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.