student council executive board candidates · 2013-05-27 · student council executive board...

Student Council Executive Board Candidates 2013

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Dear IMSA Student Body,

The following are the applications of the candidates who are running for positions

on the 2013-2014 Student Council Executive Board. Please take a moment to read through

the ideas and thoughts of each of the candidates, and remember to make an informed

decision during the entire election process. Your vote is your voice!

Sincerely,

Kevin Zhang and Ian Wilkinson

2013 Election Coordinators


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Candidates for Student Council Executive Board

2013-2014

I. President

a. Anthony Marquez (3)

b. Sunny Shah (9)

c. Scott Zelman (12)

II. Vice-President

a. Steven Tan (16)

b. Vinesh Kannan (17)

III. Treasurer

a. Ryan Yang (21)

b. Jenny Du (22)

IV. Secretary

a. Emmy Mladenova (24)

V. Senior-at-Large

a. Roy Kim (26)

b. Sarah Valentine (27)

c. Ryan Chiu (28)

VI. Junior-at-Large

a. Alonzo Marsh (31)

b. Aish Raj (32)

VII. CAB Director

a. Lynette To (34)

b. Jo-Jo Feng (36)


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Applications for President

Anthony Marquez

1. Why are you running for an IMSA Student Council office? (100 words or less).

Despite the plethora of claims made by candidates, there is a concerning lack of

specificity, clarity, and focus in the promises and actions that tend to follow

elections. I provide the turning point in Student Council’s role and efficiency. With a

restructured setup coupled with a thorough, actionable plan that is openly

accessible to the students, we will overcome the inhibitor that has frequently

plagued Student Council: complacency. Student Council’s role must undergo a long-

term expansion from being simply a figurehead for events into a collaborative,

inclusive, and ambitious body for progress. I will let the first domino fall.

2. What experience do you have working with IMSA’s Student Council? (No word limit).

For this past school year, I’ve served as the Junior-At-Large. My experience

encompasses accomplishing much more beyond my positional responsibilities. As

demonstrated below, I’ve contributed to, lead and executed an unprecedented set of

projects addressing varying issues. My experience is divided into positional

responsibilities, modifying and bolstering programs, enhancing

communication, instilling preparation and providing resources, residential

life improvements, and events.

ALL QUALIFICATIONS (ALONG WITH THOROUGH PLATFORM) AVAILABLE AT

ANTHONYMARQUEZ.COM

Positional Responsibilities: The following projects are an integral part to my Junior-at-Large position. However, while they are positional responsibilities, I did not only “execute” them. In addition, I managed to incorporate new implementations and approaches to further progress.

Junior Class Club Elections:

Promptly after being elected, I orchestrated the Junior Class Club elections. To improve the process,

I sent out comprehensive surveys to all members of our then Sophomore Class Club, asking them

for feedback on the performance of all class club members. Furthermore, I also added audience

questions following the speeches in order to give the class a chance to inquire and develop a more

knowledgeable perspective before voting. I am a strong supporter of working to inform the voters


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as much as practically possible, and thus, my implementations correspond to doing just that.

Junior Class Club Liaison:

As the Junior Class Club Liaison, I was extensively involved with JCC affairs. I attended nearly all

board meetings and many general meetings, including conference calls over extended breaks. As

the JCC Liaison, I participated in brainstorming ideas, provided feedback, and filled in for events

(such as Walking Tacos) when the situation called for it. Furthermore, I am heading the

development of a Class Club Guide that would outline advice, procedures, and general approaches

to Class Club in order to limit the amount of unnecessary mistakes made by Sophomore Class Clubs.

Preparation, documentation, and understanding are critical to running an organization.

Sophomore-at-Large Elections:

As the head of the Sophomore-at-Large Elections, I constructed the application, conveyed updates

and information, stayed in touch with candidates, and implemented audience questions yet again.

Due to the success of audience questions for the JCC Elections and the Sophomore-at-Large

elections, it seems to be a consistent component of the processes in future years.

As demonstrated above, I am not satisfied with merely accomplishing the positional tasks assigned

to me. In any given situation, I will search for areas of improvement, and then apply practical

solutions. Fighting against complacency, one effort at a time.

Modifying and Bolstering Programs:

Big Sibling Program:

Immediately after being elected, I looked into the Big Sibling program, which yielded many

complaints during my sophomore year. Two of the major issues were siblings not identifying with

each other and the lack of accountability. To address the first issue, I advocated for a more

selective process that based pairings primarily on compatibility. Thus, many big siblings had

multiple little siblings, and, unfortunately, there were individuals who did not receive a sibling. In

regards to the second issue, I incorporated monthly sibling meetings and documentation.

Furthermore, I compiled a Big Sibling Waitlist for all upperclassmen that applied and did not

receive a sibling. Thus, if Big Siblings were not fulfilling their responsibilities, they were replaced

with someone on the waitlist. Furthermore, I was in charge of managing the program and

ensuring its success. Ultimately, through surveys and personal interaction, the Big Sibling program

experienced a great improvement from previous years.

RSL Mediators:

In its current state, the responsibilities of RSLs largely revolve around planning programs and

decorating. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment that allows for all wing/hall members

to feel comfortable. Thus, to further work towards this goal, I, along with Ryan Yang, headed the

implementation of a peer mediation component to the RSL role. During early move-in, all RSLs

will pass through a 1-hour basic training session on recognizing personal issues. Furthermore,


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all RSLs who indicate interest will undergo an additional 4 hour training session, instructed

by Dr. Dave, around the time of October/November. During this session, the RSL Mediators will

learn how to handle peer conflicts, personal issues, and so forth in order to be able to

personally assist their peers feel comfortable.

Enhancing Communication:

Quality of Life Survey:

I worked on modifying and constructing a rather comprehensive survey that had been

administered a few years ago in order to make the responses lead to more specific action. Thus,

ambiguity was avoided and the surveys will indicate specific areas of improvement. As a whole,

the Quality of Life survey (which should be administered towards the end of the school year)

covers essentially all aspects of IMSA life, with an emphasis on issues that have been of importance.

Gathering data and concrete information from the student body is the most accurate, fair, and

comprehensive way to go about enacting change. After all, Student Council’s actions should

represent the desires and needs of the student body as a whole – not simply our own

endeavors.

Integration with the Acronym:

In order to advertise and communicate more effectively with the student body, I incorporated

Student Council into the Acronym. For the most part, Student Council’s posts on the Acronym

were for the sake of advertising events and spreading necessary information. Too often, our

activity seems to lack the proper exposure. Thus, a popular outlet such as the Acronym was of great

benefit.

Suggestion Boxes:

Early on in the year, I brought up the idea of physical Suggestion Boxes in order to combat the

issue of students not being comfortable when proposing complaints/ideas. Thus, the

Suggestion Boxes encouraged students to voice their opinion behind the safeguard of anonymity.

Instilling Preparation and Providing Resources:

Club President’s Guide:

I, along with Ian Wilkinson, constructed the Club President’s guide, which was emailed to all club


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Presidents promptly after the chartering process was completed. The guide included descriptions

of various logistical tasks, such as reserving rooms, sending emails, finding chaperons, printing

posters, and requesting funds from Student Council. Furthermore, there is a section revolving

around advice for club Presidents, primarily focusing on advertisement, club structure, and

running meetings.

IMSA Student-to-Student Guide:

As presented at the Student Council Sleep & Stress Forum, I am the proposer, outliner, compiler,

and leader of the IMSA Student-to-Student Guide project. This Guide will be very expansive,

covering essential aspects of IMSA life through the academic scope, the residential scope,

and the student opportunities scope. Within the guide, there will be thorough, objective advice

that is primarily gathered from the students themselves. Ultimately, this Guide will aim to

mitigate the adjustment issues that incoming students tend to face, as it prepares them for the

various components of IMSA and thoroughly provides advice for eventual success. One step at a

time, success at IMSA will be made more accessible.

