Thank You All

With less than thirty minutes left to vote I just want to take a chance to sincerely thank all those of you who have supported me over the past few weeks, and for the last two years as I have served the Class of 2011 on Student Government. I appreciate your dedication to improving the quality of student lifer here at The Catholic University of America and commit myself to to continue working for our class whether re-elected or otherwise.

It has been incredible to meet so many of you over the past few weeks and talk about the issues you are dealing with on campus. Serving on SAGA this past year has allowed me to meet and interact with the vast majority of our class. This experience has been nothing less than inspiring. The Class of 2011 is the heart and soul of Catholic University. We lead sports teams, student organizations, academic groups, and have more fun than any other group I have ever met. As we transition from underclassmen to upperclassmen the problems facing CUA students will truly be our own.

This past year CUA has seen more new organizations and programming than any time in its history. As an institution of higher learning we are on the right path. The Catholic University of America is continuing its rise in the rankings and student life must progress accordingly. Although our time at CUA is almost half over we still have a chance to enact lasting change and build a tradition of responsibility that students past, present, and future can be proud of.

Once again I thank you for your time and encourage you to join me at midnight to hear the election results in the Pryz.

Sincerely,

Ryan D. Winn

Speech

“Building a Tradition of Responsible Representation”



First of all I just want to thank every one of you for coming out tonight. It is great to see that you

care enough to come out and listen to us, even after suffering through three weeks of facebook

messages, posters, and people knocking on your doors. It has been a distinct pleasure to serve

the Class of 2011 over the past two years, first as Student Life Senator and then as Chairman of

the Student Life Committee this past year. These experiences have greatly shaped my time at

Catholic University, intimately acquainting me with both the many positive aspects of CUA and

the things in need of improvement.

Although the Student Association is nearing the completion of only its first year this has not

inhibited our ability to enact positive change in the quality of life for students here at CUA.

Specifically I have sponsored legislation designed to improve the standing of the General

Assembly, making it an effective means of advocating for the students. I have also dedicated

myself to supporting student organizations, increasing recreational opportunities on campus,

ensuring transparency in SFAB, and never backing down from the tough issues facing the

student body.

If re-elected I hope to build upon these successes as well as expanding to new areas with the

potential for improvement. I will use my relationships within the administration as well as the

student body to better the quality of life here on campus and here are just a few of my ideas for

new initiatives:

The General Assembly must make it a priority to increase the amount of study space on campus.

With an ever increasing student population a serious push should be made to open a large

building for 24 hour student use year round, not simply on finals week. As our University grows

in population it must likewise find new ways to create access to study spaces
around campus for every student. Interim solutions could also include opening the McMahon

and Pangborn

computer labs for all night use.

Less than two hours ago I was called by a sophomore asking if I could sit down with him and

help him wade through the paperwork and language that has followed in the wake of a write up.

The current system employed by Judicial and Ethical Affairs is broken. More often than not

students do not understand the process and are thus unable to properly prepare their response to

charges presented by the University. In order to ensure fairness and to better educate the student

body I am currently working towards the establishment of a “Student Advocacy Board.” This

group would serve as an educational resource for students, explaining the process that goes along

with a Judicial Board Hearing and answering questions in a confidential environment.

Further if re-elected I will continue to hold the General Assembly, as well as SFAB accountable

for how they choose to spend money from the Student Activity and Club Sports Fee. To this end

I am proud to announce that as of August 15th all SFAB allocations will be public to the

University community and available online within five days of any allocation. I also pledge to

look for new, innovative ways of increasing student body oversight and involvement in the

allocation process.

I believe that Student Organizations are one of CUA’s greatest resources. In addition to

providing programming to entertain, they also serve as points of origin for career and further

academic opportunities for a multitude of students. It is time that we let our Student

Organizations know that we have their back and that is why I am a strong supporter of increasing

the Student Activity and Club Sports Fee. I have no doubt that the abundant talent in our many organizations will ensure that this money is spent wisely, and that it is an investment in the CUA community and not merely an arbitrary fee increase.

