If you happened to glance in the Winston Room on the evening of Monday, April 9, you would have seen the debate between the candidates for the Student Delegate to the Board of Trustees. Three candidates are running for the position: Sohel Rana ‘21, George Willis ‘19 and Tati Araújo ‘19. All three are or have been members of the Thelomathesian Society.
One of the candidates, Araújo, is studying abroad in Denmark but was still able to attend the debate through a Skype call, displayed on a screen behind the stage. In addition, the candidates represented a wide variety of backgrounds and identities. They all cited experiences they believed would help them perform the job of student delegate.
The student delegate’s job is to convey the needs and desires of the students to the Board of Trustees. Current Student Delegate Chris Rich ’18 explained that the delegate has the ability to affect Board decisions in ways that directly impact the university. “The Board of Trustees make many important decisions,” he says, “and they want to have a student voice that can represent the student body in their meetings.”
Opening statements by the candidates touched on such themes as establishing a better community, giving a voice to organizations, and orchestrating a change of the atmosphere on campus. Each candidate was given a minute and a half to make their opening statement, followed by questions from Elections Chair Olivia Hess ’18, Rich, and the audience.
One of the key issues addressed was how candidates if elected, would be able to communicate with their fellow students, in order to act in their best interests. Araújo proposed holding open office hours for all students, Rana suggested that he would attend the meetings of different organizations, and Willis said he intends to reach out to organizations and ask their opinions on the issues.
Another topic addressed in the debate was how candidates would defend the interests of all students, regardless of race or ethnicity. Willis stated a desire for more clarity surrounding issues of race and racism and more opportunity for all students to raise their voice, so no one is uninformed. Araújo promoted more intergroup dialogue to foster a more inclusive environment. Rana suggested a new FYP that might better teach students how to address these issues.
When asked what qualities about themselves they believed would assist them in the job of student delegate, Rana cited his outgoing and open personality, Willis mentioned his passion to give back to St. Lawrence, and Araújo referred to her experience with the students and government.
A difference of opinion occurred when Araújo suggested that her not being on a sports team would allow her to focus more on the position of delegate. Willis stated that being on a sports team allowed him to better gauge student opinions and had taught him to communicate more effectively. However, one point that all three candidates agreed on was that it was time to address the poor condition of Dean-Eaton Hall.
Voting for the position of Student Delegate opened on Wednesday April 11. The Thelomathesian Society encourages all students to vote. The new Student Delegate to the Board of Trustees will take over the duties at the June Board of Trustees meeting.