Please note that candidate statements represent only the views of the candidates themselves, and not those of any organizations. Candidate statements should not be understood as implying the endorsement of student organizations unless those endorsements are explicitly stated in italics below the statement.
For many of us, what goes on in local politics seems petty and unimportant. Yet the politics of Oberlin has an arguably greater immediate impact on us during our time here than any big election does. Issues related to student life-residential sanitation, library hours, the length or reading period, the quality of campus dining-may seem trivial and trite, but for us as students, the trivial annoyances of college life has a direct connection to the quality of our experience Oberlin.
I am running for student senate because frankly, I am tired of the complaining about mice in my dorm, I am tired of the complaining about poor experiences in dining halls, and I am tired of the complaining about bandwidth restrictions that prevent legal streaming of multimedia. Let's stop letting student interests go ignored and start advocating the interests of the student body by opening a dialogue between the faculty and administration and a focused, accessible, and efficient Senate. Student concerns deserve the right to be heard, and I would be a proud voice for any reasonable concern, big or small.
I, Tim Morgan, am a 2nd Year at Oberlin, and a prospective major in Politics and (potentially) History. I have always been interested in politics; in governments, systems, and popular power. My reason for running for student senate is essentially two pronged. It is driven by both my interest in the subject (and my excitement about political involvement), and my growing discontent with some things going on here. Oberlin was once a hotbed of political activism and incredible student power, and, although students do not have the power they once had, there is a deep root of student strength that can be harnessed to create the essential changes that better the lives of all students on campus. I hope that you will vote for me because I want the Oberlin experience to be as good as it can be, and I care strongly about the future of this institution.
Endorsed by the Oberlin Peace Activist League
Oberlin represents a unique fold in American culture. It's conviction to combine technical prowess with social action has proven a successful strategy in producing some of the world's foremost scholars, musicians, businessmen, activists, politicians, journalists and remarkable people who transcend category. Names such as Ishmael Beah, Adrian Fenty, Alex Spiegel, and Alex Klien represent but a particle in the world of the ingenuity and creativity that Oberlin students have helped shape. Even a world-renowned institution, however, has quarrel and discord. In my three semesters here I have seen, and at times, felt the ever-looming specters of race and class. There are still the sad conditions of inequities forged long ago; and by action, inaction, osmosis, or institution, these differences seem to rear their tortured heads even here. Thus, I seek to sever the bonds that past injustices have wrought. I seek to assert dialogue to bridge the chasm of our differences, and to give aid and organization to those who need it most. Laozi once asserted that the best leaders are those who guide the people into saying "we have done this ourselves". Inherent is the concept of a very subtle change, proving a very large one. I hope the subtle change of my candidacy may prove to have such effect.
This candidate did not submit a statement.
I am excited to be RE-RUNNING for my THIRD TERM. I am very serious about representing the Oberlin student body with maturity and professionalism, and it has allowed me to advance many of our common interests.
In my past two terms on Senate, I spoke out against Fearless and dwindling off-campus housing, advocated for club sports, helped in the presidential search process, and appointed students to over 20 committees. In my last term, I want to:
- Extend Reading Period. Having a 3-day reading period is cruel. If we had a reading period of appropriate length, not only could we avoid abusing our bodies to get everything done, but also we could turn in much better work. In my time on the Educational Plans and Policies Committee, I have worked with Associate Dean Nick Jones and the Dean of Studies to try and find ways to extend reading period. I want to see this through to the end.
- Preserve off-campus housing opportunities. Things don't look good right now for off-campus housing. The student body needs a strong voice to advocate for our off-campus rights.
- Organize an all-campus Day of Service. Let's bring Community Service to the forefront of what Oberlin is about.
- Strengthen our relationship with the town of Oberlin through service and other programs.
- College purchasing. There is a lot of work to be done to make sure that the College buys its goods from socially responsible and ecologically sustainable sources.
- Improve Senate's visibility amongst the student body. Nobody knows what we do. I want to change that.
I have been navigating Oberlin's bureaucracy for two years, and I know how to get things done. RE-ELECT me to keep Senate sharp.
