School and Diversity Interest Senators
Arts and Sciences
Dana Hansen
Journalism and Mass Communication
Sean Walsh
Fine Arts
Kayleigh Koester
Business and Public Administration
Adam Lutz
Nick Kollauf
Shelby Klose
Education
Carly Hamilton
Pharmacy
Nick Lund
Diversity Interest
Tanaya Thomas
Senators-at-Large
Timothy Alguire
Sarah Birkholz
Nate Bleadorn
Jared Hanel
Alex Hendzel
David Karaz
Zachary Keller
Amanda Laurent
Sam Pritchard
Michael Riebel
Stephen Slade
Seejo Valacheril
Ian Weller
Candidates for Student Senate Share Platforms
Student Senate candidates must share their platforms before they can run. They are given three questions by the election commission to answer to form their biographical information and what they want to accomplish. Here are what the candidates had to say about themselves, and what they want to do:
1.) How have you contributed to make Drake University a high quality institution?
Timothy Alguire – I have contributed to making Drake University a high quality institution by being involved around campus. I have participated in several intramural sports and cheered on our sporting teams. I attended several events on campus and strive to be involved around campus as much as possible.
Sarah Birkholz – As a first-year student I became actively involved in many different groups across campus. Some of these groups include Delta Gamma Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, the Women’s Lacrosse Club and the First-Year Interest Committee. These different groups have given me an opportunity to help serve both the Drake community and the Des Moines community; the community involvement is an attribute that makes Drake University a high quality institution.
Nate Bleadorn – I have served students as a PMAC, hosted prospective students on overnight stays and given countless campus tours to visitors. This interaction with incoming Drake family members shows how much I care about our university’s future. I have also served as a Senator-at-Large and Student Body Treasurer where I have facilitated the allocation of student fees to various organizations.
Carly Hamilton – I have contributed to make Drake a high quality institution in several different ways. My first year, I was on the Admission Coleition, giving tours to prospective students. I was able to share my love of the University to so many high school students trying to decide if they wanted to come here. Sophomore year, I was a PMAC during welcome weekend helping the first-year students to get settled into their rooms and assisting them in making friends and getting acclimated to living on campus. Currently, I am the Co-Vice President of Colleges Against Cancer. I worked all year to help plan the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Drake University. This gave Drake students the opportunity to get involved and help to raise money for cancer research and spread cancer awareness.
Jared Hanel – Since I came to Drake I have been working hard to see each and every aspect of Drake first hand. From getting to know each of the individual organizations on campus to getting to know many of the faculty members on a personal basis, I have immersed myself in the Drake culture. After doing so, I have been working my way up to leadership positions so I can fulfill the requests of my peers and implement successful programs. I have also been working on the Alcohol Task Force commissioned by the dean of students in order to help draft a policy for alcohol awareness and develop alternative programming for students.
Dana Hansen – I am involved in numerous organizations on campus, holding various leadership positions. I am not only involved around campus but make positive contributions to all of the organizations that I am a part of.
Alex Hendzel – I have contributed to Drake University in a multitude of ways by being a Senator-at-Large this past year. My assigned position was the Organization Council Chair, and my committee was compiled of representatives of all different student organizations. I revamped my committee and increased the number of organizations that attended the meetings by almost double. I achieved this goal of mine by offering the opportunity for non-annually funded organizations to earn free copies in SLC in order to help market themselves and hold successful events. I held a service project where we wrote Valentine’s Day cards for soldiers from Iowa stationed overseas in order to give back to the community and become more globally aware citizens. I have served as a liaison between organizations run by students and senate to increase knowledge of student opinions and issues.
David Karaz – As the first ever first-year senator, I have molded the position into one that will represent the interests of first-years for years to come. I want to continue to make lasting impacts while at Drake. I have also strived to reach out to the Drake community through music, Greek life, residence life and academics.
Zach Keller – I am currently the President of the Carpenter Hall Executive Council, an intern for the Buildings and Grounds Liaison, a Drake Actuarial Student Society member and a new hire as a Resident Assistant for next year.
