Sana-e-zahra Ali Aamir ’08, Dupre Hall

“The gods in their wisdom did not let me see myself as others see me and instead let me skew in my own self esteem.” I live under what may be a delusion that I can make a difference. I believe that a committed approach and open mind can lead to great outcomes. I hope to bring in my own cultural and personal perspective while being open minded and flexible. I do not have the basis of stipulating specific issues that are of great importance this early in my experience. However, my passions do lie within the areas of the school’s financial aid policy, civic engagement, and curricular issues.
 

Sonia Hazard ’08, Dupre Hall

Students should be able to actually have an impact on the direction of the College, so I am running to offer a concerted student voice under the four planks of the Common Platform: 100% need-blind admissions, institutional commitment to the environment and social justice, the recruitment and support of domestic students of color, and a gender blind housing option. I strongly believe in the urgency of these issues and I promise to strongly push them forward in the Legislative Body.
 

Ahna Minge ’08, Dupre Hall

I am running because I want to have an impact at Macalester College. I hope to be an informed voice for the residents of my hall and make decisions that will positively effect all of us at Mac. I believe that my experience in student government will allow me to resolve conflicts and plan for the future.
 

Paul Swartz ’08, Dupre Hall

If elected, I will work to make sure that Macalester stays committed to diversity, environmental sustainability and community service. Above all I am committed to keeping Macalester’s admissions process completely need-blind.
 

Veronica Cassidy ’08, Doty Hall

I think that being a member of the LB is a very effective way to help promote issues which I and many other students feel are of particular importance, and to work with the administration to make these wishes of the student body a reality. I am running on the Common Platform, and support the four main agendas that I hope to help accomplish. While as of now these are my main objectives, I plan to keep in touch with the student body and continue presenting other issues of importance should I be elected.
 

Talha Fasih Khan ’08, Doty Hall

I seek inspiration from one of Gandhi’s great quotes: “you must be the change you wish to see in this world.” I believe that if we all were to follow this direction, the world would be a better place with fewer cynics and more people who live their dreams. I feel I could do justice to the opinions and concerns of all in my hall, regardless of whatever they are and be their voice on the LB. I think that being a publicly elected servant is a huge responsibility, not a privilege. I am hoping to be a voice for the silent minority—the significant others who tend not to get their voice heard in modern day “democracies.” I want to be efficient and firm, and act accordingly. Most public offices tend to become extremely bureaucratic and mere talking places. I hope to let the actions do the talking. I think we need to reach out to the student body more, and include everyone in the decision making process.
 

Hillary Mohaupt ’08, Doty Hall

I am running in order to truly represent Doty’s residents. So often the majority tends to forget about those in the minority who view the world from a different perspective or who value something different than the majority values. First year students can offer a fresh point of view of all areas of concern at Mac, from social justice issues to communication issues. I hope to establish a clear line of communication between students and their government, to be what a girl on Doty 2 called a “vessel” of communication so that issues that concern Doty students can and will be addressed in MCSG. My goal is to be open-minded: I advocate open dialogue, communication and community. Come visit me at 4 p.m. on September 25 in the lounge on Doty 5.
 

Alex Flores ’08, Turck Hall

I completely agree with and support the Common Platform, and will work to implement its four main goals. I hope to address the issues [of the Common Platform] and work diligently on all issues that come before the LB and affect the student body and my constituents specifically.
 

Jignasha Pandya ’08, Turck Hall

I served on my high school’s Student Government for two years and enjoyed dealing with the challenges involved –addressing issues that face the student body, coming up with solutions and alternatives, and working in a team. It was a great learning experience and I want to be involved in it again.
 

Matt Petcoff ’08, Turck Hall

I hope to better serve the needs of the freshmen in Turck Hall. I want to listen to the community I live in and represent the constituents by providing a vehicle between students and student government. I am very weary about the Financial Aid talk; frankly, I don’t completely understand it. I hope to accomplish a better understanding of where all of our tuition moneys are going and how they are being allocated to different things. There are a lot of things I don’t understand and hopefully by serving in this position I will learn what is going on, and I can convey that to Turck and first-year residents.
 