Most importantly however I commit myself to increasing student input within the General

Assembly. Greater steps must be taken by each and every member of the Assembly to reach out

and ask students what they would like to see done by their representatives at CUA. Students

should be encouraged to sit in on SAGA meetings and provide an outside prospective to help
guide discussion and debate.

It has been a pleasure serving our class for the past two years. Through the ups and down I can

truly say that I have enjoyed my time as a Delegate, and as a Committee Chair. Student

government has allowed me to meet so many incredible people and make a number of good

friends.

To me it is clear that our class is very unique. As sophomores members our class are already

leading the University in academics, student groups, and on athletic teams. As we progress

from underclassmen to upperclassmen nothing would make me happier than to continue the

work I have started this past year in improving the student experience at Catholic. It is my

sincere belief that we have a duty to build a tradition of responsible representation for our class,

then entire University, and those who will attend after we have graduated. The lack of a strong

student voice in University affairs is a crucial shortcoming of this University, but it is a problem

we can, and if re-elected, a problem I look forward to correcting.

Thank you all so much for your time and I wish the best of luck to my fellow candidates. I hope

I can count on your support on Thursday, God bless.

SAGA Speaker to Address Student Body during Fall Semester

Last night the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to pass into law a Bill I proposed making it mandatory for the Speaker of the Student Association General Assembly to address the University Community at least once per year. The address will be known as "The State of the Student Body Address," and the exact date is to be decided by the presiding Speaker.

It is my sincere hope that the next Speaker takes full advantage of this event to, along with the General Assembly, create a cohesive agenda for tangible change here at CUA. The Student Body has a right to know what we want to do, and influence the direction we take at.

SFAB Transparency and Campus Movie Fest

A week ago today the Student Association General Assembly took under consideration two pieces of legislation that I proposed. The first was a resolution committing the General Assembly to support the efforts of the winners of the Campus Movie Fest to continue competing with their film in Cannes France at the world renown film festival held there. The Student Association will be sending out two list serv emails encouraging people to support these five person team financial in an attempt to offset the incredible cost associated with this trip. If you would like to donate please click on the following link or email me at 60winn@cua.edu http://jkhincannes.blogspot.com/

View the film here: http://www.vimeo.com/3330029

The second piece of legislation that I authored and was subsequently passed into law made it mandatory for all SFAB allocations to be public within five academic days. Furthermore my bill required SFAB to create an internet resource that will allow any student to keep up to date on how THEIR money is being spent.

Winn's Words

Some quotes from this past year:

“Ideally I’d like to remove visitation hours, but I don’t think that’s going to happen, so we have to find a way to make it easier to study that administration will accept,”

“I know a lot of students who have showed up, and just got railroaded, because they just didn’t know what was going on. In a court, at least you have someone on your side, and maybe we can get at least some information out”

“Our job is to educate kids on campus about this. It is a serious problem. But at the same time we don’t want to be bar police. I don’t think it’s our job to tell people where they can and cannot go. Let’s get the information out there, but let’s not try to become some moral authority. We’re here to keep kids safe, but we’re not here to judge them.”

"The inspiration behind this is to increase transparency and let them know what we are planning so that we are not only getting people on board with our initiatives, but also allowing them to hold us accountable."

Winn

Increased Transparency in SFAB

I am excited to announce that on Monday, March 9th the General Assembly adopted a bill I proposed mandating that SFAB must create a website with every allocation and make this available to the Student Body within five academic days. This is an important first step to improving the involvement of students in the allocation process and if re-elected I look forward to further perfecting the Student Association.

Re-election Announcement

It is my pleasure to announce that I will be seeking re-election to the Student Association General Assembly as a Delegate for the Class of 2011. Over the past two years I have had the distinction of serving our class as Student Life Senator, Acting Class President, Liaison to the Dean of Students, and Chairman of the Student Life Committee. In my time on Student Government I have not backed down from the controversial, pressing issues facing the students at CUA. The Student Association General Assembly is designed as a body that can tackle these issues in a deliberative and thoughtful manner, brining about tangible change for the student body.