Shelby Klose – I contributed to Drake with my various roles in organizations. On campus, I am involved with Stalnaker’s EC. In this council I helped plan several big events like the Stalnaker Halloween dance and Casino Night. I am also in the Student Services Committee of Senate. In this role I had the chance to represent Drake in discussions with Drake Direct and Sodexo. With these responsibilities I have been able to lend a first-year opinion to help improve student life at Drake.
Kayleigh Koester – I serve in positions as a Student Ambassador, a member in the Drake Democrats and participate in Drake Choir & Alpha Phi Omega. I love being involved in so many diverse organizations on campus; the range of people and organizations on campus is what I love about Drake and I work to intentionally be involved in various types of groups.
Nick Kollauf – I have contributed in many different ways, I believe to Drake’s overall success as a high quality institution. The main ones however are listed as being an active member in a fraternity here on campus, representing Drake Greek life by sitting on IFC executive council, as well as an outstanding student making the Dean’s List this past semester. As far as my involvement in my fraternity goes, Greek life makes up 27 percent of campus, and maintaining a positive image and reputation comes from strong philanthropic involvement, outstanding grades and a competitive attitude in intramurals. I have been a part of all of these at SigEp, by participating in Queen of Hearts, obtaining great grades and being an intramural champion (softball). My participation on IFC although short has been hectic and busy, I just recently got done planning the Greek Gala which is the Greek Awards ceremony, which went off without a hitch and had great participation. My final part is what every student should strive to do. Making the Dean’s List for the fall semester meant a lot because of the tough course load of 18 credits. Without my participation in class and high involvement in group activities I do not believe I would have done so well. Those are my main contributions to Drake University so far, to keep it at its prestigious level.
Amanda Laurent – I believe that I have contributed to Drake in many various ways. This past year I have served as your Community Outreach Senator-at-Large. I hosted events such as Adopt-a-Block and the Holiday Wish Program, promoting community and charity efforts on campus. I am also involved with many organizations at Drake such as student senate (obviously!), student activities board, Adam’s Academy, Alpha Phi and the PMAC program. I also do my best to support and attend events on campus whether they are cultural, athletic, social or theatrical. Most importantly I pride myself on always being a friendly face on campus. I am a very accessible person and love to listen to students’ concerns and ideas – feel free to talk to me anytime!
Nick Lund – My biggest contribution to making Drake an even better place is not just being involved, but giving my heart and soul to everything I have gotten involved in here at Drake. Also, I really believe my willingness to take advantage of the numerous opportunities I have been given here, as well as always having an optimistic outlook with a warm, friendly personality have been my contributions to Drake and what I am most proud of.
Adam Lutz – I am a member of a variety of organizations that really allow me to give back to Drake. I have been able to serve as the student coordinator of organizations and activities where I have been able to see a lot about how different organizations function. It has helped me help other groups and gain a great perspective on Drake student’s needs. Along with that, I serve on the EC of Alpha Kappa Psi, one of the business fraternities on campus. I am able to put together professional events for our members and help them grow professionally.
Sam Pritchard – My philosophy has long been that when I roll out of bed in the morning (or afternoon), I need to put forth my best in everything that I do. I take much more pride in the effort I put forth everyday than in my involvement with campus organizations, because at the end of the day, Drake University is what it is because of the combined contributions from each and every single student.
Michael Riebel – I have contributed to Drake through the multiple organizations that I have been in. In the Student Activities Board I was the First-Year Representative and this year the Bands Committee Co-Chair. I have also been on the Presidents Cabinet committee for Student Senate and was elected last spring as a Senator-at-Large. As a Senator I have helped with making a decision to improve our email platform and connect the information technology offices with the wants and needs of Drake students.
Stephen Slade – I have contributed to making Drake a high quality institution by immersing myself in the wealth of opportunities this campus has to offer by taking advantage of the various organizations and events that are made available to us. I am very experienced in organizational involvement and have held a number of leadership positions: Organizational Senator, Residence Hall Association Campus Communications Coordinator (Stallseat Dude), PMAC (Peer Mentor/Academic Consultant), Honors Council Curriculum Chair, Pre-Med Club Vice President, Chemistry Club Kids in Chemistry Co-Chair, SAB (Student Activities Board) Relays Committee and SAB Entertainment Committee.