Residential Life Improvement:

7:15 Check Proposal:

Along with Vinesh Kannan, I developed, reviewed, and edited the proposal for sophomore IMSA

athletes to have 7:15 P.M. check. As is commonly known, athletes sometimes get out of practice

around 6:30 or 6:45 P.M., thus allowing for very little time to eat dinner with the old 7:00 P.M.

check. Having check at 7:15 P.M. allows for athletes to have enough time to eat comfortably and

attend check.

Study Room Improvement:

After compiling and sending out a survey on the study rooms, specifically regarding their

conduciveness to productivity and ideas for improvement, I constructed a thorough data summary

and action plan to renovate the study rooms. This data summary and action plan was received

exceptionally well by administration. Thus, I spearheaded the student-side effort to renovate

study rooms for next year, ideally maximizing their effectiveness.

Events:


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Homecoming:

Besides the obvious task of helping out with the week’s outline, I assisted by helping with

decorations in general, as well as running ticket sales for a few days. Furthermore, I helped run

the Rap Battle as a mid-day event.

Clash of the Halls:

During Clash of the Halls, I, along with Hannah Swerbenski and Vinesh Kannan, headed the Hall

Decorations event. Thus, we were in charge of designing the rubric, conveying information and

rules, as well as accompanying judges throughout the process. Furthermore, I frequently helped

with managing the crowd at night events, admitting people into the auditorium, and, in general,

setting up the events for success.

3. What is the primary motivation that drives you to excel? (100 words or less).

I am ambitiously driven to excel by the prospect of immortality. I recognize my

mortality, yet life is only finite in a biological sense; my influence, words, actions,

and visions can live on forever. Thus, it is my inherent responsibility to give back

more than I have received. It is my inherent responsibility to not allow for issues to

be left unaddressed and ideas left without accompanying action. It is my inherent

responsibility to fight complacency and maintain a progressive mindset. Impact and

contributions should not be ephemeral, they should be interminable. Ultimately,

excelling is irrelevant without enduring longevity.

4. What is your most defining leadership quality, and how have you demonstrated this

trait at IMSA? (100 words or less).

Claiming thinking as my most enjoyable and repeated pastime, I am incredibly

analytical. As a result, I am able to devise solutions to a variety of unique issues. Beyond

that, I carefully outline action plans and approaches to ensure that ideas are not

abandoned after formulation, but rather fully come to fruition. My analytical nature and

the accompanying prowess in being a problem solver is quite evident in my experience,

which highlights major contributions to aspects of my position, communication,

residential life, policy, programs, compilation of resources and the execution of events.

5. Would you describe yourself as someone who comes up with ideas, or executes them?

Explain.

While I find this question to oversimplify abilities, I’d like to avoid the common cop-out

claiming to be equally good at both aspects. Thus, I’d describe myself as someone who leans a bit

more to the side of coming up with ideas defined by practicality, uniqueness, specificity, and

comprehensiveness. The role of the President emphasizes setting the tone for Student Council and

incorporating a well thought out vision that encapsulates the endeavors for the year. Therefore, my


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ability to devise actionable solutions is essential to establishing a specific, outlined plan and vision.

From there, cabinet as a whole can approach the year prepared to succeed.

After ideas are thoroughly constructed, the phase of execution transitions in. However, despite

the centralization of responsibilities in recent years, execution of specific ideas should not be

restricted to just the President, but rather incorporates various other members of Student Council.

On the other hand, the President is responsible for the execution of Student Council’s overarching

plan and vision, which encompasses far more than individual ideas. In that regard, I am very well

equipped to ensure that Student Council’s grand, overarching scheme is achieved – not only

achieved at a basic standard, but at a standard that will alter the perception of student leadership

for years to come.

6. What project or ideas do you plan to implement with Student Council in the coming

year? (100 words or less).

** MUCH MORE AT ANTHONYMARQUEZ.COM **

Redefining Positions/Committees: I will increase/clarify positional responsibilities to give

members more direction. I advocate for Committee Work Time after running through meeting

agendas (rather than adjourning). Thus, projects can be started interactively and promptly.

Academic Forum:

o Recorded lectures

o Students indicate start time preference

o Raise attendance points

o Personalized teacher comments

Grab&-&-Go At Night: Students with late starts will no longer miss breakfast – with their

ID number, they can collect Grab&Go after 10check!

Video Report: The (monthly) video report will report progress, how one can get involved, and

respond to questions/comments.

7. As President, one must serve as both a peer and a role model to their classmates. How

would you uphold a professional, respectable image, while too maintaining personal

relationships with your peers? (President Applicants only; 100 words or less).

The President, at all times, must behave professionally as their actions do reflect


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Student Council and the student body. However, professionalism and maintaining

personal relationships are not mutually exclusive. Contrary to what this question

implies, professionalism does not consist of uptight, overly serious behavior. Rather,

professionalism is displayed by being respectful, by being prepared, by being honest,

and by being able to connect with others. Ultimately, personal relationships are also

centered on tenets of respect, honesty, connectivity, and preparation when it comes to

handling peer-relationship issues. With similar components, professionalism and

maintaining personal relationships can be effectively integrated.

8. As President, what is your vision for Student Council? (Presidential Applications only;

100 words or less)

I envision Student Council as an ambitious entity of progress that does not remain satisfied with

executing events, but an entity with a propensity for initiatives that do not only improve the

community temporarily, but remain impactful years after we leave IMSA. With restructured

approaches, increased accountability, more efficient communication within cabinet, to

administration, and to the students, along with a thorough action plan for next year, Student

Council will transcend the standard. We will not be a group of students that merely want to be a

part of the IMSA “experiment”; we will work to design the experiment.

Sunny Shah


Mahatma Gandhi said “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what

you do are all in harmony.” My favorite part about being at IMSA is talking with my

friends about their thoughts and passions, so when I notice that so many of my

peers are unhappy with their situations, it drives me to do what I can to change the

IMSA so it is more like what the students want it to be. This application is a direct

reflection of my thoughts, and acting on the words I write is truly what makes me

happy as well.


Sophomore year I worked as sophomore at large and a member of academic

committee. This year I have been a co-chair of the newly formed Reform committee,

the goal of which was to encourage students to submit proposals for changes they

want to see, and to work with them to put their plans into action. In addition, I

worked as a part of the sleep and stress forum group and worked on Res life

committee.


My motivation to excel stems from my belief that my self-satisfaction corresponds

more directly with the impact I have on others than my own self-improvement. I


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judge myself by the difference make in my community. When I do well on a test I am

proud of myself, but nothing feels better than seeing a friend who is thankful for

something I helped with. Even in the election process, my friends who support me in

running because they believe that my contribution is a positive one motivate me to

excel and make my contribution as widespread and powerful as possible.



The most important leadership quality I will bring as president will be that I

consistently strive to involve other students into StudCo. There are multiple people

who would never have taken the time to try StudCo if it were not for my

encouragement, but now have taken action in changing the school and are even

running for positions in this election. Any single person can only do so much for

StudCo, I take pride in seeing the accomplishments of my friends who would not

have realized the self-fulfillment they feel from helping change the school for the

better.


Explain.

I place more focus on coming up and refining ideas than the actual execution

because many of the ideas I have planned for next year rely more heavily on

everyone agreeing with the idea than how well the idea is executed. For example, I

want to hold two forums, one on academics and the other on health, in which

StudCo will present suggestions for changes that would improve them. For the

academic forum I want to present changes such as:

1) Making variations of Dr. Gleason’s structure of assigning 7 essays throughout the

semester and requiring any 5 to be done more widespread in the English

department.

2) Allowing teachers to adjust the 12 point attendance system in a class by class

basis.

3) Allowing second semester juniors to have independent studies.