It would be an honor to continue serving the Class of 2011 in the General Assembly and I look forward to earning your support in the coming weeks. The election will take place on March 26th from 9am to 9pm, with voting stations located in the Pryz Atrium as well as online at vote.cua.edu. Speeches will be held for all classes on the evening of March 24th and I encourage all of you to attend. Campaign materials will be available shortly and can be procured through the facebook group. Thank you all for your time and your continued support.

Sincerely,

Ryan Winn

Building a Tradition of Responsible Representation

Over the past year The Student Association has nearly completed the first session the General Assembly. Although this year has been rough in spots SAGA has taken the first step in ensuring that Students have a voice in the affairs of the University and are properly represented. It is my sincere belief that every student at CUA deserve to be heard and to have a legitimate opportunity to influence the policies of this University. This process cannot be accomplished in one year, but instead will take concerted effort. The time put in by the General Assembly is simply a first step, in the coming year it will take increased input from students to drive the development of the Student Association as a legitimate and effective governing body for students, student organizations on campus. Together we can make a difference, we can make the student body a serious determinant of policy at CUA.

Record 2008-2009

The first meeting of the General Assembly brought about discussion and debate on many of the most pressing issues facing students at The Catholic University of America. For my part I served as Chairman of the Student Life Committee, which consists of 18 of the 28 delegates, and liaison to the Dean of Students Jonathan Sawyer.

In addition I sponsored three bills that were passed into law making me the most active legislator on the Assembly. The bills I sponsored are listed below.

1. Increasing the visibility of SAGA liaisons- this will make it mandatory for every office we represent that will have a placard with the photo, name, and information of the liaison that serves this office. This bill will take effect next year and will allow the student body to have a point of contact if an issue arises in a given office. This bill was passed unanimously.

2. DVD Rental Machine- this bill allows SAGA to place a funding request for a "Redbox" DVD Rental Machine for the Pryz. This bill is currently being implemented and should be ready for purchase by next year.

3. Get Out the Vote Resolution- this resolution affirms SAGA's dedication to ensuring fairness and participation in the forthcoming elections and all future elections.

*Two bills will be introduced at the next meeting of the General Assembly. Both are intended to increase the transparency of student government, especially SFAB, in order to open the lines of communication between the Student Association and the Student Body. One of these motions will directly address the concerns raised my members of the Student Body and the other will consist of an address to the Student Body by the Speaker of the Assembly.

Furthermore, I voted in favor of:
the SAGA bylaws
The Student Bill of Rights
The SAGA Rules of Debate and Decorum
Increasing Library Hours

Also I maintained three office hours per week, fought for increased oversight in SFAB, and served as Editor of the SAGA newsletter.

Check this Out

CUA Students for Increased Student Activities

If you would like to join the movement towards increased student activities at CUA please visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=66837696257 and join the facebook group.

The Case for Increasing the Student Activity Fee

As most of you have heard by now the Student Association General Assembly has passed legislation by a vote of 19-1 and later 17-1 that will bring the issue of raising the Student Activity and Club Sports Fee to a vote of the entire Student Body. The legislation proposed by Delegate Joseph Manning increases the fee from $75 dollars a semester to $100 dollars a semester. This increase of $50 will give Student Organizations an additional $150,000 to use for programming. This will raise the total amount available to Student Org's from $430,000 a year to nearly $600,000.

The Student Activity and Club Sports Fee has not been increased since 2001. In 2001 $75 had the buying power that today would be carried by $96.44. Furthermore in 2001 there where almost half as many organizations applying for funding as there are today. This increase is simply a cost of living adjustment to ensure that our Student Organizations, the life blood of Student Life here at CUA, have the resources to provide the best quality programming out there on any college campus. Currently CUA students pay the lowest student activity fee in the District of Columbia with other Universities paying at least $100 a semester. Furthermore in comparison to other similarly sized universities CUA students pay nearly $37 dollars less per semester. All in all this proposed increase is simply designed to keep CUA competitive in terms of on campus student programming.

