Rachel Anszelowicz, candidate for president and a sophomore triple-majoring in philosophy, politics and law, philosophy and classical and Near Eastern studies
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Anszelowicz: As president, I will increase SA inclusion and transparency, make Late Nite bus service more efficient, provide free feminine hygiene products on campus, improve on-campus parking through incentivized programs and improve [University Counseling Center] and [Decker Student Health Services Center] hours.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
RA: I feel very strongly that the Student Association needs to be accessible and responsive to the entire student body. I will first and foremost compile a comprehensive list of SA resources and distribute it to the student body and publish it on our website to help students understand what the SA does and who in the SA can assist them with various questions, concerns and tasks. I will implement an anonymous suggestion box to give students a means of providing feedback to create a more receptive student government. Most importantly, I will reach out to every student via their organizations, living communities and other affiliations to recruit them to work in the SA office.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
RA: I am running for president of the SA because I have become very frustrated with the Student Association’s inclinations to engage with and cater to a very small portion of the Binghamton student body which they deem “qualified.” Every single Binghamton undergraduate student is inherently a member of the SA, their tuition funds all of its functions, and is therefore “qualified” to be an active participant in the Student Association. No one should not know what it is that the Student Association does. I am prepared to change that by listening to what the students have to say and getting them directly involved in making positive changes on campus.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
RA: Some of my primary initiatives will include providing free feminine hygiene products for all students on campus, improving the University Counseling Center and Decker [Student Health Services Center] hours to be more reflective of student schedules and getting more people directly involved in the SA.
Michael Wuest, candidate for president and a junior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law
Wuest received endorsements from Mountainview College, Hinman College, Hillside Community, Susquehanna Community and Off Campus College Council.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Wuest: Working to provide accessible counseling, sustainable parking, foster community relationships and provide a safe and inclusive environment for Binghamton through a proactive Student Association.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
MW: Operationally, having regular reports from the e-board to the student body is a must, and the president should interact more with the provided services of the organization … [And] promoting possible involvement opportunities to students will integrate more of campus to the Student Association.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
MW: The presidency is a versatile tool of representative and administrative duties. Using the authority of the office to confront the troubles of students to the University, and providing efficient services for student benefit will only assist student life. Leading by example from the top down to create a better tomorrow.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
MW: Mental health advocacy, parking on campus, community engagement, free feminine hygiene products, transparent administrative sessions, protecting our green spaces and addressing international and domestic inclusion are all focused topics.
Jerry Toussaint, candidate for president and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law
Toussaint received an endorsement from College-in-the-Woods.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
JT: My platform consists of three initiatives: Improving Transparency, Student Advocacy/Representation, and Off-Campus Safety. All three of these initiatives encompass one overarching theme, which is to create opportunities and foster camaraderie between the student body and the SA.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
JT: I believe that what needs to be changed within the SA is its “you seek us, we do not seek you” approach to the student body. I believe that this is where the notion of the SA being an elitist group stems from; where the general student body is unaware of the opportunities within the SA, whereas most students who are involved in the SA got their opportunities through a friend or associate already involved with the SA.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
JT: I decided to run because I have the ability to empathize with the needs and issues of students across the different forms of student life as a result of my extensive involvement here at Binghamton, [which] includes being chief of staff to the SA President, a former VPMA assistant, treasurer of the Men of Color Scholastic Society and an Off Campus [College Council] Student Congress representative.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
JT: The issues that I will prioritize the most if I am elected are transparency and inclusion. If elected, I would like to personally appoint and seek out students across the different communities and receive their inputs on how to create a better Binghamton for all students, rather than a select few.
Michelle Dao, candidate for executive vice president (EVP) and a junior majoring in business administration
Dao received endorsements from College-in-the-Woods, Newing College, Mountainview College, Hillside Community, Susquehanna Community and Off Campus College Council.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Dao: My platform focuses on improving the relationship between the SA Executive Board and our student groups in addition to the resources we provide. My plan consists of five main goals I plan to achieve and set up for success: communication, collaboration, professionalism, diversity, and small space allocation.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
MD: The main critique I hear from student leadership is that the executive board is too apathetic. I seek to improve our empathy as an organization by ensuring our staff is customer service-oriented while also maintaining the efficiency and structural aspects of the executive vice president’s job.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
MD: This past year, I have worked under Glenn Avisado in the executive vice president’s office and I have been able to see such positive change in the SA executive operations; however, after speaking with so many student leaders across campus, I realized that despite the good work we have implemented this semester, there are aspects in which we can improve. I decided to run because I know that I would continue the legacy we have created while also improving in aspects we were not able to address this year.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
MD: I believe trust needs to be re-established between the student body and the Student Association as a whole. My main priority while maintaining the duties of the executive vice president is making sure transparency and communication with the student body are a priority.
