The Student Government Association is set to hold its annual e-board election for both new and returning members.
The election arrives at a pivotal time for the college as it works to stabilize enrollment amidst its $40 million budget deficit. All students can vote via Columbia’s Engage app.
On Tuesday, April 21, candidates will deliver speeches in the second-floor boardroom of the Student Center. Following the speeches, students will have an opportunity to ask questions before voting opens. The ballot will remain open until 12 p.m. on April 28.
SGA serves as a liaison between the student body and the college’s administration by advocating for student issues and interests. The organization also has a student representative on the Board of Trustees, a position currently held by senior graphic design major Trinity Sutton.
The annual election will be held for all four e-board positions. The president, vice-president of communications, and vice-president of finance roles are uncontested and will be elected through a yes-majority vote.
Current Executive Vice President Amelia Lutz is running to succeed senior fine arts major Jenna Davis as SGA president following Davis’s upcoming graduation.
Lutz, a junior film and television major, has been involved with SGA since her first year at Columbia and said she “loves” both the college and its student body. She wants to implement more transparency and communication from the administration so students are more informed.
“When bigger announcements come out, they have more context behind it and more understanding so they don’t get as scared — even some of the things that scare me,” Lutz said.
Many students were left stressed and frustrated due to the lack of transparency regarding Columbia’s on-campus housing shortfall and waitlist, as previously reported by the Chronicle.
“I will talk on behalf of the students until my throat bleeds red,” Lutz said. “I will do everything I can to be supportive to students and do everything I can in their best interest.”
Rosa Weinad, the current senator for first-year students, shares a similar motivation for running for vice president of communications. Weinad, a first-year acting for stage and screen major, said she hopes to build a “closer connection” with the student body so students feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts with SGA.
“I want to bring SGA and its resources directly to students,” Weinad said. “I also plan to restart the SGA newsletter and post more informational videos and promotional content on social media about what’s happening across campus.”
Student voters can vote between sophomore musical theatre major Danielle Lang, the current vice president of communications, and sophomore film and television major Ari Orth, SGA’s second-year student senator, for the executive vice president position.
For Lang, she wants to have a “higher involvement” with the faculty senate in the executive vice-president role, in addition to improving transparency on campus.
“I hope to continue to find ways to support the student body,” said Lang in a social media post. “This involves getting more of the student body involved with the changes made on campus through student government, and showing that student voices can affect things happening on campus.”
Orth hopes to encourage advocacy among student senators and bring “more students into the fold” by going directly to them rather than waiting for students to come to the organization.
“The arts are built around and based on community,” said Orth. “It is about connection, and that is the driving force behind my run for executive vice president — to reach out, find those students and create a stronger connection between SGA and the rest of the student body.”
Michael Kowalkowski, a junior double major in fine arts and arts and entertainment management, is running to retain his position as vice president of finance so he can continue to be an active voice for the student body and effectively implement his experience.
“I always hear this feedback and this kind of stuff coming from students,” he said. “I’m the one who can really start a conversation when I’m in these spaces with the administration and other people on campus.”
Kowalkowski, who has also been a part of SGA since his first year, looks to continue expanding financial literacy education, building on past efforts that have included events such as the Mindful Money Making workshop in March and a workshop at Columbia’s Wellness Fairs
“[The spring workshop] was very small, but I think it was a really great start and we can get the ball rolling in the fall,” Kowalkowski said.
Lutz also stressed the importance for political engagement on the most local of levels.
“It’s so important for everyone to vote in this election because our e-board would be representing your voice to the administration,” she said. “You want to make sure you have the people in those positions that you feel are best suited for those positions and who are investing in your needs.”
Copy edited by Venus Tapang