The Student Activity and Club Sports Fee is unique in that it is the only money CUA students pay each year that goes directly to the Student Body, by way of the Student Organizations, for student use. Any member of a Student Organization can tell you that there is simply not enough funding for all 80 organizations on campus. It is essential for the numerous interests and views held by CUA students to be represented and the organizations to prosper. Choosing to not support this increase is tantamount to punishes student organizations for their success and there ability to shoot higher with their programming. We tell our students to aim big and now with your vote on March 26th you can tell them shoot even higher.

I ask you to stand with me on this pressing issue facing the CUA community. Often times it is easy to criticize the administration for every shortcoming at this University, and sometimes the blame does lie with them. However if we choose to oppose this increase, because times are too tough, because it is not our problem, or because we simply do not care enough then the blame will lie with us alone. Lets take a stand, lets say that sometimes what is right is not easy and I truly believe the University administration will look upon the Student Body with a renewed respect. Many of you have incredible visions for this school, and your respective groups. Let this be a first time to achieving those visions.

Thank you,

Ryan Winn

Images from SAGA

Controversial Suspension of Spellman Hall Visitation Privileges- Tower Op-Ed by Ryan Winn

Upon returning to my dorm room on the second floor of Spellman Hall on Wednesday night I was informed via email of a change to the visitation policy in my dorm. This email, which was sent to each and every resident of Spellman Hall, states that in response to “significant incidents of vandalism” which have plagued Spellman over the last couple of weeks the weekend visitation hours have been reduced from midnight to eight pm. Furthermore after eight pm Thursday through Saturday “non-residents (including other CUA students) will not be permitted beyond the lobby of Spellman Hall.” These measures were enacted in response to a rash of vandalism incidents including the destruction of two water fountains, damages to the ceiling tiles, graffiti, and multiple holes were punched in the walls.
As a member of the student government here at CUA as well as a resident of Spellman Hall I was compelled to speak out against what I consider a slightly ridiculous policy. While I do agree that these damages need to stop, I cannot agree with the administration’s decision to restrict weekend visitation hours. In the letter, written by Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Sarah M. Daniels, this new policy is designed to foster an environment “where all residents can be successful in their academic pursuits.” However, I see this policy inhibiting the ability of students to collaborate with one another in the comfort of their own building. Furthermore Spellman residents will now necessarily be forced to travel around campus at night because they are unable to meet with guests, including members of the CUA community, after 8pm. For night owls such as myself who do a fair amount of work well after 8pm and oftentimes until the early hours of the morning the new rules will make us adapt our study techniques completely to an entirely new time-table. If nothing else it provides yet another geographic inconvenience for students living on the south side of campus.
In all honesty my real issue with this new policy is that it doesn’t appear that it was executed in the best manner possible. For instance the entire building is being penalized for vandalism that occurred primarily on one floor. Realistically the people who are behind these incidents are very few in number and due to the consistent nature of these damages (they have been occurring since the start of school) the perpetrators most likely are residents of the building, not the guests who are covered by the new policy.
In the second paragraph of Associate Dean Daniels’ letter she states that it is the duty of each resident to “work with the university staff to bring accountability to those responsible.” While I do agree with this opinion, I find it confusing that innocents students who are in no way involved in the incidents described in the email are being punished for simply not witnessing people vandalize the dorm. By choosing to limit the privileges of all residents the Director of Residence Life is created an animosity towards the administration instead of working towards a living situation in which students are “empowered” to report the violations that they do see.
Finally, I wish that the email had given some sort f conditions under which this policy could be repealed whether it is a time line or an achievement based system. To my knowledge this policy will be in affect until further notice and leaves the residents of Spellman Hall in a lurch should a friend or family member wish to swing by after 8 pm, a time when lets be honest everyone is still out and about. As an alternative to the new visitation policy I belief vandalism can be reduced in Spellman Hall by increasing the involvement of the RA’s during the weekends and by the Residence Life Department holding a town hall style meeting inside of the dorm to get the student perspective on the damages. Also, it has been rumored that Spellman Hall students will not be issued overnight guest passes, however at this time that is still unconfirmed. On a positive note the new check-in policy that was implemented this past week is very thorough and will most definitely ensure an increased degree of safety inside of the dorm. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with Associate Dean Daniels at her earliest convenience, and hope to address this issue at the next Student Life Committee meeting. On a final note I strongly encourage any students who are concerned about this recent policy decision to speak out (respectively) and contact members of the administration to find out what steps residents can take to reinstate our visitation privileges.