Tanaya Thomas – I believe a part of what makes Drake University a high quality institution is its implementation of its mission statement. I have contributed to making Drake University a high quality institution by taking part of the resources on Drake’s campus and taking note of/ creating dialogue with administrators and other students on where we as an institution are not living up to our mission statement.
Seejo Valacheril – I spend countless hours listening and helping students across campus to make their Drake experience that much better. I also have contributed to the aspects of Drake through my involvement on campus. I’ve been a Senator-at-Large for the last two years, a Student Ambassador and member of Pi Kappa Phi. Also, I’m a graduate of Adams Academy, a member of the American Marketing Association and South Asian Student Association. These activities and others have given me the opportunity to experience all that campus has to offer and be able to effectively sit once again as a Senator-at-Large.
Sean Walsh – As Residence Hall Association President this year I have promoted residence life through positive programming and policies. In addition, I have been involved in several campus organizations and have a great background organizing events and striving for positive communication.
Ian Weller – Most recently, I increased awareness of the university in the global setting through insights during the Egyptian Revolution. I have built up the university by presenting for leadership conferences, leading in the Residence Halls and advising senators in the past.
2.) What top three goals/priorities do you hope to address during your term in office. What makes you well qualified to achieve these goals?
T.A. – My top three goals include serving as a voice for all Drake students during Student Senate meetings, helping achieve connections between the Drake Community and the Des Moines Community, and contributing to the motivation and execution of Student Senate events across campus. I believe I am well qualified to achieve these goals because I always ask for opinions and express my mind. I am also a member of the Student Alumni Association, which I think would help with connections between Drake and Des Moines.
S.B. – The most important aspect of Student Senate is acting upon the ideas of students. My goal is to increase communication, and build the relationship between Senate and students.
I want to encourage organizations on campus to work together. The ability to work with different groups could strengthen the community we currently have present on campus.
A more specific topic I would like to focus on is food options. One of the most highly discussed problems on campus is often said to be the food. Over the year, Sodexo has made advances in the health of its food options, however their advances have not gone far enough. One of my primary goals is to work to find a greater number of healthy food choices, as well as working with special diets like gluten-free or vegetarian.
At the beginning of the school year, I was a member of the President’s Council, and later changed to the First-Year Interest Committee of Student Senate. These committees gave me the opportunity to see many different sides of student senate.
N.B. – One of my priorities for my term is to increase the effectiveness of Student Senate. Not only do I want to improve internal efficiency, but also I hope to ensure that students feel as though they are being adequately represented by the organization. Additionally, I want to continue to promote cooperation among student organizations through collaboration. Finally, I hope to improve the Drake’s image in the surrounding community and beyond. I believe I am qualified to accomplish these elements because of my extensive experience with different types of organizations and communication among them.
C.H – While in office, I will make sure that I am in constant communication with the School of Education to Student Senate and vice versa. I will assist with the planning and preparation of the new School of Education to be built through the distinctly drake campaign. Finally, the School of Education hosts an event about once a month called “Books and Bagels” where Drake students read books to students in the Des Moines community. I would love to see this event grow to a campus wide service project to give back to students in the area. I am qualified to achieve these goals because Drake’s School of Education is the reason I am at Drake University. I am very passionate about the School of Education and would love to see it succeed at its highest potential.
J.H. – As Senator-at-large, I want to create better unity among all students and Drake. I plan on trying to get speakers installed in Hubbell and the Olmsted Terrace so that any student organization can broadcast events to the rest of the student body. I also plan on putting stronger enforcement on poster removal. Nobody likes to read about some event that happened back in September. As for my third point, I plan on pushing toward the elimination of fees to events for Drake students. We already pay for the activities by coming here. I plan on pushing towards the elimination of cost to see school-sponsored events.