With two semesters left at Oberlin, I intend to spend them serving on the Student Senate. Below is an abridged version of the Rodriguez-Presto 3-Point Program that fellow candidate Cristina Rodriguez and I have created. The full program can be viewed on Facebook by searching "Matt Presto for Student Senate" or "Cristina Rodriguez for Student Senate".
1. It is an obligation of the senate to improve relations between institutions, community members, staff, faculty, and students.
2. As an institution endowed with great financial resources, decisions should be made wisely and ethically.
3. If elected, we will ensure that the needs and concerns of students from diverse backgrounds are being represented in the Senate.
Endorsed by Amnesty International
Endorsed by Oberlin Animal Rights
Endorsed by Oberlin Latin American Activists
Endorsed by Oberlin Peace Activist League
Endorsed by Students United for Reproductive Freedom
This candidate did not submit a statement.
Hi, my name is Cristina Rodriguez and I am running to represent you as a Student Senator. I am confident about the potential with my prospective Senate seat because I am energetic, grounded, practical-minded and committed to truth and justice. I would like to activate Student Senate to communicate student sentiment to the administration. In line with Oberlin's history as a progressive institution, I support the establishment of a Socially Responsible Investment Committee to ensure that the college invests in a socially responsible manner. I also seek to work closely with the current Purchasing Committee to make sure that labor and environmental standards are being upheld in the college's purchases. Student senators also have the power to influence the Educational Plans and Policy Committee to change how and what we learn in the classroom. I support the use of educational alternatives to animal experimentation in science laboratories for students concerned about animal rights. I support the Engineering Peoples of Oberlin's plans to construct bike shelters as an alternative to the parking lot that is planned to be constructed. Student Senate is the proper channel to make progressive changes in our classroom experiences, our college experiences and outside of Oberlin, from Lorain County to around the world, where students' tuition dollars end up. For that reason, you should entrust your vote with Matt Presto and I as active student citizen-activists. Matt Presto and I are running on a joint 3 Point Program that highlights our common values and visions that we plan to implement.
We stand for: socially responsible and environmentally-sound purchasing and investment decisions, economic justice for college and student employees, animal rights, access to reproductive choice, and fair representation for women, people of color, and LGBTQ communities. Please refer to our full program at http://rodriguez4studentsenate.blogspot.com/ or on facebook.
Endorsed by Amnesty International
Endorsed by Oberlin Animal Rights
Endorsed by Oberlin Latin American Activists
Endorsed by Oberlin Peace Activist League
Endorsed by Students United for Reproductive Freedom
I advocate the possibility of a return to need-blind admissions (which, though testy in today's markets, could mark a return from a milieu of campus gentrifications), the fertilization & increase of comparative and interdivisional programs of study, divestment from economic holdings at odds with responsible principles - from war financing to unsustainable food policies, solidarity with non-student campus workers in Union negotiations and scholarships for local community members, comprehensive greening beyond the aesthetic, and increased cultivation of our creative artistic communities as integral rather than superfluous structures.
Although I was recently convinced of the hypothetical viability of structural activism, I hold that representation is a working, pragmatic concept, and obviously we each need to do our part, not simply rely on someone else to make our decisions for us: We need to actively engage ourselves in our communities. As such, I hope for and expect an involved discourse between students to create and sustain the Oberlin we want.
With four years of Oberlin knowledge and experience, I have an understanding both of the historical and contemporary dynamic trends of Oberlin. Activism has been critically on the wane here in recent decades, and maintaining Oberlin as a progressive institution is up to us.
Please Vote for Matt Presto and Christine Rodriguez too.
Endorsed by Tank Co-op
My name is Elaine Sylvester. I am currently the treasurer of both the Noah Hall Council and Sophomore Student Council. I am running because I believe that my stances on certain issues represent the broader opinions of the student body. I would like to reinvigorate the Student Senate, not only with new ideas, but also with new methods and a new energy. This includes the much discussed issue of more effective communication between the Senate and the student body. The method of using a newsletter and posting the minutes has produced a less than stellar result. Although these methods had increased knowledge of the Senate process, I propose a method that goes directly to the students in a condensed and easy to understand format. I also believe that I will deliver a different perspective. I would feel privileged to serve as your Student Senator and represent your opinions in the community dialogue.