For the Health forum I want to present changes such as:

1) Allowing students to take out dinner from Sodexho in the Styrofoam boxes that RC’s use

a few times per month.


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2) Working with administration to schedule more classes for after mod 6 to increase

likeliness of late-starts.

The success of these initiatives does not rely on how well the ideas are executed by student

council members, because many of them are more dependent on how administration

receives them. In cases like these, Student Council’s role is more on formation of ideas than

the execution.

Another idea of mine is to a grant program for the student body. StudCo has thousands of

dollars of excess money. I want to create a process for students to request a certain amount

of money which they can then put towards resources for the school, classes, or halls.

Execution of this idea is not difficult at all, rather forming the idea is the more significant

part.

One more goal I have is to organize more opportunities for students to “break the IMSA

bubble” by creating a career externship program and expanding the University Hosts

program so students can take advantage of the alumni willing to host students at their

college. We will have to rely heavily on administration to put these trips or opportunities

into action, but without student council bringing up the idea, it would simply never be

executed.



1) I want to work with the CAB director to create a club committee which will meet and

work with clubs throughout the year to ensure that the presidents know how to organize,

bounce ideas off of the club boards to plan for a successful year, and aid the club in

organizing events.

2) I will work to improve various areas of the main building such as the IRC, the hallway

between the DNA hallway and the T.V. pit, and the area above the old caf and DNA hallway. I

hope to make these places better for studying and more comfortable.

7. As President, one must serve as both a peer and a role model to their classmates. How

would you uphold a professional, respectable image, while too maintaining personal

relationships with your peers? (President Applicants only; 100 words or less).


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I am applying for President of StudCo, not President of the United States. I am and

will still be another student who enjoys having fun, casual conversations, and long

walks on the beach. My only difference being the seriousness with which I talk about

and handle StudCo related issues. My peers will be able to see that I act very

professionally regarding StudCo matters because of the importance that I give them,

however, I believe that the best image I could uphold would simply be to act as I

normally would: an approachable student who enjoys helping the school.


100 words or less)

1) I want Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President to have their own positional

committees in which they can involve students who can help brainstorm ideas and

work with the cabinet member of StudCo so they can do much more than simply

what their positional duties entail.

2) I want a Student Advisory committee composed of the at-larges which will

organize and facilitate meetings between administration and students to improve

various classes, programs, and facilities.

3) I will run a google doc accessible to students with descriptions of every project

being pursued by members of StudCo and the status of the projects.

Scott Zelman


Ever since I was a child in elementary school, I have seen flaws and

unfortunate realities in the way the student body has been run and incorporated

into decision-making. Having joined Student Council in sixth grade, I have very

much enjoyed working for the student body to integrate their and my ideas to

improve the school and student body morale. This kind of work is of particular

importance at IMSA, where morale is oftentimes diminutive. It is my goal, and would

be a great pleasure, to significantly improve the morale at IMSA through the position

of IMSA Student Council President.

2. What experience do you have working with IMSA’s Student Council? (No word

limit).

My IMSA Student Council experience ranges from all aspects of the

organization. It is impossible to name every Student Council project that I have

significantly impacted, so I will cover my experience more generally. My Student

Council activity sophomore year started with Homecoming preparations and my

Sophomore@Large campaign. This campaign was unsuccessful, however, and I

continued the rest of the year as a Student Council Sophomore Representative,


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aiding in various projects, including CoTH 2012, and attending Academic Committee

meetings and General Assemblies. Near the end of my sophomore year at IMSA, I

finally was given the chance to try again for Student Council Cabinet, and was

elected Treasurer by my peers.

The specific duties of Student Council Treasurer are, as with most Cabinet

positions, quite small. As Treasurer, my primary responsibilities were keeping

updated with Student Council Chartered Club funds and keeping a detailed

transaction log of Student Councils other assets. Additionally, I created a yearly

Student Council official budget plan. These specific responsibilities of the Treasurer

are, as I mentioned, quite small. The real value of a Cabinet member, however, is

his/her ideas and execution of individual projects that go to improve the quality of

life at IMSA and the encompassing community.

As Student Council Treasurer this school year, I have also designed,

proposed, and executed countless projects and reforms. In addition, there has

seldom been an endeavor by Student Council this year that I have not significantly

molded or impacted in some way. I am very interested in all aspects of Student

Council and, as such, I donate my input and constructive advice to the leader(s) of

every project, especially if it is not my own. I have worked equally on formulating

and executing projects of both the policy and event based aspects of Student

Council, which makes me that much more qualified for Student Council President, as

a President must have a high interest in both. Some examples of projects that I led or

contributed a large amount to include the Big Sibling Program reforms,

Homecoming preparation and execution, Sleep and Stress Forum, UNI High Student

Exchange, Minds on the Mic, IMSA Clash of the Halls, Student Council/Senior Class

Club School Store, Illinois Association of Student Councils participation, and Midday

Orchard Road trips. I am available any time to have a more in-depth discussion on

any of these, and all other Student Council projects that I was involved in this year.


My most primary motivation behind my endeavors is seeing how the end

result of my actions help to improve the individuals or community with which I am

working. In the context of IMSA’s Student Council, my foremost motivation that

drives me to do my best work is the goal of improving the quality of student life at

IMSA. When I see how my efforts have raised a student’s morale, I feel the greatest

sense of accomplishment from my actions. It is for that feeling of pride and for the

improvement of the school that I am driven to excel.



My most defining leadership quality is that I don’t believe in delegating


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responsibilities among others, but in taking on projects myself, and in working with

others on collaborative Student Council projects. I strongly believe that the most

effective leadership is by example, and that I must work hard for my Cabinet if I

expect them to work hard for me. There has seldom been a project, led by any

Cabinet member, into which I have not given significant input. I enjoy being involved

in all aspects of Student Council, even though my foremost interests lay in student

life and morale.


Explain.

These two characteristics are in no way mutually exclusive, as I would say I

encompass both. I enjoy coming up with ideas, such as Student Council projects and

reforms, as much as I enjoy executing them. This relates to the idea of leading by

example. I will not just come up with ideas and delegate the responsibilities of

executing them to others, just as I will not just take the ideas of others and work to

execute them. Student Council members, and especially its President, must work to

do both, in order to be most effective as a board. As the leader of the Cabinet, I must

be able to organize the ideas and projects of my board, while still working on the

smallest details of the projects. I am the best candidate for this position because I

greatly enjoy both aspects of Student Council. There was rarely a project this year

onto which I did not have a significant impact as the Student Council Treasurer.

6. What projects or ideas do you plan to implement with Student Council in the coming


There is a plethora of ideas that, as President, I would like to implement next

year, most of which I will not be able to express here. I am available anytime for an

in-depth discussion about them. I am committing to reviving the Shadow Program,

which was terminated this year due to cuts in residential funding. I will continue the

effort Student Council made this year to reform the Big Sibling Program, making it

more involved. I will also work to implement reforms in areas including, but not

limited to academics, CoTH, Student Council Committees and Cabinet structure, and

CAB.

7. As President, one must serve as both a peer and a role model to his/her classmates.

How would you uphold a professional, respectable image, while too maintaining

personal relationships with your peers? (President Applicants only; 100 words or less).

The role of the President is to represent the student body, and it is crucial

that I am directly involved in all aspects of the IMSA community, in order to most

effectively represent the student voice. While appearing professional is crucial,

building and maintaining a relationship with the student body is most key. I have


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displayed my interest in the voice of each and every student, as shown by my

committed attention to the welfare of the student body and the affairs of all IMSA

student organizations. Upholding a professional, respectable image, and maintaining

personal relationships are not mutually exclusive.


100 words or less)

I see Student Council as an organization that is constantly coming up with

new ideas, executing them, and obtaining constructive feedback that leads to better

and better projects and events. I see my cabinet as a group of hard working,

dedicated, and passionate students who wish to see improvements in the morale of

the student body as much as I do. I have many ideas for the improvement of Student

Council itself that, as President, I would like to implement. I see Student Council next

year as an open and approachable organization that is dedicated to improving the

IMSA community.