Natalia Espejo ’07, Wallace Hall

I am running to serve on the LB because I want to be involved in the decision-making process that determines what policies are in the student body’s best interests. I want to facilitate the development of a more transparent relationship between the Legislative Body and Macalester students. I think that many people on campus have become indifferent to the LB and MCSG and I believe that it is critical to give those students a renewed sense of agency. If elected, I hope to consistently keep Macalester students aware of the LB’s decisions and their ability to influence or change them. Also, I hope to be able to positively influence decisions involving gender-blind housing and the importance of need-blind admissions.
 

Jess Hasken ’07, Wallace Hall

Macalester students are very active and informed about the local and global communities, yet the Macalester community itself is often overlooked as an avenue for involvement. I want to help build a stronger relationship between MCSG, the student body, faculty and staff to ensure that Macalester can provide the best possible experience for its students. If I am elected I will work to encourage the active involvement of Macalester students in campus issues by advocating for accountability, awareness and accessibility.
 

Jenn Henry ’07, Wallace Hall

Sometimes I see or hear about issues that I don’t know how to do something about (like Wallace having no drinking fountains–who do you ask about that kind of stuff?). Crazily enough, I first got the idea from my grandma—she was always involved in student government. I think that it’s my first duty to be a good approachable listener—I always want people to feel comfortable coming to me with issues and ideas knowing I’ll be an advocate for them—even if I’m not elected. If I come away from a year in LB getting people connected with the resources that are available to them, I’ll have been a success–even if Wallace still has no drinking fountains.
 

Peter Kirschmann ’07, Bigelow Hall, 30 Macalester, Cultural House

During my last year at Macalester I felt that my LB representative and MCSG in general was highly inaccessible to me and many of the members of my dorm community. Not only did I not know how to get my voice heard at MCSG, many of us did not even know who our LB representatives were. I strive to make MCSG a more accessible process that is directly accountable to the student body. I am also running as part of a collection of students from various organizations and political affiliations called the Common Platform. I strive to open MCSG up to the student population as a form in which students can propose ideas and solutions to issues on our campus, to create a process that the student body can engage in and play an active role in creating the policies and initiatives.
 

Anupama Sreekanth ’07, Bigelow Hall, 30 Macalester, Cultural House

I feel that too often students feel that they can’t control what’s going on around campus, and that student government doesn’t do anything except start and fund organizations. I am running because I was one of those students, and I would like to change that perception. I want to be an advocate for the students who elect me, and make sure that their voice is represented, while bringing new ideas and fresh perspective to the LB. I hope to work with the LB and the administration to find a feasible way to improve security on campus. If elected, I also want to make sure that student government becomes much more open to students.
 

Maggie Kinkead ’07, Veggie Co-Op

I wish to serve on the LB because I feel that in the past the LB was treated as an unimportant and distant part of our campus life. I wish to change this and bring back to the Co-op and the community at large what a strong force the LB really is, particularly in matters pertaining to recruitment, environmental issues, gender-blind housing and need-blind admissions. I hope to be part of a larger change in the LB that helps to bring about important changes at Macalester from the point-of-view of the student who is, after all, the reason the college exists in the first place.
 

Richard Graves ’06, Humanities (write-in)

I am running to serve on the MCSG as a representative to the LB in order to make a real difference on campus, which I believe can actually be done through the LB. I wish to bring positive environmental and social change to this college through a partnership between students, administration, faculty, and staff. Finally, I am responding to Michael Barnes’ challenge that we try to create the world, or even the part of the world we live in her at Macalester, we want to live in, before we complain about the way it is now. We have some great challenges and opportunities ahead of us and student government will have a role in all of them. The college is currently in the planning stage of two new buildings on campus that have the potential to be extraordinary green buildings, setting new standards on environmental and social responsibility in their construction. The student body has just voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that will need careful interpretation so that the spirit of positive environmental and social change can be maintained without alienating the students that have legitimate concerns with its language. I believe my strong record of on and off campus activism will serve me in good stead for this role and it would be an honor to be able to serve the Macalester student body.
 

