PLATFORM
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"I promise you my time, my energy and my voice as your president. I will work tirelessly to lead a student government that is centered around students. My unwavering dedication to the Undergraduate Student Government makes me the best candidate for the position and my commitment to diversity, transparency, and sustainability makes me the right person for the job."
VALUES
Experience
My commitment to the Undergraduate Student Government started only three weeks into my freshman year at Tulane when I was elected to serve as a Senator-at-large. As a sitting member of the 2015-2016 Executive Board, I can safely say I have the necessary exprience to run a successful USG.
Relationships with advisors, the administration, faculty and staff are crucial. I have spent the past year building a network that sets me apart from my candidates. I firmly believe that I have the support system within the Tulane work force that will allow me to actively pursue my goals effectively and timely. My experience allows for me to recognize areas of concern and aveneues of solutions that are exclusive to those who sat on the Exective Board previously.
Transparency
Hosting office hours for 3 hours every single week of the school year has allowed me to explain, discuss, answer questions and talk to student leaders. I built a system where transparency was a leading value of my role as VPF and I know it enhanced my experience with fellow student leaders. I have learned, first hand, that honesty goes the extra mile when it comes to the student government and have the necessary experience when it comes to speaking to other organizations.
I have been transparent, I will continue to be transparent and I will ensure that USG is transparent.
Finance
After serving as the VPF for the past year, I've become extremely educated on the finances here at Tulane. I am very comfortable advocating for student organizations to recieve more funding and am aware of unconvential avenues for financial support. I have dedicated my year to ensuring students feel financially supported and I will continue to do so as President.
Diversity
I believe in diversity. I find that it is crucial to surround myself with people that think, act, talk, dress, love and speak differently than myself. I have put my belief in diversity to practice by filling the Finance Committee with members outside of USG that represent a more diverse Tulane. A group of 5 from last year turned into a group of 20 students of all different ages and organizational involvement.
This was the best decision I made as VPF.
The diverse group of students that filled the Finance Committee allowed for us to have the necessary, sometimes challenging, talks. Each student provides insight and can offer perspectives beyond my own. I learned first hand how much potential there is to grow when you are surrounded by people that challenge you. If President, I will make sure the atmosphere of diversity continues within USG and that students feel as if they have an oppportunity to join the student government.
LGBTQIA
Tulane’s campus should be a place for everyone, regardless of their sexual or gender orientation. An inclusive environment where every student feels welcome is one that I cannot guarantee, but I promise I’ll fight toward that reality every day. Specifically, I plan to create more accommodating physical spaces at Tulane, commit USG to partnering with the LGBTQIA community, and listen in order to advocate for the voices of their community.
Bathrooms and housing should not be a place of fear for anyone. I promise to ensure that every academic building on campus has a gender neutral bathroom, and to fight to ensure inclusive housing is easily accessible without forcing students to out themselves. USG has a large student base, and I will ensure members aid and attend events organized by the multitude of LGBTQIA students and groups. Finally, I promise to be accessible to LGBTQIA students. As a variety of marginalized voices, I know it’s my responsibility to be an ally. I want to follow LGBTQIA leaders on this campus, learning from them. I cannot promise being a perfect partner, but I can promise my unyielding effort.
Mentioning the LGBTQIA community requires considering queer people of color. Taking an intersectional approach to creating safe spaces is key. Visibility for those students who are most systematically marginalized, who are most likely to face violence, is essential. I promise to encourage safer spaces for queer people of color, and to consider their needs in my presidency.
I do not represent this community. I know that, and I want to amplify the voices of the community. I intend to create an adhoc committee slated toward considering the issues queer people face, people of color face, queer people of color face, and other marginalized groups. This will be an addition to the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Chair, showing the commitment USG will have to facing these issues is unwavering and pragmatic.
Safety
A sense of safety contributes to a healthy student body; fear and anxiety should not hold students in their grasp. I’m committed to common sense initiatives that will contribute to an entirely safer experience for students on and off campus. My goals are to increase off campus lighting, promote tapride usage, and improve relations between TUPD, Landmark Security, and Tulane students.
I also believe in the importance of recognizing the everyday things that students can do to feel safe: call your friends, talk to your family, eat an extra tasty meal or make sure your phone is fully charged! Safety should be a priority on this campus.
When students express concern about walking to and from their homes, we have a problem. When students complain about lacking alternatives, we need a solution. When students don’t feel protected by the people hired to protect, we need a change. I promise to deliver, and make campus safer for everyone.
But most importantly, your voice will be heard. As President, I'll let the students speak for themselves.
Womanhood
“We cannot exceed when half of us are held back.” Malala Yousafzai
I want to celebrate women. All women. I want prospective students to see this campus as one that celebrates everyone and never uses gender as a weapon to oppress.
Having conversations with students who identify as women was a blast; not only did we discuss ways to ensure gender equality exists here today, we also got to bond about how empowering it is to be a woman.
I want students to see that leadership here at Tulane is based off qualifications and nothing else.
Womanhood is different for everyone. It’s different based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexuality, biological sex, and so much more. In those differences we can also find unity. My experience as a woman is not the same as everyone else at Tulane, but we have all experienced some similar triumphs and setbacks. As president I’ll work hard to make Tulane a place that celebrates womanhood.
I’m proud to be a woman, proud to be a Tulanian, and proud to be running to be your president.
Mental Health
Enough. There’s been enough reasons for us, the Tulane community, to take steps toward removing the stigma behind mental health. A specific commitment to improving mental health at Tulane is necessary. This will be a priority of the Student Health Advisory Council under my presidency and I will ensure, first hand, that the students assigned to these roles have the same priorities as my own.
Many students, many friends of mine, silently suffer from mental illness. Creating a campus culture that understands the importance of mental health and promotes a climate of acceptance without stigma is key. Keep in mind, mental health means something different to everyone and the more often we have the tough conversation, the easier it will be for us to break the silence for those who need it most.
I promise to work toward this goal. Through promotion of CAPS, Wellness Wednesdays,and health initiatives throughout the year, USG will serve to improve how Tulane as a whole views mental health. Through partnering and co-programming with student organizations focused on mental health, I’ll make sure Tulane’s USG puts its money where its mouth is.
Sexual Violence
Sexual Violence is a problem on Tulane’s campus. Unanimously so. Student leaders from every organization, administrators at every level, staff in all positions must acknowledge the scary reality that members of OUR community face and then make a commitment to fighting that it head on. As President, I’ll commit myself to preventing sexual violence and providing the resources survivors need.
Fighting sexual violence is more complicated than any points on a platform can express, so I’ll only highlight some of the most important plans I have.
I will:
Increase communication of survivor resources through freshmen programming, appointing a director of communications focused on spreading sexual violence information, and host tabling between USG and organizations helping with the fight;
Promote OneWave training in an increased capacity, helping to create a campus where everyone does something;
Attend every Sexual Violence & Peer Education Coalition meeting with my director of communications;
Work with the Greek community to ensure prevention and response programming is mandatorily spread in a way that is inclusive;
Focus the Student Health Advisory Council of USG on sexual violence at Tulane,
appointing a SHAC Director that has extensive experience with the issue;
Consult SAPHE, theWELL, related organizations, and administrators to help on initiatives;
And work with anyone interested in dealing with sexual violence on campus.
I know I cannot do everything, but I promise I will work tirelessly to develop a community where everyone does their fair share. If you’re dealing with sexual violence and want to talk, SAPHE’s confidential hotline is (504) 654-9543. This issue hits close to home for just about everyone at Tulane - we all need to work together to deal with it and that starts with a conversation.