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Applications for Vice-President

Steven Tan


Taking a more overshadowed role in Student Council this year (student rep), I realized that my

contributions to StudCo have not been as meaningful as those that I had done the previous year as

Soph@Large. More than ever, I wish to reestablish myself and use my time to further the

improvement of the IMSA community as a leader in StudCo. I wish to run for something I’m

passionate about, and StudCo is such an organization that I am willing to invest my time in.


Since the beginning of last year, I was elected as Soph@Large and partook in all the responsibilities

in such a position. I served on the Residential Committee and have continued to do so this year as a

Student Rep. I am familiar with the organization of Student Council in both the inner cabinet board

level and the student perspective.

This year, I have taken major projects in the Residential Committee. I drafted the proposal for the

Club Room, drafted a proposal for Soph/Junior privileges, and contributed to the organization of

the district wide Student Council meeting.


My primary motivation is my own self expectations. I believe that I am capable of more than what I

am currently accomplishing, unsatisfied with my current standings, and willing to push myself

through difficulties to achieve the fantastic. I am always hungry for more, never settling for being

good when I can achieve greatness. Taking my own aspirations to heart, I know that I have the

ability achieve more than that of what I am currently doing.



My most defining leadership quality is my ability to coach and mentor those in need. I have

demonstrated this ability in both academics and in the pool. Although I am not a hall tutor, students

still come to me with questions on homework. I value my reputation as someone who is willing to

help those in need. As captain of the swim team, I’m seen as someone with years of swimming

experience. Stepping beyond my duties as a swimmer, I play a role as a coach, helping teammates

with issues in their technique and stroke.


Explain.

I would define myself as someone who executes ideas. Although I may come up with ideas here and


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there, I am more comfortable executing these ideas. For example, when I work in a group setting, I

find myself playing more of a leadership role. With duties already set out by the teacher, I am able

to distribute the work and complete the assignment in a timely manner.



Reorganizing the Big Sibling Program – I feel like there are still improvements needed to strengthen

the relationships between siblings. A better method of tracking and recording time spent with

siblings should be recorded.

Utilizing Student Reps – Student Reps should be given more tasks. They should work together and

be familiar with the other student reps by meeting 15min once each week.

7 check in the IRC for evening study students – Students who have evening study in the IRC should have

7 check in the IRC instead of in the halls, thus reducing travel time and increasing productivity.

Vinesh Kannan


Coming to IMSA, I put great faith our community, which promised a sense of belonging and intellectualism that my home school couldn’t offer. In joining Student Council, I affirm my faith and strive to uphold the bonds within our community. I catalyze this sense of camaraderie, sharing ideas from different groups and supporting my peers. Returning as an executive cabinet member and upperclassman, I endeavor to emphasize StudCo’s role in this dynamic. I will fortify Student Council’s structure to foster the community that has given me so much, and augment the development of our student body through cabinet/committee projects. 2. What experience do you have working with IMSA’s Student Council? (No word

limit).

Sophomore at Large As a liaison to my class, I kept up an “At-Large Notepad” to record ideas that my classmates brought up to me and helped our class club get off the ground.

Class Club Liaison General Assistance In addition to fielding my classmates’ ideas, I also served as a liaison for class club, sharing their progress with cabinet and also helping to connect other sophomores to the class club’s activities. Prior to the selection of class club representatives, I was able to connect two sophomores who had proposals for class club by giving feedback and submitting their revisions to the corresponding class club executive member because they were not comfortable approaching the board. Sophomore Class Club Elections


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Immediately after election, Ryan Yang (my co-at-large) and I set work writing application questions for our Class Club Board Elections, learning about class club from our upperclassmen cabinet members, and getting the application approved by Mr. McIntosh and sent out. We held interviews and staged an election in front of our class – including a cross-examination of our Presidential candidates, bringing back quoted responses from their original written applications, a new election aspect. Within a month of being elected to cabinet, we had our Class Club Board elected – significantly earlier than our predecessors. Sophomore Privileges To aid our class club with sophomore privileges, we assisted them in drafting the item, arranging meetings with administration, and working towards an earlier requalification date for those who did not immediately qualify for privileges.

Proposal Work Inquiry Time For my I-Time proposal, I hoped to encourage teachers to allot the last 10-15 minutes of their class period to help clarify material and allow students to explore further with access to the class resources and a focused working environment. Although it began as a radical idea, I received positive feedback and constructive feedback, giving me a strong starting point for future years. Classroom Dynamic Surveys I used my work on I-Time to start on a surveying project about classroom dynamics. From this project, I learned how to write surveys and their rationales. From my anecdotal research, consisting of many interviews with teachers and students, I found that opinions differed, but both groups applauded the fact that my survey drafts hit issues that they agreed to be significant in the classroom. I plan to work further with this project next year. 7:15 Check Along with Junior at Large, Anthony Marquez, I helped present a proposal for sophomore athletes that one of my classmates had brought up to us. We wrote up the proposal and argued the rationale to administration when the proposal was for a 7:10 check. Hearing our explanations, Mr. McIntosh extended the proposal time to 7:15 and it was implemented in the second quarter for our class. Mr. McIntosh plans to implement it next year as well, and I am familiar with the proposal aspects and rationale to aid that process if necessary.

Cabinet Work Sodexo Food Committee During the second semester, Vice President Nathan Suek could not attend meetings for the Sodexo Food Committee, and I took his place for three meetings. This helped me learn more about how Sodexo functions, also communicating with RC, parent, and administrative representatives on the committee. On the committee, I helped flesh out a plan for reusable takeout containers to be used by faculty members and RCs, proposing two ideas that Sodexo is currently working with: a deposit system and a barcode link to faculty IDs – both designed to deal with the Sodexo management’s concern that the containers would not be returned. My experience


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here prepares me to officially function on the committee if I am elected as Student Council Vice President. Homecoming Week Prior to be elected as a Sophomore at Large, I put in many hours during the school week to make decorations for the homecoming dance and set up the dance area at the week’s end. Furthermore, Ryan and I executed the complicated engineering project of building a model of the Luxor Pyramid, complete with lighting. Here, I brought decorating skills and tricks that I learned from my home school’s student council (Which was almost entirely event-based), making me a helpful assistant to decorating projects and class club endeavors. As I decorated, I became familiar with the resources in our Club Room, which will help me next year as Ryan and I aim to continue this year’s efforts to bolster the Club Room resources and make them more available to IMSA students and organizations. Clash of the Halls Week For Clash of the Halls week, I helped escort the Hall Decoration judges, write annoying puns, MC the Chain Reaction game show, and control crowds at night events. At the pep rally, I helped set up the obstacle course and senior game as well as counting attendees for the final participation score. I also danced in the StudCo Idol video. :D

Communications Committee As an active member of StudCo’s Communications Committee, I have designed numerous posters for use all over campus. My projects included, but were not limited to:

Multiple Editions of Bathroom Minutes

Anti-Bullying Month Poster Suite

Advertising for the Minds on the Mic Event

Advertising for the Speed Dating Event

Advertising for Carrie Steyer’s Last Lecture

Sophomore Privileges Infographic

IMSA Academic Calendar Changes Infographic*

In addition, I got Communications Committee posters approved, printed, and hung up whenever necessary. *This Infographic was accurate at the time of Dr. Sharp’s email concerning changes based on summer renovations. It is now outdated due to the Board of Trustees’ decision to preserve Intersession 2014 and conduct renovations over three summer breaks.