Washington Post Article on Spellman Visitation Crackdown- Ryan Winn quoted

By Susan Kinzie

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, November 23, 2007

Catholic University's rules for visitors in dorms have long been stricter than those at other local universities, which tend to give students universal key cards and essentially, freedom.  This fall, after a spate of problems at a rowdy freshman dorm, Catholic tightened restrictions even more, including a ban on visitors to Spellman Hall after 8 p.m. on weekends.

Now some students are saying the school has gone to far.

It's an issue every college has to consider: Should they let students make their own fun and their own mistakes, or impose rules that limit both?

In the past, nonresidents had to leave all campus dorms at Catholic by 2 a.m. on weekends, and temporary overnight passes were allowed for visitors of the same gender if they are not students at Catholic.  Over the summer, administrators ratcheted the time limit back to midnight.

And this month, after a particularly nasty outburst of vandalism at Spellman -- including holes punched in walls and water fountains wrenched out -- freshman who live there were told of the new restriction.

Many students were aghast.  Midnight is like 8 p.m. for most students, said Joe St. George, a freshman from Ohio.  So 8 p.m. is like -- afternoon.

"I get my best work done from midnight to 2," Ryan Winn said.  "I'm a very typical college student."

Another freshman said the hours were fine.  For a nursing home.

The Tower, the student newspaper, wrote a scathing editorial.

Junior J. Peter Donald started a petition, collecting hundreds of signatures.  He said the rules limit students' ability to study or work on projects in groups because the library isn't open late, either.  He volunteered to help staff a late-night study room at the library.

"We understand we're in a uniquely Catholic environment.  We understand that shooting for the moon -- 24 hours -- is a little much."  He's asking for the 2 a.m. cutoff back.  "The situation is pretty bad right now.  We need to make a change."

Sarah Daniels, associate dean of students, said school officials often hear of roommate conflicts based on overnight guests and students who feel it's too noisy to study of sleep.

There are schools that enforce guest policies, said Chris Moody, executive director of housing and dining programs at American University, "but they're few and far between now, especially in metropolitan areas."  "It's more common at religious schools, he added, and students often choose an environment that fits with their values."

"It's very natural to have weekend visitors" from out of town, said Jan Davidson in the resident life department at the University of Maryland.  Other than a common prohibition on stays of more than three nights, designed to discourage people from flat-out moving in, there haven't been rules about visitors there since the late 1960's.  Back then, there were rules, especially for women, he said, but with cultural changes and students demands, "that melted away."

The shift happened nationally, with universities moving away from acting as stand-in parents and choosing to treat students as adults.

At the University of Virginia, as at many schools, students make decisions about guests with their roommates.  It's part of growing up, learning to negotiate and being responsible, said Angela Davis, associate dean of students.

The situation at Spellman was unusual, Daniels said.

Most dorms have some problems with damage; students are rough on buildings.  But it reached a level at Spellman this fall that shocked many of the freshman there: ceiling tiles pulled down, bathrooms damaged, ugly graffiti scrawled on walls (and some other things too icky to mention).

St. George said that because Spellman is across Michigan Avenue from the central campus, "it's our own little island.  If you put a bunch of freshman away from home on their own for the first time on their own little island..." he laughed.  "It can cause some problems."

It's never really quiet in Spellman until 3 a.m. or so, St. George said.  "Kids talking, screaming, stuff like that.  People in the halls."

That was normal.  But he said he and other students were shocked by the damage.  "Most people were really upset."

Daniels said administrators and hall staff tried to make changes, including having conversations with students and holding a floor meeting.  So they imposed the rules.

Like several students, St. George was glad the school clamped down.  "They had to.  It was just getting ridiculous.  I'm willing to suffer.  "Many were worried about having to pay huge bills to cover cleaning and repairs: Everyone is held responsible if the culprits aren't found.  Some pitched in to scrub and fix what they could.  "Most people in Spellman are great,"  St. Gearge said.  "It's just a few people causing problems."