D.H. – The College of Arts and Sciences is the biggest college at Drake with the most diverse types of majors. I think that it is important for all of these students to feel a connection through the college of arts and sciences and I am hoping to work on that in the 2011-2012 school year. I am also hoping to increase support for each other within the college, there are so many wonderful things that students are doing and it would be amazing if members of their college showed support. I will be constantly working to make sure that student opinion has a voice in the college, I will not only be available as much as possible to hear student input but I will actively seek it out every chance I get. I currently work in the College of Arts and Sciences, which has given me valuable access to members of the college making it easier for me to transition into working with these people. I have been a member of Senate for two years, the last year serving as a senator, so I know what senate does and how to effectively work.
A.H – This past year on Student Senate, my goals were to re-establish the purpose of my committee, the Organizational Council, raise attendance at the bi-weekly meetings, and provide useful knowledge and activities for all attending organizations to better themselves. If re-elected as a Senator-at-Large next year, I am completely confident that I will be successful in whichever position I am given, and I have many new ideas for each of them. My goals for Senate next year include continuing to positively impact the student body by making people more knowledgeable about Student Senate affairs and the issues we discuss. I will continue to reach out to get feedback from a variety of students about the weekly motions we discuss, in order to fully represent the student body. I will also continue to educate Drake students about how to successfully create a new organization utilizing the available resources, such as making the steps for creating a new organization publicly posted.
D.K. – My top priority is to be a direct representative for the entire campus. My current involvement has given me much feedback about what Drake students want, and I am excited by the opportunity to continue leading. I also would like to oversee the carry over issues including J-Term, campus car rental services, Drake Direct and student’s opinion on Sodexo’s food.
Z.K. – I will perform my duties as a Senator-at-Large to the highest standard. I will uphold active communication with my constituents to make sure that they are informed about important campus issues and I will also voice their concerns at the Senate table. I am qualified to serve as a Senator-at-Large because I have knowledge as to how Senate operates. I have frequently attended meetings and have sat around the table as a proxy numerous times. This experience would help me effectively fulfill my duties as a Senator-at-Large.
S.K. – First, I would like to continue to keep communication open between the business school and Senate. I have a lot of experience working in large councils, listening and contributing new ideas. This experience would help me in working as an effective liaison. Second, I want to further the business school’s interaction with the Des Moines community as well as Drake as a whole. My experience in APO has given me a glimpse at the community surrounding Drake and how our school can help. Lastly, I want to share some of the benefits of the business school with the rest of the college; one such benefit being the numerous openings for career development. As a first year student, I can really see how business classes have helped me form connections in the professional world and build my resume. I hope to bring these opportunities to the other colleges.
K.K. –
1 – Continue publicizing the Fine Arts on campus
2 – Improve communication between Student Senate & the student body including facilitating more discussion and debate in the student body about Senate activities
3 – Remain open-minded and flexible in Student Senate policy making.
I am qualified to achieve these goals because I am passionate about the arts and enthusiastic about Student Senate.
N.K. –
1 -Support the J-term, if not passed by the end of the year.
2 -Continue to reevaluate the CBPA’s undergrad curriculum and core classes (IS 101, BUS 195 especially) always striving to make Drake’s CBPA more of a standard for categories for other business schools to measure up to (we already do in professional development)
3 -Be a strong voice for the CBPA and all the business organizations by being approachable and open minded to needs, wants and problems.
I am qualified to follow through with all of these goals because I am a well-spoken individual and find myself to be very persuasive. As well as I am very passionate about the CBPA here at Drake. The CBPA and Dean Blum were the reason I chose to attend this university in the first place and would fight for anything to make it the best business school in the nation.
A.L – I would have three main priorities as a Senator-at-Large:
1) Continue to exceed what is “required” by my position.
2) Continue to express students’ wants and needs to the University.
3) Continue to be friendly and accessible to all students and faculty on campus.
I feel I am very qualified for this position because I have been highly involved with Senate during both my years at Drake: This year serving as the Community Outreach Senator-at-Large and last year serving as the Student Body President’s Intern. I pride myself on always going above and beyond what is required by my position in order to best serve the student body.