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As a life-long learner, I believe that every experience is didactic. I am driven to achieve holistic understanding – a level of excellence. This involves a quest for clarity: clarity on skills, relationships, and implications. In forming a clear mental network, I piece together a concept, learning along the way. But the best way I know to learn is teaching. One must understand a concept deeply to give true instruction on it. I am driven to excel beyond myself by clarifying for my peers. In particular, the impact that StudCo has - something that is not holistically understood and often misconstrued. 4. What is your most defining leadership quality, and how have you demonstrated this


I have become a leader in my class by exhibiting professionalism. I have the extracurricular honor of being a decorated speaker on IMSA’s speech team, and a personal pastime that has developed vibrant design skills exhibited in media throughout campus. The verbal and visual presentation that I bring to a project has given me ethos, demonstrating hard work and attracting students to my efforts and administrators to my arguments. By striving for a professional appearance in StudCo affairs, I know the value of a good impression and will lead my community by using that to drive negotiations and projects forward. 5. Would you describe yourself as someone who comes up with ideas, or executes them?

Explain.

In a student body ripe with ideas, my niche lies in executing ideas/projects. Ideas to bolster my community flow naturally because of my involvement and passion, but my own skill set connects to student council’s purpose in facilitating such ideas. As a speaker and designer, my skills are analogous to those in the world of marketing – I research, I plan, I sell. That is execution. I thrive off the connections I make with others and use those to sort out various forms of negotiation. This mindset, in a team like the StudCo cabinet, makes me an anchor for strong execution. 6. What project or ideas do you plan to implement with Student Council in the coming


The new cabinet must bolster ties with several groups, including student life, residential staff, and teachers. I would implement web-based forms for service learning documentation, allowing students to interact more efficiently with that part of Student Life. StudCo, or its CAB entity should also pursue events that help students find prospective roommates in a “speed dating” fashion, indicating commitment to the Residential Life department and strong hall relationships. StudCo work in communicating with teachers could also be legitimized by data. Through survey work similar to this year’s attempt to quantify classroom dynamics, cabinet will be equipped to write well-supported proposals.


21

Applications for Treasurer

Ryan Yang


I am running for a student council office because making a big difference within my community is a

dream of mine. The resources and feedback from an office position in Student Council is

monumental in making those dreams of change a reality. The treasurer position allows me to assist

other clubs in obtaining resources to make the IMSA community better through events. In addition I

can have the larger impact on various projects throughout the year ranging from heading Clash and

homecoming events, the Forum, and my own proposals and projects that come about.


limit).

This year I acted as a Sophomore-at-Large and was also involved in Communications committee.

I’ve worked on projects such as organizing the Chain Reaction clash event, have started a program

dubbed RSL Mediators as part of the Forum, have continued the project of having upperclassmen in

Navigation sessions, and assisted in various others Student Council Cabinet projects. On

Communications I often put up the Bathroom minutes and get them approved.


My biggest motivation is the effect that I have on others and how they react. If I can make a

difference in at least one person’s life in a positive way I would put in the full effort to make it

happen. To make other’s lives easier allows them to pursue their own interests, and is mutually

beneficial because the smile that they get and the appreciation they have is the only reward

necessary. IMSA has various issues that impede its growth as a community and a family. The

feedback and thankfulness as things improve truly pushes me to continue.



My leadership is based on the relationships that I make with individuals. I enjoy talking to people

and getting feedback directly and see what problems are around. Whether it is personal and

someone just needs a hug, a leader must be able to support his followers. I feel that as a leader I am

no different than another student and I shouldn’t treat my position as something of great power,

but of privilege. I feel that with me interacting with not just a single group of people I show that I

form relations with people from all over campus.


Explain.

I feel that—while I am fully capable and willing to execute tasks—my skills lie in idea making. From


22

early on I had experience on various Student Councils or Committees in which students did not

have much power, so it was reliant on the ideas that we created that would be “implemented” by

adults. The opinions we shared about their initial ideas would become the largest impact, if we had

good enough reason and a good enough idea with help we could make change. As a result, sharing

my opinion and forming good ideas became my forte. I in my own life also consider myself a rather

idea oriented person. When I know something (an event or conversation) is upcoming, I try and

find various ways that the situation could possibly go, and what the best solution/path is. This

practice is very similar to how I formulate and think about planning and coming up with well

thought through ideas.



In addition to continuing my RSL Mediator project, I would like to finally see if I can find funding for

tuning/repairs of the pianos in the music wing. In addition, I would like to pursue the creation of

new events that would inspire a campus’ interest in things like dance after clash of the halls to keep

things interesting in a “So you think you can dance” type event. Finally I would pursue decreasing

the time in study hours by 5 minutes to give incoming Sophomores a regular time in which they can

go to 9 pm club meetings.

Jenny Du


I am running for office because I would like to be more involved with student life at

IMSA. I want to contribute to the improvement of IMSA life and I have ideas that I

think would help the school (some are listed in question 6). I think being in office,

interacting with StudCo on a regular basis, would help most in achieving that.


limit).

This year I was on the Academic Committee. I was a student liaison for the Art and

Wellness subject, and as a student liaison, I talked with the teachers from these

subjects and reported back to the co-chairs of the Academic Committee. I was able

to change and help the art and wellness departments this year by making posters or

offering new ideas that could be implemented in classrooms.


What pushes me to excel is happiness. I believe that happiness is the ultimate thing

that everything in life is for, and anything that diminishes that for anyone must be

seriously considered. I know it sounds very simplistic and naïve, but I truly believe

that everything should work towards that; otherwise it is not worth doing.



23


My most defining quality is that when I care about something, I will dedicate 100%

of my energy towards perfecting it. An example of this is when I joined swim team.

When I joined, I was first put into the beginner’s lane, but after a lot of hard work

and pain and wanting to be better, I was able to move up two lanes in half a swim

season. When I want to do something, I will put all of my effort into it to make sure it

is done well.


Explain.

I would classify myself more as someone who comes up with ideas. It’s not that I

have an aversion to executing ideas and turning them into reality; it’s more that I am

more productive when I am thinking up ideas. It is not hard for me to find solutions

to problems that might come up or to think of new ideas. One idea that I came up

with recently was to give my math teacher a math plaque through a scavenger hunt.

I made up a bunch of clues, (none of them math-related) each leading to the next

one, until he solved the riddle to find the plaque’s location. I can both think of ideas

and execute them, as shown in the previous example, but I would say that I am more

of someone who thinks up ideas.



I will start with my crazier ideas and work my way down to feasible ones:

1. Replace chairs with exercise balls.

2. Brighten everyone’s day with random acts of fun like throwing hundreds of paper

airplanes with nice messages on them.

3. Work to make sophomore Nav more about adjusting to IMSA life or living without

one’s parents.

4. Make a daily postboard or video to show what is happening at school that day.

5. Give more publicity to the IMSA event calendar so that more students know about

it and use it.


24

Applications for Secretary

Emmy Mladenova


Student Council is not solely about imposing change. Student Council is about

creating; creating an environment in which students can thrive, creating a sense of

community across our campus, and creating memories. I am running for Student

Council office because I want to contribute to this process of creating. As a member

of Cabinet, I will have not only have the drive and dedication, but I will have the

aptitude to act upon issues which pervade throughout our campus, facilitate events

which tighten bonds between students, and take part in the effort to make IMSA a

superior experience for all.


limit).

During the first weeks of my sophomore year, I joined the Communications

Committee of Student Council. Throughout the entirety of the year, I was an avid

member of the committee, regularly attending meetings and signing up to work on

various projects such as making Bathroom Minutes and designing posters. As the

year went on, I began to sign up for more projects, attempting to realize my role as a

fervent member of Student Council. As such, I eventually became a StudCo

Representative and began to take charge of larger projects such as helping out with

Clash of the Halls. By the end of my sophomore year, I had involved myself greatly

with StudCo and I wanted to continue doing so. Consequently, I applied and was

given the role of Communications Committee Co-Chair.