Doug Wehbe, candidate for vice president for academic affairs (VPAA) and a junior majoring in computer science
Wehbe has received an endorsement from College-in-the-Woods, Hinman College, Newing College, Mountainview College, Hillside Community, Susquehanna Community and Off Campus College Council.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Wehbe: I intend to build upon the groundwork laid by VPAA Raul Cepin for event programming and advocacy while working within the University’s existing infrastructure to implement sustainable, long-term initiatives. Collaborating with student groups and University offices will ensure that advances made during my tenure persist thereafter.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
DW: Online contact options would significantly improve SA Advocates’ accessibility, and a formalized procedure for training advocates will allow for smooth transitions from year to year. A constitution for SA Advocates, templates for policy proposals and an increase in personnel will bolster the office’s structure far beyond my term.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
DW: My two terms on Newing College Council’s E-Board have given me a deeply gratifying opportunity to represent my community, not to mention valuable leadership experience. I have also served on the VPAA’s staff for the past three semesters; I hope to use all that I’ve learned to continue promoting the academic interests of my fellow students as VPAA.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
DW: Specialized education in topics like computer programming and Microsoft Excel is often exclusive to Watson [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences] or School of Management students, leaving Harpur students with no formal way to acquire these high-demand technical skills. Additionally, every student must have adequate access to information about academic deadlines, university resources and conduct procedures.
Kevin Darrell, candidate for vice president for finance (VPF) and a junior double-majoring in accounting and math
Darrell received endorsements from College-in-the-Woods, Hinman College, Newing College, Mountainview College, Hillside Community, Susquehanna Community and Off Campus College Council.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Darrell: My platform is to improve the efficiency, accessibility and accountability of the vice president for finance office by developing ‘how-to guides,’ workshops and monthly newsletters for our groups. This will lower the number of mistakes made and the time taken to process the various forms submitted to the VPF office.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
KD: I believe that the SA needs to become more efficient as an organization to better serve our students. Also, the SA should better advertise the various resources available to our student groups and students.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
KD: After working in the VPF office for two years as both an assistant and the head assistant, as well as serving as the vice chair of the finance committee of Student Congress, I have developed a passion for SA finance and for working with the SA’s various groups. Being elected as the next VPF will allow me to continue working with our groups in an area I have immensely enjoyed.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
KD: Although the current VPF team has done a great job revamping the Financial Policies and Procedures (FPP) and the initial treasurers training session, there is still a problem with presidents [and] treasurers adjusting to their roles to correctly fill out forms such as vouchers and prior approvals. This leads to a significant delay in the time it takes to process these forms. My platform prioritizes these issues by making guides and reference materials that will make it easier to fill out the necessary forms.
Andy Jean-Baptiste, candidate for vice president for multicultural affairs (VPMA) and a junior double-majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law
Jean-Baptiste has received endorsement from College-in-the-Woods, Hinman College, Newing College, Mountainview College, Hillside Community, Susquehanna Community and Off Campus College Council.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Jean-Baptiste: My platform is UPSIDE [Unity, Pride, Strength, Infrastructure, Diversity, Equal Opportunity], which is broken down on the SA website, and will eventually be fully explained on a Prezi I am currently working on. My main goal is to increase the collaboration and infrastructure of multicultural organizations. I will also focus on issues relevant to the multicultural community, which is based on what I have heard and eventually surveys as well.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
AJ: One thing that needs to change is the SA Executive Board’s direct involvement with some of our organizations. They feel that there is a lack of direct support and, with more organizations being created every year, I want to be able to help those who request it.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
AJ: I have been involved with the SA since freshman year, being the VPMA of Windham Hall [of Mountainview College]. Ever since then I have planned to eventually run for an SA Executive Board position. Becoming the SA VPMA will allow me to be in a position where I can positively impact many students.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
AJ: UPSIDE nicely covers most of the issues I want to focus on. The other issues I wish to tackle are off-campus food insecurity, student safety and SA outreach [and] transparency. Luckily many of the candidates and student organizations agree on the same issues, so I believe next year we can continue solving said issues.
Courtney Mitchell, candidate for vice president for programming (VPP) and a junior majoring in computer science
Mitchell received endorsements from College-in-the-Woods, Hinman College, Newing College, Mountainview College, Hillside Community, Susquehanna Community and Off Campus College Council.
Pipe Dream: What is your platform?
Mitchell: If elected for VPP, I plan on communicating directly with the student body that the SAPB can be used for as an accessory help for any of their programming needs. I want to change any false presumptions about the SA and SAPB going forward into the future, while raising awareness of the organization, increasing membership and building diversity.
PD: What do you believe needs to be changed with the way the SA is run?
CM: I believe the overall public perception of the SA needs to be changed. Usually, I hear that students don’t understand what the SA does as a whole or that it’s corrupt. As a member of the executive board, I would hope to remove this false perception and better the relationship between the SA and students.
PD: Why did you decide to run for an executive board position?
CM: I decided to run for this position on the executive board because I wanted to use my previous experience in leadership to not only evolve the SAPB as an organization for the future, but to also make sure that students at [the] University are being represented by someone who cares deeply for their problems and concerns.
PD: What issues will you prioritize if you are elected? What issues do you think are most important and need to be solved?
CM: The issues that I will prioritize are expanding the SAPB’s outreach and communication with students and creating a new diversity initiative that will allow for new events and programs to be made for students. I think the most important issue that needs to be solved is the membership and guidance of members in the SA and I believe my positioning will help change this for the future.