Voting begins today for the Student Government Executive Board. The Lafayette asked the candidates to briefly explain why they’re running for their position, their top goals as well as anything else they’d like to communicate to the campus community. Here’s what they said.
President
Anna Fenkel ’25: I am uniquely prepared for the position of student body president. From starting a charity organization to having a seat on the executive board of four student organizations, there is no one better equipped to handle the workload, networking and leadership necessary for this role. What sets me apart even more is my three-pronged road to success: expanding influence through PR and hosting events, restructuring club budgeting and finally, opening up a portion of our general body meetings so I can hear as many student voices as possible. It is not enough to say what needs to be changed, we must say HOW one plans on changing the status quo. Only after my three-pronged plan can we shoot for success.
Olivia Puzio ’25: As president, I plan to continue working towards making Lafayette a place where everyone feels seen and represented and making sure that Student Government focuses on listening to students and advocating for them to the administration. I envision accomplishing this by increasing Student Government transparency, supporting and uplifting the issues raised by students and resolving them through new initiatives. Once elected, I would also address recent concerns that have been raised, including, but not limited to, budget allocation and accessibility issues. I am the best candidate for this job because I am experienced, passionate and determined. Vote Olivia for president!
Matwos Tadesse ’24: Student Government is undergoing fundamental changes, and these changes necessitate experience to smooth the transition. That experience comes from having served under changing budget guidelines. Furthermore, we have provided numerous opportunities for students to interact with the administration and, in some cases, the board of trustees through relationship development. Our students from across campus will gather for dinner with the board of trustees to discuss their vision for Lafayette and some of the challenges they face late this February. We have also been hosting monthly brunches, allowing student leaders to meet with President Hurd and me to share their experiences and suggestions for changes they’d like to see. These initiatives have only recently begun this semester, and I would like to continue uplifting student voices and represent them to the best of my ability.
Vice President
Thania Hernandez ’25: As the presumptive Vice President-elect, my biggest goal is to build a legacy that can outlive my years at Lafayette College. Taking the first steps to this I will create a bridge (not only act as one) for students to have a voice with the administration and directors. I want to make Student Government a resource for all and expose the organization to more people including marginalized communities such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and students with disabilities.
Treasurer
Areeb Atheeque ’25: I am running for this position having seen how important the budget process is to the general campus community and to try to better it in order to ensure that students are actively engaged on campus. My top goal for the position would be to restructure what exactly Student Government pays for. I want to be actively involved in dialogue to try and eliminate the need for Student Government to pay for items like coaches’ salaries and personal equipment for clubs.
Inclusivity Officer
Mariama Bah ’24: As inclusivity officer, I will address equity and inclusion issues often spoken about among students but never pushed forth for institutional change. My top goals are to: (1) Push for the institutionalization of vital programs such as the Pard Pantry and the Menstrual Equity projects. We need more support from the administration to sustain these vital programs. (2) Work with students and administration alike to ensure that projects undertaken by students and for students have equity and access at their core. It is my utmost priority to make equitable and accessible projects a norm at Lafayette College.
Jermaine Grant ’25: Slowly, equity and inclusion issues on this campus have become a lot more blatant. I’m running because it doesn’t feel like the administration, board of trustees and other relevant departments are listening to what students need and want. Disabled students should not have to take Lafayette off their college application list because of the school’s incompetency. Further, students shouldn’t feel uncomfortable, unsafe or unappreciated on campus. This point is especially true for people from marginalized backgrounds. If I become the equity and inclusivity officer, my goals are first to create open communication with the student body through an online forum, fix systemic issues to make the campus more accommodating for all students, continue working to ensure the existence of the Menstrual Equity Project as well as work with various cultural and identity groups to create conversations and events that will better the school and the student body. Most notably, creating more transparency about the workings of Stu Gov is a top priority as students have made it clear that they want to know about what their representatives are getting done.
Communications Officer
Nazary Gonzalez ’24: My vision is to be more transparent and a face for Student Government. There’s no better way to do that than through a proactive communication officer: an officer that will communicate to the school through social media, the school newspaper or other interactive media about what we are working on, how we are doing that and results we expect to see. I will also write up a monthly report that will be public on the Lafayette College website with updates.
Parliamentarian
Trebor Maitin ’24: The parliamentarian should serve as the umpire of the Student Government, and what I intend to do is just that: make fair calls and keep the organization on a path that delivers results for the student body.
Disclaimer: Managing editor Trebor Maitin ’24 is the Public Relations & Marketing director for Student Government and news editor Emma Chen ’24 is a representative on the Equity & Inclusion Committee. Neither contributed writing or reporting to this story.