This year, as a member of Student Council Cabinet, I have continued fulfilling

the role of Communications Co-Chair, while initializing and being part of a plethora

of other StudCo projects. For starters, as Co-Chair, I initialized and realized several

new programs for the Communications Committee, such as the “Oughta Know”

program and the brand new “Bathroom SAT Words”. In addition, I took part in

organizing the Sleep & Stress Forum, at which we addressed problems IMSA

students face and proposed various solutions for these problems. Moreover, I was

involved in planning and executing events for both Homecoming and Clash of the

Halls, as well as in processes such as Club Chartering and writing proposals.

All in all, throughout the past two years, I have been fully committed to

Student Council. I continuously worked on customary StudCo projects and took up

new ones with the hopes of expanding the reach of the Council within the student

body. I genuinely hope to be able to continue doing the same throughout the whole


25

of next year.


As Edward Bulwer-Lytton stated so eloquently, “nothing is so contagious as

enthusiasm…Enthusiasm is the genius of sincerity, and truth accomplishes no

victories without it.” As such, enthusiasm, that of others as well as my own, is my

main source of motivation. Seeing the passion others have for certain projects

inspires me and influences me to work hard with them so that these people’s

passions can be realized. In the same way, when I excite other people about my

passions, I become motivated to work hard to realize these projects not only for

myself, but for all those involved.



I believe that a leader must be able to understand those around her in order

to be able to lead with objectivity. As such, I think that my most defining leadership

quality is my ability to build relationships with people. Because I am able to talk to

others and get to know them easily, I have become very empathetic and

compassionate. I understand and am interested in hearing others’ viewpoints,

taking them into account when making decisions. I have exercised this trait most

evidently in my role as a Wing Guide, through which I have built trusting

relationships.


Explain.

Although I would like to consider myself one who both comes up with ideas

and executes them, I associate myself more strongly with the latter. Since I am very

organized and able to get things done when needed, I can execute projects with great

efficiency. In addition, I thoroughly enjoy planning and realizing such events, tasks, and

projects. As such, I motivate myself to get things done and do not have to be constantly

reminded by others. I readily take upon projects and look forward to doing so in the

future.



In the next year, I hope to strengthen the bond between Student Council and the

student body, because during my past year on Cabinet, I noticed that this was an element that

was greatly lacking. As such, I want to make Student Council more accessible to students through

social media as well as the Acronym. In addition, I would like to see a more active Student

Council, especially throughout the second semester, and hope to ensure that this will happen by

hosting frequent forums at which students can share their concerns and StudCo can directly


26

work to eliminate those.

Applications for Senior-at-Large

Roy Kim


Working with StudCo throughout this year, especially on The Forum, has made me

discover a passion for working on ideas that could make a major impact on

someone’s life here at IMSA. Thinking back on my own experiences here, I’ve had a

lot of difficulties transitioning from my previous lifestyle. And every time I

remember the struggles I faced, I become more and more motivated to alleviate the

hardships that other students may have to endure.

I wish to help both the current and future generation of IMSA students experience a

much more enjoyable life here at IMSA.


limit).

Other than doing various tasks such as making an RC of the Month poster for the

StudCo Residential Committee, I have worked on and helped brainstorm/develop

many of the projects that were presented in The Forum earlier this year (primarily

the additions to the RSL program, RSL Peer Mediators, and a College-Myth

Dispelling Presentation for sophomores).


The thing that drives me to excel is the fact that I can make such a large impact on

others. Here at IMSA I’ve met many people that have influenced me to do things that

I thought I would never be able to achieve. Just like how these individuals have

helped me find my way, I want become someone that can help people overcome

their obstacles and help them find their place in this world.



I think my most defining leadership quality is my ability to get others to trust me. More

than once I’ve played the role of mediator, counselor, or confidant for others that had

issues that needed to be resolved but did not really know who to go to. I was able to


27

show my absolute sincerity to these folks, and in the esnd I am always able to open

them up on whatever is bothering them.


Explain.

It is very clear to me that I am the type of person that prefers brainstorming and

improving on projects. While working on The Forum, I enjoyed bouncing around ideas,

seeing which would be plausible, what could be added on, and what difficulties we

could run into much more than executing them (perhaps because executing them can

sometimes be a very lengthy and frustrating process).



Next year I wish to work on reworking the responsibilities of the StudCo cabinet, as it

seems that some positions have too much work while others have too little.

Sarah Valentine 1. Why are you running for an IMSA Student Council office? (100 words or less).

I am running for StudCo because I want to make a difference in the community and

truly lead IMSA toward a new generation. With several leaders leaving including the

great class of 2013, many new responsibilities arise for the class of 2014 to preserve

the integrity of our school and its mission statement. I believe with my knowledge

and experience with both sophomore and junior class club, I can help StudCo do just

this as the senior-at-large.


limit).

To be honest, I have not been directly involved in IMSA’s Student Council. However,

I have participated in many StudCo hosted events and given feedback to different

board members. I also served on class club as a freshman representative at my old

school. Although I have not participated in IMSA’s Student Council, it’s an endeavor

that I’ve wanted to pursue since sophomore year, and this year, I’d like to be truly

active in my community and join the organization I think has the most impact on the

students, faculty, and community.



28

IMSA has been my home for the past two years. Its provided me with all the

opportunities I could have asked for and more, and I want to give back to the

campus. One of my fondest passions has always been to help others and dedicate my

time to better the community around me. Each day, I try to think of how I can

improve myself and my surroundings, which drives me to work hard no matter how

challenging or daunting my day may be.



I think my most defining leadership quality has been my drive to see the people around

me grow. I love being able to see positive change in people, and I strive to help my

classmates discover themselves as students and leaders. To pursue this, I’ve been

involved as a LEAD facilitator, a wing guide, and a captain of two sports. I was also

active as a leader of my hall’s CotH Talent Show and Drill Team. Working with people

truly is a passion of mine, and I’d love to pursue it further as a member of StudCo.


Explain.

I see myself as both really, but more so a brainstormer. At class club meetings, I’ve

helped come up with many events, such as a future pep rally. On the other hand, I’ve

also been an active member by selling snacks after ten check, helping out at midday

events, and advertising for upcoming activities. I think I can be useful at either,

depending on the task at hand.



StudCo has done a phenomenal job this year with its events, but it still has lots of room

to grow. I would like to reform Clash by working out the points system, brainstorming

new events, and coming up with more efficient ways of running the established events. I

would also like to see more relations built with outside companies and organizations, to

truly help IMSA branch out to the community and help out those in the surrounding

area. In general, I’d love to see our school grow and evolve into a collaborative society

that truly “advances the human condition”.

Ryan Chiu


I am running for an office on the IMSA Student Council because I wholeheartedly believe that a

student body without a voice in their community is not an effective student body at all. With this

being said, I realize that this dilemma is not caused by the scarcity of opportunities, but rather by


29

the lack of motivation in the students themselves – a lack of confidence in the notion that Student

Council can truly make a difference.


limit).

During my time at IMSA, I have always taken advantage of opportunities to help students better

appreciate the resources given to them at our school. During my sophomore year, I served on

Student Council’s Academic Committee, and for a while, I was an Academic Liaison to the English

Department. I opened up constructive discussion and effective communication between StudCo and

faculty members. As junior year began, I still felt that what I accomplished in committee was not

enough. This year, I contributed various ideas to Student Council, including the idea of an “IMSA

OpenCourseware,” a system that will allow students to watch recorded lectures from their teachers.


My primary motivation for excellence lies in the belief that we, as students, should be proud of the

changes that have already been made, but we should never be satisfied. As a candidate for the office

of Senior-at-Large, a representative of the rising senior class, I realize that we still have a whole

year ahead of us. I firmly believe that even though Student Council has accomplished so much over

the past two years, there is still a large room for improvement.