Renee Lepreau ’06, Humanities

I am running because I believe that as a student at Macalester I am accountable to the practices of the school as an institution. I view the MCSG as a potential place to enact my politicized accountability. I hope to address to the fullest capacity of MCSG the Common Platform agenda and generally explore the possibilities of MCSG as a space for student self-determination and direct democracy.
 

Jared Lodge ’05, Humanities

I am running for a position on the Legislative Body as part of the Common Platform. MCSG is a political body, and as such it has an obligation to involve itself in political concerns. I hope to help make MCSG a force for positive political change both on and off the Macalester campus.
 

Kwame Amet Tsikata ’05 Social Sciences I

Generally, I’m interested in making the LB a more relevant, accessible and visible structure for the community. I think that last year saw a movement in that direction. There was definitely more of a positive infusion of socio-political agendas that more students in the community were interested in and willing to participate in: whether it was a residential life or an anti-Wal-Mart resolution. I’m interested in the institutionalization of projects such as the Pluralism and Unity program. There are certainly limitations to the power of the LB, but I think if we generally manage to spark a constructive amount of ruckus, some positive resolutions will eventually be reached some day. And lastly, I would be interested in using my vote to support allocation of funds for groups—such as Minnesota Nyce—whose programming efforts help to create a more inclusive space in what is a not so diverse a community. I’m speaking from the perspective of an African Black Male.
 

Yong-Ho Kim ’05, Social Sciences II

I want to hear more often the voices of immigrant workers–people who wash dishes at Bon Appetit backstage and clean the Campus Center at two in the morning.
 

Brent Mizel ’05, Social Sciences II

Having served on the LB last year, I recognize the importance of such a body. I believe that the LB has begun to move toward greater transparency and accountability, and I hope to encourage that growth. I have, and will always, maintain that MCSG has an immense responsibility to the student body to act as a voice to the administration and to maintain fair and reliable practices related to student organizations and funding. Due to this responsibility, I would encourage increased availability and representation through direct communication by representatives to their constituents. The LB has been silent for too long and must continually strive to better its connection to those that it represents. Platform-wise, I am a strong proponent of environmental issues. I have been involved with Mac Conservation & Renewable Energy Society (MacCARES) in striving toward green building of new athletic facilities. During last year’s LB I assisted in negotiating the constitutional amendment that allows student orgs to not buy from specific retailers if they so choose. I also strongly believe that MCSG needs to stay away from sweeping political decision that have the potential to alienate sections of campus.
 

Jesse Mortenson ’05, Social Sciences II

I am running to offer students a clear voice on impending decisions that impact the fundamental direction of the college. I am not alone; I join a group of concerned colleagues from various political stripes called the Common Platform. We share four planks, and carry an interest (if not consensus) on other issues, from giving more independence to student organizations over expenses to regularly employing direct democracy in MCSG decision-making. These four planks follow directly in the guidance of the Blue-Green Amendment of last year that was overwhelmingly approved by the student body. I hope to contribute to a campus wide understanding of education as not something that the administration and faculty prepare and then students consume, but rather as a process that must be intrinsically democratic and participatory to be judged as excellent. I hope to cut student government bureaucracy around funding for student organizations and participation in decision making for all students.
 

Colleen Stockmann ’05, Fine Arts (write-in)

I am running for the LB to give the Fine Arts a louder voice on campus and to encourage the LB to more adequately consider issues from art-related orgs. As a former Academic Affairs Commission chair I feel very strongly that students deserve a stronger voice in decisions regarding school policy–especially considering the potential changes in graduation requirements. As an LB member, I would work with the other representatives to provide students with information about school policies that are currently in flux and to gather opinions from the student community regarding those issues and more.
 

Laura Stewart ’07, Transfer Students

I am running because I want to give the students a voice in what goes on in this institution. I changed schools and I know what can happen if the students’ wants and needs are not heard. I also have a different experience with college education and can bring new ideas to the table. If I am elected I hope to help transfers feel really welcome at this school and make it a school that no one wants to leave.
 

Candidates Who Did Not Respond:

Jonathan Davis

Edinam Agbenyeke

Daniel Burgess

Ole Koppang