N.L. – My first priority would be to connect the pharmacy school to campus, and campus to the pharmacy school, as they can separate at times. Being involved throughout campus gives me a perspective of both pharmacy and non-pharmacy majors, which is of utmost importance when tackling this goal. Also, I would like to continue to expand the health sciences program as it’s still in its early stages, but has already made an enormous impact on Drake and its students. Lastly, I strive to help everyone find their passion and immerse himself or herself within it. Too often, students are told to simply “get involved.” I think that it is most important to find a few things you sincerely believe in and explore opportunities within those realms. I found my passion for people during my time at Drake, and I hope sharing my experiences would inspire others.
Adam – I want to ensure that the members of the Business School understand the issues that Senate is dealing with every week. I know that it is easier to be apathetic to the issues, but I also understand that it is important and I want the members of the business school to at least be aware of what is going on. I want to ensure that when issues do arise, business students are aware and I would be able to meet their needs. I have been to a number of Senate meetings and feel I understand the issues and what the school needs.
S.P. – First, I would like Student Senate to embrace the ongoing campaign to take Drake to the next level, on campus and also nationally. Campus advancement needs to be a high priority and constant consideration in everything Senate does. A second goal of mine would be to explore further community involvement around campus, such as community-oriented events or service projects. Third, I’d like to make additional funding more readily available to organizations willing to think-outside-the-box, because Senate needs to encourage the types of creative projects that will grow and challenge the university as a whole. Although I don’t know which specific assignment I would get, if elected, but I am confident that my work ethic, drive, and leadership will enable me to successfully pursue these goals.
M.R. – My goals for next year are to continue being a strong voice around the table. I believe that we need to stay on topic with our conversations and be efficient with our meetings. I would also like to continue to improve the image of Student Senate on campus and continue to reach out to students. If a student has a problem with something on campus or an idea to improve something, we should be receptive to their ideas and suggestions and help make them a possibility.
S.S. – I would like to create a more unified campus, make students more aware of event and organizational opportunities and to ultimately increase attendance at those events.
I think that campus should be viewed as a place where learning goes on both inside and outside the classroom—education knows no boundaries. Organizations and the university endeavor to bring speakers and events to campus to expand our perspectives and grant us new experiences. The issue is not a lack of opportunities but a lack of awareness and drive to attend events. I would like to see stronger encouragement for Senators to attend events and consider publicly posting which events they do attend to show support.
T.T. – My first goal would be to have a lot collaboration happening among not only multicultural organizations respectively but other organizations on campus as well. I would like to see some of (if not all) the multicultural organizations collaborating with SAB and DBS because we all share the same interest of having a quality college experience.
My second goal would be having a lot more collaboration and dialogue with staff and administrators on campus. Whether that is through personal meeting or newly created campus wide opportunities.
My last goal/priority is simple: to make sure the student body is aware of what is happening at student senate by communicating all of the time.
S.V. – Obviously I can’t tell you specific goals, because no one knows what Senator-At-Large they will be. But the three things I can promise the student body is
1) Be a visionary actively seeking new ideas, and different opinions from students, with dedication to serve the students. Taking a proactive approach to Senate
2) Work hard so that no undergraduate student remains unaware of any decision that directly/indirectly influences his/her academic career and experience at Drake.
3) Represent the voice of the Drake students, by effectively using the senate position I may receive
I believe the reason why I’m most qualified for the job is because I’m the only Senator running with two years of Senator-At-Large experience, sitting on the senate table for the last two year, and being involved the last three; I know how senate works, I’m aware how to make goals a reality. I believe that with my experience I can be a voice of reason, to help Student Senate serve the student body that much better next year.
S.W. –
1 – Continue to make Senate approachable to every student so that all Drake students know how their money is being spent.
2 – Promote the accomplishments of Journalism School students to others across campus and get more people involved in campus broadcasts and publications.
3 – Communicate to Journalism students what Senate is working on.
I have a great track record of creating good communication between others and myself in organizations that I’m involved in. I have a passion for representing students and want to showcase the accomplishments of Journalism students to everyone on campus.