Perhaps my most defining quality is the ability to take input from others, while still standing by my

own principles. I am the World News Section Editor for the Acronym. I had the responsibility of

reflecting upon my section, and taking advice from my staff writers. As a result of their criticism, I

adjusted the policies of my section to address the major issues at hand. Despite these changes, my

vision for World News did not falter, and at times, I was even able to compromise between the

suggestions of my peers and the goals that I previously set.


Explain.

I would consider myself as someone who comes up with ideas, because I am a leader who embraces

change and invites it as part of my own life. As a leader, I am an initiator, while followers are merely

responders. Furthermore, I am willing to step up and take on the task of driving a project, and


30

pushing the limits of change. While followers are content with projects remaining idle, I continually

push to the finish line, even if it means challenging the status quo. As a prospective Senior-at-Large,

it will be my responsibility to come up with new solutions to problems experienced by the senior

class. Therefore, in order to make such changes, no matter how significant, I must accept the role of

a true leader – an individual who has a vision laid out from the beginning and who is not afraid to

change the community around him by the introduction of revolutionary ideas.



In the upcoming academic year, I plan to follow through with my proposed idea of IMSA

OpenCourseware, which would allow students to comprehend the material taught in their classes

with great efficiency by simply replaying recorded lectures.

I also plan to establish effective communication with next year’s Senior Class Club, and I plan to

make Student Council more transparent to the student body by revamping the old Student Council

website, and work with other Student Council members to constantly update the site with news, so

that all students may stay informed without physically being present at GAs or other events.


31

Applications for Junior-at-Large

Alonzo Marsh


I have a lot of skills and unique capabilities to offer Student Council. My goal for running for an

Executive Board position on Student Council is to implement many of the ideas that I have to

improve the quality of life at IMSA. My goal as a Student Council officer is to guarantee every IMSA

student an opportunity to build on what IMSA has to offer and further the community. It is my

belief that IMSA presents us with many unique opportunities, and one of those is residential life. I

strive to be on StudCo to help further the community.

2. What experience do you have working with IMSA’s Student Council? (No word limit)

I have talked as well as worked with a few members of the Student Council cabinet on behind the

scenes work. I have not had the time this year (8 classes this semester) to work on student council,

but I have talked with cabinet members developing ideas and programs that I would love to have a

chance to implement to further the IMSA community.


I have tried to always help others, especially my friends. I am running for Student Council so that I

can help my friends, and my community. I have found that positive feedback makes me feel good,

and pushes me to continue pleasing my friends. However, I have found that negative feedback is

even better as it pushes me to work harder and create new ideas to ensure that everyone enjoys

activities. My goal is to ensure that the IMSA community is welcoming and excepting of everyone.

This goal drives me to excel and take part in my community all year.



My most defining leadership qualities are my boldness and my courage. I am not the kind of person

that will blame someone else when something goes awry. If you have ever seen me in school, I do

not waste time worrying about how what I do affects how others judge me. I am always willing to

try something, and I lead with this courage. I have been among the first to ask questions at panels,

and I am willing to listen to various different approaches from others. However, I do consider how

my actions will function in the long run.



32

Explain.

I would most likely describe myself as someone who always tries to come up with new ideas, ideas

that are effective as well as achievable. I am running for an executive position though because this

coming year, I do not want to just help others create ideas, and give others ideas of my own, but

also to execute them. I am looking to do something that I have not done very effectively in the past, I

have always worked on ideas, I have even started some, but I rarely execute them. I have cut down

on the class load that I will have next year so that I will have ample time to work on various projects

for Student Council as well as other organizations so that I can implement many of my plans. If you

read the below question you will see one example of what I have thought of, and next year I have

many more of these that I want to use. I have always believed that being constructive is better than

destructiveness, and that is a philosophy that I want to follow in the coming year.



For me the biggest thing that I want to improve is CLASH. My idea for CLASH is to encourage

Campus wide cooperation instead of destructive behaviors. I will propose a gift giving system

where each hall will give be in charge of giving a gift to every other hall to help them on one of the

nights. This allows for campus wide bonding, and encourages constructive philosophies instead of

destructive ones. I also look to ensure the every club gets the funding they need to function at their

maximum efficiently, and ensure that StudCo is more successful than ever financially.

Aishwarya Raj


I would appreciate being secretary because I feel that it fits me as a person and I also feel

that I can contribute the most towards that position. This is because I am a part of Acronym,

and I have experience writing and being a part of any scripting process. As for me as a

person, I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses and I know that running for president

would take a great deal of commitment and priority however with my extracurricular

activities I am aware and confident that I can commit to Student Council.


Prior to this opportunity, I applied to run for Sophmore at large, and I participated in almost

all of Stud Co’s events however I was not able to participate in many of Student Council’s

committees because of sports interference.


My primary motivation for excelling at anything, not just school is my mother who I feel,

drives to be good at anything that I put my interest in. My mom has motivated me even

when I lost interest for the briefest periods of times, and she also forces me to finish what I


33

started and can definitely appreciate her role at the end when the effort is worth the end

result. My mom serves as a motivation purely because I respect her as a person and I would

like to make her proud.

4. What is your most defining leadership quality, and how have you demonstrated this trait at

IMSA? (100 words or less).

My most defining leadership quality is speaking my mind when the need arises. In general I

am not too much of a vocal person but when I feel the situation needs to be mediated, or

some point needs to be communicated to the general public as a whole, I am not afraid to

speak my mind boldly. This is because at times that call for my voice, I recognize that the

need to communicate is far more important than remaining reserved.

5. Would you describe yourself as someone who comes up with ideas, or executes them? Explain.

Personally I am more of the innovative person because I enjoy thinking of ways to solve

problems and ideas for any type of situation then just executing them. Although I am able to

execute plans and ideas, I am far better at coming up with ideas because I find a lot of

inspiration through the need to solve a certain problem or by imagining the best possible

way to run or make an event a success.

6. What project or ideas do you plan to implement with Student Council in the coming year? (100

words or less).

In the coming year I hope that through student council we can implement ideas such as

improving the class surveys that students use and depend on for deciding classes. In

addition I feel that clash itself can be an improved experience for everyone even though this

year was a great success. Most importantly I hope to make some of student council’s

committees more prominent in the eyes of students so that we can have greater

involvement and higher efficiency in accomplishing our goals for student council.


34

Applications for CAB Director

Lynette To 1. Why are you running for an IMSA Student Council office? (100 words or less).

I am running for an IMSA Student Council office position because I believe I have the qualities that a

member on the Executive board would have—I am organized, prepared, initiative, and dedicated to

seeking the effective and efficient completion of tasks that I put my mind and time to. The

characteristics that I possess will contribute to the Student Council team, and I yearn to experience

the exchange of influences that I have on others and that others have on me so that I can assist in

shaping the Academy one meeting and event at a time.


One of the biggest regrets that I have had to live with for the past year and half would be the

inexperience that I have with working with IMSA’s Student Council. I still remember that first e-

mail that I received through IMSA Webmail—“Come To StudCo’s First GA of the Year!” it read. At

the time, I was like a little boy lost in a toy store—so many new clubs and opportunities offered, I

didn’t know what to pick! From that point on, the track that my life traveled down diverged from

my three years of experience on Student Council at my previous middle school and high school.

Instead, I joined Sophomore Class Club and currently, Junior Class Club, which have shaped the way

I work in group situations to prepare large events for the school, such as Spring Fling, Winter

Formal, and various events throughout the year.

Although I have not had much experience with working with IMSA’s StudCo, I do have a year of

experience of working with my peers to organizing student life activities. As the Community

Developer (CD) for 1506, I have collaborated with staff members and my fellow Residential Student

Leaders to organize events within the hall for the girls’ enjoyment. More recently, I had to take on

the large responsibility with my co-CD of instilling hall spirit during the highly-awaited Clash of the

Halls. My experience as a CD during Clash of the Halls was an indicator that although I do not have

much experience working with StudCo, I can get the job done. Similar to Student Council

representatives and board members, I had to collaborate with staff members to plan when and

where our hall can have events. On the same note, I have had the experience of working with a

board of RSL’s, all equal in rank, giving each individual an opportunity to pitch her ideas so that the

hall could benefit with the best events that we could organize.

