As we near the final stretch of the school year, it is once again time to partake in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) elections. USG is Case Western Reserve University’s primary student advocacy pillar, consisting of a president, chief judicial officer (CJO), five vice presidents who head each of the organizations’ committees—finance, student life, academic affairs, communications and diversity and inclusion—and representatives from each college. The role of USG is to serve as a liaison between the student body and the administration, enacting changes to improve student well-being and life at CWRU. At a time where federal and administrative changes are unprecedented and quickly altering university operations, the role of student leaders in advocating for students has become even more pertinent.
This year, all but the president of USG and vice president of finance positions are contested, with four candidates on the ballot for the vice president of student life and vice president of academic affairs. To better understand each unique platform, The Observer held in-person interviews with the candidates in Thwing Center on April 1, which are publicly available on The Observer’s YouTube channel. In addition to the interviews, those running will be able to campaign for their candidacy through April 7, and voting will take place from April 8-10.
The following are the Editorial Board’s endorsements for this year’s USG elections.
President
This year has seen many policy-level changes within the university which have demanded conversations between the USG president and administration. In light of the recent closing of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement (DEI), the incoming president is set to face even greater challenges in managing student grievances with administrative and federal demands. That said, the Editorial Board endorses uncontested third-year Zelene Desire, whose previous leadership experiences within USG and administrative connections will allow her to make meaningful changes to the organization in this new term. Previously serving as a representative and currently holding the position of vice president of student life, Desire established the free airport shuttle in collaboration with Campus Services and helped launch the Library Advisory Committee. As president, Desire aims to increase engagement with the student body through regularly scheduled events and tackle issues that are important to students, such as on-campus housing costs and shuttle reliability. This commitment to engagement extends to Desire’s goal of promoting internal development and retention of USG members through regular office hours and workshops.
Chief Judicial Officer
The CJO is tasked with maintaining USG’s governing documents and ensuring members act in accordance with written policies. For an organization that has failed to meet quorum at several General Assemblies and faces difficulty filling its representative positions, the responsibilities of CJO include a commitment to human resource management and rule enforcement.
The Editorial Board was unable to support candidates Ethan Przytulski and Max Goldenson. Both candidates expressed a desire to reform the CJO role and ensure that USG members were held accountable to policies governing their roles and responsibilities. However, neither candidate stood out in terms of their past experiences or future plans to improve the organization. At times, Goldenson has fallen short in his role as USG Secretary, with some meeting minutes taking weeks to be added into the public access drive, hampering the transparency USG aims to create. Przytuluski, when asked what revisions he would like to make to USG’s constitution, did not believe any areas needed improvement. For these reasons, the Editorial Board did not feel confident endorsing either candidate. The CJO role needs to be taken in a new direction, and we hope that whichever candidate is elected will do so.
Vice President of Academic Affairs
This year, the vice president of academic affairs roster consists of new and old faces, with third-year and current vice president of academic affairs Kevin Arndt running for a second term. Despite Arndt’s tenure, the Editorial Board endorses second-year Selina Sun for the position of vice president of academic affairs. Previously serving as a student representative, caucus liaison and member of the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education, Sun has helped update the General Bulletin and is currently working to improve the peer tutoring website and make the Student Information System easier to navigate. Moving forward, Sun plans to create a “Concern Bulletin Board” for students to anonymously submit academic concerns in a forum where USG can easily find and create initiatives to address them. Her existing connections with administration and experience working on ongoing academic initiatives are likely to set her up for success in the role.
Vice President of Finance
For the vice president of finance position, The Observer endorses uncontested second-year Jin Kim. Kim has been a member of the Finance Committee for two years and, for the past year and a half, has served as a USG treasurer. During Kim’s tenure as a treasurer, she implemented office hours to assist club treasurers in navigating financial matters for their respective USG organizations. Kim has also created a financial resources section on USG’s website and emphasized the importance of accessibility of resources in her letter of intent.
As vice president of finance, Kim plans to expand treasurer office hours from once a semester to once a week. She also intends to build on the financial documentation process to ensure that clubs are held accountable for their spending, create a communal storage space for USG organizations and implement an updated criteria for approving USG organizations. Kim’s experience in USG and aspirations for the organization make her a strong candidate for this role.
Vice President of Student Life
USG’s Student Life Committee serves to enhance the campus experience by acting as a conduit between administration and students in regards to housing, dining, student activities and wellness. The Editorial Board endorses second-year Arohi Banerjee for vice president of student life. One of Banerjee’s main strengths is her experience within this committee, on which she has held several roles including College of Arts and Sciences representative and secretary. She currently serves as leader of the Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee. During her time on USG, she has worked to increase accessibility for airport shuttles, introduced a temporary prayer space in Thwing Center and improved the Spartan Ride app. We believe that her commitment to advocating for students and making tangible change will extend to a valuable tenure as vice president of student life.
Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion
While both candidates mistakenly named the position as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the Editorial Board endorses second-year Niousha Sima for the position of vice president of diversity and inclusion. As a current member of the D&I committee, Sima has experience working with D&I initiatives, including the committee’s newsletter which is meant to increase their transparency. With DEI under federal scrutiny and university administration rolling back related offices and programs, Sima’s past experiences on the committee will prove vital. We appreciate that both candidates remain adamant about maintaining a diverse and inclusive community at CWRU in the face of unprecedented policies that undermine these principles. However, the Editorial Board feels strongly positive regarding Sima’s commitment to freedom of expression at CWRU. During her tenure, she plans to amend protesting policies and empower students advocating for justice.
Vice President of Communications
In recent years, one of USG’s biggest issues has been a lack of communication and transparency with the student body. The Communications Committee is responsible for maintaining the newsletter and other media meant to inform students about ongoing USG and campus-wide initiatives. The vice president of communications, thus, oversees this substantial and necessary task. Out of the four candidates on the ballot, the Editorial Board endorses first-year Aileen Choi for vice president of communications. During her interview, Choi provided more practical solutions to communication-related problems compared to her competitors, including improving the organization and the accuracy of information on newsletters. It was also obvious that Choi spent time researching the position and while she may not have previous experience on USG, she would bring a fresh perspective to the current communication between USG and the student body.
The Observer has previously noted that USG election voter turnout has been disappointing, with the majority of the student body abstaining from participating or simply being unaware of when an election is underway. During these contentious times, we encourage everyone to get out and vote so that our representatives can truly represent us when it matters most.