I.W. – I agree with President-Elect Larson’s platform of positioning the university as a mover amongst the wider community. There are particular social issues our campus can take a stand on (such as aligning that greatly affect the students’ well being. I spent my previous year on campus positioning a new fraternity-which I joined because I detested the status quo and operations of the current choices at the time, to become a tour de force on this campus).
I have heard complaints that senators value themselves too much, or think they are too important. I tend to agree; there is an air of pompousness. Getting oneself elected is not grounds to get cocky. One should exercise their titled as Senator when they have earned it through effective use of their position. My second goal would be simple: get things done. I have a grand dream that at the end of every student-elected term, those who have been elected would stand for another vote: did they do enough honor to the title to put it on their resume?
Much talk has been raised about transparency and accountability, and it always has been like that. We live in a world that I can effectively run from 7,597 miles away; technology is our biggest tool. Senate should always have its pulse on the needs of the student body. Therefore my final goal would be a crowd sourcing way of achieving our goals.
3. What motivated you to run for office, and what do you hope to get out of this experience?
T.A. – What motivates me to run for office are the results that are achieved through Student Senate. Student Senate produces some amazing results across campus and I would be honored to be a contribution in the overall impact Student Senate has on Drake’s campus. I hope to gain an in-depth experience about Senate, as well as the excitement of being a part of something as impacting as Drake’s Student Senate.
S.B. – Since becoming a part of Student Senate I have truly enjoyed the experience. The pride that can be felt when a program is successful, or the change you influenced is well received, is very rewarding. I want to make sure that the voices of students are heard, and students feel that they are an active part of our campus.
N.B. – I was motivated to run for office because I am confident I will be a proactive representative of the student body. While I look forward to learning more, I feel I have a sufficient understanding of how the university operates and have built positive relationships with students, faculty, and staff campus wide. That being said, I look forward to being a leader of the student body and being on the forefront of Drake’s important issues.
C.H – In high school, I was very involved in student council. I wanted to see what Drake’s Student Government was like before I decided to run. After experiencing my first Drake Student Senate elections I knew that next year I wanted to run for office. I want to be able to give back to Drake and my peers, in particularly my peers in the School of Education. I aspire to have open communication between students in the School of Education and Drake’s Student Senate so that every student feels well represented in the University.
J.H. – The ability to work for my peers motivates me to do what I do. Many people feel that they are just one voice or one vote. I am motivated to bring all votes together to make effective change. I want to be the change I wish to see in the world and build a stronger community while doing so. I have always been one to listen to the people and I plan to continue to always do my best to hear the student body.
D.H. – I feel that I have many great ideas for the position of College of Arts and Sciences senator and know that I have the experience and the work ethic to put them into action. I look forward to the challenge of working with such a large college, and testing my leadership skills in the upcoming year.
A.H. – I love being a Senator-at-Large, because it is so empowering to know that my voice, representing the voice of so many, can actually make a difference and affect this entire campus. I have loved being involved this past year and working with so many different organizations striving for improvement as well as the faculty on campus and my fellow student leaders. I am very passionate about Student Senate and having the ability to positively impact others on campus. I would be honored to be able to continue speaking around the Senate table and contributing to the future positive changes being brought to campus such as the WeCar sharing program and January Term.
D.K – I was very impressed with the student leadership at Drake from the start. Servant leadership has always been my life passion, and while at Drake I plan to do everything I can to 1) make this campus better and 2) make Drake students happier. This passion has only grown since my opportunity to grow as a first-year leader. I love every second of the senate experience from the three-hour meetings to the student feedback along the way.
Z.K. – I was motivated to run for office because I want to make a difference on Drake’s campus and I have a passion for Student Senate, which is evident by my attendance at every Senate meeting even though I am only an intern for a Senator-At-Large. I hope to better improve Drake’s campus by voicing the concerns of Drake students and by generating innovative solutions to problems.
S.K. – After several times ‘proxying’, and a great experience with the Student Services committee, I know Senate is a group I admire. It is a group that has a great influence on student life. This position would give me a chance to bring my ideas to senate and have a more active role in the business school.