My name is Nick Adell and I am here to recruit you. At a school that prides itself on its social awareness and progressivism, student government is woefully absent from the student consciousness. The fault lies not with the students, but with the institution. As a member of the Student Finance Committee, I have had direct contact with leaders of student organizations; I know their goals, I know their concerns. If you elect me to the Student Senate, I will work toward promoting "Representation in Residence." What this means is that the Student Senate will no longer be an abstract, alien body, but a coalition of individuals who you live and work with-responsive to your concerns, interests, and goals. My goal is to recruit you to my vision for the Student Senate-a vision that will enable all students to better engage in their diverse and dynamic pursuits.
This candidate did not submit a statement.
As a second year history major, I've come to know and love certain
aspects of Oberlin. As a Student Senator, my goal will be to improve
upon all aspects of Oberlin, whether they be good or bad. I have
several goals, which I have outlined below.
As a student senator for Oberlin College, I will devote myself to the
following causes:
1. Ensuring adequate and acceptable housing opportunities by
advocating for increased off-campus housing for upperclassmen.
2. Promoting an improvement in college/community relations by
supporting projects and opportunities to volunteer within the Oberlin
community.
3. Supporting joint musical endeavors between the College and
Conservatory, with a focus on promoting increased musical
opportunities for College students.
4. Increasing the communication and interaction between the Senate and
the general student body.
5. Providing a voice for all Oberlin students within the Senate, no
matter what their background and beliefs may be.
Questions? Feel free to contact me at patrick.doherty@oberlin.edu.
Interested in supporting me? Spread the word by joining my Facebook
group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51341773076
I'm Sam-o Draisin. You may know me from my various roles on campus, including Tank DLEC, keyboardist for one of Oberlin's two Prince cover bands, co-editor of the section of the Grape that runs the porn and beer reviews, and guy-who-gets-confused-for-that-other-guy. Now I'm hoping to add another title to that list: Student Senator.
What are my credentials, you ask? In high school I served as Student Council Publicity Committee co-chair, which I attended only a handful of meetings for, Treasurer of the Youth Leadership Council for the Oakland Youth Chorus, where we failed to make one cent, and Founder, President and Treasurer of the Bowling Club and Sam Draisin Fan Club, which served as vehicles for me to launder money from the school. Plus I could totally kick the asses of most people currently on Student Senate.
As for references, I have variously been described as "a slacker" (6th grade substitute), "a pig" (kindergarten teacher), "a stain on the [College Preparatory School] reputation" (student), "slacker" (stepmom), "frustrating" (various), "disturbingly cynical" (stepmom), "annoying" (various), and "a slacker" (various).
With those in mind, a vote for me guarantees the following:
- Complete apathy for the student government process
- A majority-if not totality-of absent marks on plenary meeting roll-calls
- No less than five and no more than twelve painfully ridiculous and inane proposals
- An abstaining vote for each proposal present for
- No less than one and no more than twelve E-40, Mac Dre, and/or Too $hort references per meeting attended
- The chance for a sloppy, possibly regrettable drunk hook-up in the Senate office (if you play your cards right)
- and much much more!
You know you don't give a f*ck about Student Senate, so why vote for someone who does? Vote Sam-o Draisin 2009!
Endorsed by The Grape
Endorsed by Tank Co-op
"Gozer the traveller! He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zools knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!"
Endorsed by The Grape
Since I've been eligible to register to vote, I've been active in progressive politics. I'm a member of the Green Party and I've worked with candidates in Arizona, a state I've called home for over four years. I've also been very active in promoting elections reforms, like easier ballot access for third parties and ranked voting systems. It continues to be my firm belief that citizens should register to vote and vote because the electoral system encourages it, and not because they were registered by a political party or an interest group. But my passion for activism does not end there. Oberlin continues to move in the right direction on environmental, human rights, and other issues. I support the direction we're taking, even as I recognize much work remains. If elected, I will fight tirelessly for students and progressive policies on and off campus, on issues that affect everyone.
This candidate did not submit a statement.