I must admit that my inexperience with IMSA’s Student Council may deter my ability to adapt to

IMSA’s Student Council environment; however, I believe this would only hold me back in the

beginning. I will be able to adapt to the position and fellow members as well as bringing forth

different perspectives that I would have from my prominent background of working with Class Club

and leading as a CD.



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Although many people are motivated to excel due to competition or external pressures by parents,

the defining inspiration is my own will that constantly monitors my past and current achievements;

this will impels fme to work harder when I detect that what I had achieved didn’t reach the level

that I’m capable of. Of course, my work is influenced by what others think, but when it boils down

to what truly matters, the results that I produce must reach my own standards so that I continue to

grab goals that I may have to get on my tip-toes for.



My most defining leadership quality is my ability to stay on top of things and commit to projects

that I efficiently complete. I demonstrated this trait at IMSA while organizing “Battle of the Sexes”

for a hall-hall bonding activity. Although this event did not seem like a priority to other individuals

that assisted in the planning, I persisted in reminders and requests so that the event would run

smoothly with a sizeable audience. Although it was difficult juggling so many tasks at once, I

managed to structure the event, find supplies, and distributed duties resulting in a successful event.


Explain.

Although I am strong in both coming up with ideas and executing ideas, I would have to say that my

greatest strength lies in my ability to execute events. From my experience on Class Club, ideas are

thrown out all over the place, contributed my both myself and peers. However, when some

meetings split into committees between the two, I typically find myself joining the idea-execution

group. Though I value both of these important processes, my passion lies larger in seeing definitive

results and doing work rather than coming up with ideas that may or may not be plausible.



I’d propose the consolidation Student Council funds and CAB funds into a single pot. Because

StudCo and CAB would work close together, the consolidation of funds would facilitate event

planning and allow money to flow into planning events like Homecoming and Clash of the Halls.

Additionally, I would propose projects that collaborate with the Residential Hall Association so that

they receive support financially and ideally, allowing them to collaborate and execute events for

residential-life enjoyment. I would like to see clubs and organizations cross their comfort barriers

to work with one another and effectively utilize “collaborative relationships” (IMSA”s Mission

Statement).

7. As Campus Activities Board Director, what do see as the role of the director and the

Board as a whole? (CAB Director Applications only; 100 words or less)

I would see the role of the Director to be an initiator and overseer who’s actively responsible for

handling main organization pieces as well as making sure that each StudCo member is on top of his

or her tasks. Because CAB Director would be closely working with his or her board members,


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another role that I see applicable would be a mediator that mitigates conflicting views between the

various StudCo members. Together, Board and CAB Director must be equally aware and responsible

for contributing to projects and meetings so that no time or effort is wasted in bettering the

community.

8. As Campus Activities Board Director, how will you ensure that all events are carried out

and planned effectively? (CAB Director Applications only; 100 words or less)

Using my experiences from Hall Council and school group projects, I would ensure that events are

carried out and planned effectively by setting a timeline with stringent deadlines that tasks need to

be completed by. For example, if an event needs approval or certain facilities, I would make sure

that whomever is in charge of these tasks (or myself) get it timely. Additionally, with my continual

commitment through the year, I would do the best I can with the major tasks I must complete but

also check up on other members on board to affirm efficient planning and organization.

9. As Campus Activities Board Direction, what vision do you have for campus-wide

activities in the following year? (CAB Director Applications only; 100 words or less)

As CAB Director, I would envision campus-wide activities that appeal to all audiences and stress

participation because of the common interest of enjoyment. Although many clubs aim for events

that stress school-bonding, I believe that some activities should feed students’ pure thirst for

enjoyment; in the past, CAB has arranged events like Luau and Hypnotist Show. As CAB Director, I

would work towards maintaining these traditional events while adding new events with a similar

theme, especially during Clash of the Halls, so that the intense pressure of going to events revolves

around enjoyment and not external pressures.

Jo-Jo Feng


I’m mainly interested in CAB since I want to be able to provide enjoyment to people in a stressful

environment like IMSA. I’d feel satisfied with knowing that I worked hard to design an event that

made people have fun and succeeded. It’s the reason why I value taking time out of my day to make

people laugh or have a good time. Even though it doesn’t improve my productivity, I definitely find

it worth the happiness it brings me and others.


limit).

I have not done any work with Student Council so far.


I value helping others and along with that, making people happy. I am motivated a lot by the urge to

make a positive impact wherever I am, whether it’s on the people around me or the institution I’m


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at. I strive to make a difference in my community and gain a lot of personal satisfaction from doing

so. In the specific case of CAB, I feel like this would be a great opportunity to improve and create a

lot of important IMSA activities while influencing a lot of my peers through designing fun activities

across campus.



I would say that my most defining leadership characteristic is my desire to help others reach their

goals through encouragement and helping them stay accountable for their work. I haven’t really

demonstrated this quality formally at IMSA, but when I see a friend getting off task or struggling to

accomplish a goal, I take the time to push them toward what needs to be done. For example, if

someone on CAB Board has a good event idea, but isn’t working particularly hard organizing it, I

would offer my support and help them get on task to pursuing their idea fully.


Explain.

I would say that I am more of an executor. I work well processing ideas and refining them. Through

my time at IMSA, I feel like I’ve developed solid communication and organizational skills that would

allow me to effectively and efficiently create a process by which to get things done. Although those

who think of ideas are extremely important and essentially design the basis for a project, those who

take the steps to turn ideas into realities are ultimately the ones that make things happen.



I’d like to involve more student organizations, like class clubs, when designing events. It would

allow us to reach out to more people and to have more manpower to run events. Also, having all

student government aware of what one another are planning would lessen conflict when arranging

activities. Additionally, for each individual CAB Board member, I’d like to have them spread the

word for events through their friends and in their halls. People won’t want to go to events if their

friends don’t go, and it requires commitment from a lot of people to make sure events are attractive.

7. As Campus Activities Board Director, what do see as the role of the director and the

Board as a whole? (CAB Director Applications only; 100 words or less)

I feel that the role of the CAB director would be to organize and lead board meetings to brainstorm

and decide which ideas would be worked on more and worked into full-scale events. As a director,

one would delegate which board members would function in which aspect of organizing an activity.

In addition, they would oversee the progress of each group and make sure they are coordinated

well and on the same page as one another. The board as a whole would brainstorm ideas together

and then by splitting up and working on specific parts of organizing an event.


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8. As Campus Activities Board Director, how will you ensure that all events are carried out

and planned effectively? (CAB Director Applications only; 100 words or less)

After ideas are planned and agreed upon with the board as a whole (like event specifics, location,

date, etc.), I think that the best way to carry out the plan would be to split up and assign specific

jobs to a few members of the board. As director, I would keep a log of what each group has

accomplished and make sure that they are all on the same page and getting things done in a timely

fashion. In addition, I would play a role in some of the specific focus groups to help directly carry

out the plan.

9. As Campus Activities Board Direction, what vision do you have for campus-wide

activities in the following year? (CAB Director Applications only; 100 words or less)

I would hope that with CAB’s influence over Clash and Homecoming next year, they would have a

large presence on campus. CAB would oversee and create enjoyable, popular events that would

occur consistently and raise morale overall. Popularity is a very important component in

determining whether or not an event will be fun, so I hope that CAB would be working very much in

publicity and making sure their events are well-known. I would want to see events being popular

and campus-unifying, bringing people together and allowing people to take a break from school

work and have a good time.

student council executive board candidates · 2013-05-27 · student council executive board...

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