K.K. – I ran last year because the position remained open after general elections and I felt strongly that representing Fine Arts is important. Over the year, I’ve fallen in love with the position. I’ve worked hard to expand the position’s involvement and duties and I’ve enjoyed working so closely with students and bringing the concerns and triumphs of Fine Arts students to greater awareness on this campus. I’ve been honored to do so for a year and hope to continue!
N.K. – As mentioned before I love business, I love the CBPA, I love Dean Blum and would do anything for these things to preserve their well-being and want to continue to strive to make the CBPA the best that it can be. When the rankings of top business schools was released a few weeks back and I did not see Drake’s name on the list I was extremely disappointed. I feel that my experience so far has been head and shoulders better than any other friends I have at other business schools and want the world to know we are best. As far as what I will get out of this, well, it would just be an overall great feeling to know that the decisions that I make on Senate or Leadership Counsel would effect the entire school positively, and having that ability to effect so many lives (especially those in the CBPA) is something that I really look forward to doing.
A.L. – Personally I hope for a challenging experience in office, in which the student body will hold me to the highest standard of representation. I am certain that my passion for this university and my hardworking personality will propel this campus and its student body forward. I want to be “part of the solution” at Drake, helping our university progress towards a better future.
N.L. – My passion truly is people and my main motivation to run for CPHS Senator is to not just represent every student in the college, but also get to know them personally, whether they are a P4, or a first-year health sciences student. By getting to know them, I feel that I would represent them well at Senate and be able to recognize that the College and Drake are even better places after my term than before I started.
Adam – I am running for business senator because I believe I can do a good job of representing business students around the Senate table. I feel like I understand a lot of the issues that Senate deals with and the business school’s needs. I feel like I am approachable and willing to listen to any ideas brought toward me. Along with that, I want people to talk to me if they have concerns with life at Drake and I will help them as best I can.
S.P. – As I have come to learn more and more about Senate, I have identified it as an organization in which I could really make a positive difference. I’m a firm believer that those who have the ability to make a difference have the responsibility to make a difference. So if elected, I want to be able to look back on this experience and say that I worked diligently to facilitate change on behalf of my peers.
M.R. – I have had a great experience representing the students this past year. I feel like I can continue working towards the goals of student senate and the student body. I really appreciate the opportunity to serve the student body and look forward to doing it for another year.
S.S. – As a current senator and highly involved person, I think running for Senator-at-Large is a natural extension of my considerable network of faculty and students around campus. By being involved in a variety of organizations myself, I feel like I can more than adequately represent diverse groups around campus.
T.T. – Running for office (and more specifically for Diversity Senator-at-Large) was a huge decision for me to make because diversity and multicultural understanding is a delicate concept on campus especially at an institution where predominately all of the students come from the same background. I was motivated to run because I noticed a lack of multicultural understanding on campus and I wanted to be that voice/vessel for not only multicultural organizations on campus, but for students of diverse backgrounds as a whole. Out of this experience I would like to focus on not what I would I hope to get of this experience but hopefully what the student body would get out: positive change.
S.V. – The reason that motivated me to run for re-election is because the passion I have for the organization. I sat as Senator-at-Large for the last two years and I enjoy every moment of it. I’ve spent countless hours in the Drake Room and I do because I love the organization and what it does. I want to make sure that every decision that Student Senate is making is benefiting students. If elected to re-elected, I hope to make changes that will help make Student Senate that more effective, serving the student body.
S.W. – I was part of a Senate committee my first year on campus and currently cover it for the Times-Delphic. I have a good knowledge of how Senate works and additionally with my experience as RHA President, enjoy representing students on campus.
I.W. – I have been loosely attached to Senate for a long time. I have advised many effective senators, have been a member of a committee and appeared on behalf of clubs and organizations. I am old enough to understand the intricacies of accomplishment of tasks with the university. My main motivation comes from close friends who also happen to be respected senators encouraging me to run. I am not doing this for my resume; I have a career when I graduate. I am not doing this for leadership experience. I have plenty. I am doing this for three words: Getting Things Done.