But some students have found themselves caught in strange situations.  Winn was working with student leaders in his room and realized that they needed the class president to sign something, but he lived in another dorm and it was after 8 p.m., so he wouldn't be allowed to join the meeting in Spellman.  "It was just a joke," Winn said, frustrated.

Some students have tried to find ways to sneak around the rules or shift their late-night events to other spots.

And many, like Winn, are trying to change it.  "I just think it was kind of a policy that was created like a blunt instrument to take care of a small problem," he said, a punishment rather than a means of preventing vandalism.  Winn and other student leaders are pushing students to stop the damage and meeting with administrators next month to talk about the rules.

"It's like going and asking Dad," Donald said, "if you can take the care out for a drive." 

Record 2007-2008; Freshman Year

As a freshman I served on the Cardinal Student Association as Student Life Senator, then briefly as Class President.  During this time I worked on many projects and voted on numerous issues before the body.  A few specifics are outlined below.

-Worked to analyze the newly implemented campus safety procedures by taking part in the planning of Campus safety week as well as the campus safety walk

-Voted to support every recognized student organization who applied for contingency funding.  I believed then, and still believe today organizations should have the means to produce the best programs they can develop.  Ensuring that student org's are able to generate new and unique programming increases Student Life on campus, and is crucial to improving upon CUA's retention rate.

-I fought the administrations decision to restrict general visiting hours and the draconian measures implemented on Spellman Hall restricting visiting hours to 8pm for non-residents.  The next post will contain the text of the two articles published about the visiting hour controversy one in the Washington Post, and one in the CUA Tower. 

Activities on Campus

In addition to being a member of the General Assembly I am an active member of the following organizations:

The College Republicans 

The Society for a Virtuous Culture- Treasurer

Middle States of America Reaccreditation Task Force on Student Services- Student Representative

WCUA College Radio

The Knights of Columbus

The Quorum

Background

Since arriving at CUA I have committed myself to ensuring the highest quality college experience for both myself and my fellow classmates.  This past year I have served on the First General Assembly as a Delegate for the Class of 2011 as well as Chairman of the, largest committee in SAGA, the  Student Life Committee.  Despite being only one of two Sophomores with leadership positions within SAGA I committed the Student Life Committee to engaging the most pressing issues facing the students here at Catholic.  In this year alone my committee tangled with the issue of Juicy Campus, the problem of concerns over Student Life on Campus, the prospect of putting a DVD rental machine in the PRYZ, the alarming number of incidents involving drugs and alcohol first semester, and many more.

During this first meeting of the Assembly I have been the most active legislator in the entire body, with five bills that I have either sponsored or cosponsored passed into law.  These bills span a number of issues centered around building a tradition of responsible representation for the student of The Catholic University of America.

During my freshman year I served in the Cardinal Student Association, the transitional student representation body designed to serve while the Constitution of the Student Association was being formulated.  I was originally elected to the post of Student Life Senator I ultimately assumed the position of Class President when the sitting President, Tony Mammunes resigned.

Over the past two years I have developed a record of dutifully serving my peers and the University as a whole and in future posts I will release details of my record.

Introduction

Welcome to my site!  I will use this site as a resource to share information about my post as a Delegate for the Class of 2011.  It has been an incredible honor to serve as a founding member of the Student Association General Assembly, and I would like to thank the Class of 2011 for giving me the opportunity to represent them in the General Assembly.  Over the past year I have learned a great deal about the problems facing CUA and its students.  I have also experienced the best of what The Catholic University of America has to offer.  I truly enjoy being a student at CUA and there is no better time to be studying in our nation's capitol. 

I have served our class in one capacity or another since the fall of freshman year and look forward to doing so in the future, whether reelected to the Student Association General Assembly or not.  No one can doubt the importance and impact of the Class of 2011 to the CUA community.  Sophomores make up a large part of the students active within student organizations, sports teams, and academic pursuits throughout campus.  As we make the transition from mere sophomores to upperclassmen the issues we will be dealing with as a class will continue to become more important to our ultimate career and life paths.