Affairs Department Liaison, Member of the Budget Committee, Constitutional Convention Member, Shuttle Bus Coordinator: 
Junior Year- Vice President of Senate, Budget Committee Chair: 

Jennifer: 
Director of UNITY—(Sophomore Year) member of the Community Relations Department; member of AHANA Caucus; collaborations with culture clubs for UNITY Dinner; 2nd Annual Dancing with the Stars Event collaboration with CVSA (Cape Verdean Student Association); Chief Advisor—(Junior Year) manage the Community Relations Department as well as advises the President and VP for external affairs; member of Senior Cabinet; Co-sponsor of the David Axelrod Event with the College Democrats; work with various RSOs to host the Freshman Tailgate during Welcome Week 

What characteristics do you have that make you the best team for President/Vice President? 

Jennifer and I have the dedication to work tirelessly for and with the student body to ensure that all of our visions for the school come into fruition.  Additionally, we wholeheartedly care. We aren’t running for the titles, but because we truly care about and are committed to our fellow students. We want to see that the students.  The two of us are also very experienced. We already have very extensive understandings of the way in which UGBC works, and so we know the best and most efficient ways to go about implementing new [policies] and creating necessary changes. Being a leader of UGBC requires you to work very closely with administrators, and having an established positive relationship with them will facilitate our ability to make these changes. 

What are five specific things you hope to accomplish in office, and HOW do you plan to make them happen? 

1. Work more closely with SOFC to address financial issues plaguing all student organizations 
2. Expand BC2Boston to become it’s own department as well as increasing programming into the city of Boston 
3. Increase advocacy through establishing an accountability system not only upon the administration but also on UGBC by the Students 
4. Transparency through the creation of UGBC on Your Corner, which promotes not only the office hours of the President and Vice President on the website but also the office hours of all the EDs/EMs of the departments
5. Student involvement through the creation of a pilot program of the BChange Fund, which provides the opportunity for students be financially aided by UGBC to start up their endeavors for their own programs or events.  Applications to access funds from the BChange Fund would be determined by representatives from each of the 4 branches of UGBC.  Additionally, we would like to revamp the Kitlas-Long team structure to incorporate more think tank groups, which would actively involve students in the research and creation of policy work based off the responses to the UGBC Be the Change Survey. 

Why are these things listed above important to the student body? 

Each and every undergraduate student pays an activities fee and should have the right to have their concerns expressed when it comes to the manner in which their money is being spent. Additionally, expanding the BC2Boston program to become its own department would facilitate not only new ideas and directorships in the government, but would also foster even more interactions of Boston College students into the city of Boston.  Boston is incredibly rich in not only history and arts, but also in variety of events and opportunities that exist.  It is truly a college town that we hope that all BC students come to take advantage of during their time here. 

How will you make UGBC more accessible to those not involved? 

 One of the things that we would like to implement is a program called UGBC on Your Corner, which means that we would have office hours not only for the UGBC President and Vice President, but also for the Executive Directors and Executive Managers of the UGBC Cabinet. These would be highly publicized in our weekly updates and would take place in locations such as dining halls which are far more familiar to the majority of the student body than the second floor of Maloney Hall.  Another manner of making UGBC an organization that is more approachable is by changing the current structure of teams and creating ones that are more policy based. These teams would have more students who are not currently in UGBC involved in analyzing and enacting policies that are based on the everyday needs of the “average” BC student. 

Describe your team in a five word sentence. 

 We’re dedicated, innovative, and engaged. 

What makes you passionate about being President/Vice President? 

To be President and Vice President is not something that we’re doing just for the title or just because we’ve been in the organization for so long.  The reason why being President/Vice President is something that we’ve become passionate about as a result of what we have grown to truly love in the past three years–Boston College.  While we are proud to call Boston College our home, we see the flaws and necessity for not only student involvement throughout the university, but also a voice that can truly articulate what students want.  To us, it is being able to be at the negotiating table to advocate towrads  what students want and articulate how they feel about certain university policies.  

What do you do outside UGBC? 

Vanessa: I am involved with the Arrupe International Immersion Trip that went to Ecuador and am a member of the African Student Organization. 

Jennifer:  I’ve been involved in the Student Admissions Program since Freshman Year as not only as a tour guide and a panelist but also as an Office Management and AHANA Outreach programs. Additionally, I started my RSO experience on campus with my membership in the Asian Caucus’ Freshmen Academy program as well as volunteering at the St. Peter’s Teen Center in Dorchester.  I am also Co-Director of Backgrounds of BC, a committee working to implement a freshmen diversity seminar on campus.  

Final note: 
I would like to ask them to be informed decision makers and to be sure that they use the power that they do have as BC students to let their voices be heard by voting. I would also like to say that despite who wins this election, I hope they remain engaged in the affairs of the campus and of UGBC. Boston College is our school and our home, and so it is important that we all realize that ultimately it is up to us to make it the best home possible.