On Thursday, Sept. 10, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) will hold elections for AAS president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The students below have announced their candidacies for these elections. Students who are interested in hearing from these candidates or are interested in running but were unable to submit a candidate statement, should attend Speech Night on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 8:00 p.m. E.S.T. via Zoom. 

All candidates are listed by position then alphabetically by first name. If the statements end abruptly, it is because they have been cut off to fit in under100 words. 

Candidates for President

Bella Edo

My name is Bella Edo, and I would like to run for the position of AAS president. I have been a staunch advocate for student voices during my time at Amherst, and I would like to use my final year as an opportunity to continue that advocacy on a greater scale. I believe my leadership experience, passion for equity and commitment to representation would enable me to help achieve the demands and promises made of and from the Amherst community for this coming year. It would be my honor to serve as a voice for our student body. 

David Rosa

Last year, I ran on a platform of community building, accessibility and transparency: all essential in changing how AAS functions within our community. Recent national/global events have made it clear that AAS needs to continue evolving as a body. AAS must be introspective and willing to closely examine its constitution, practices and impacts on the campus community. Being in AAS has taught me that strong leadership is not enough. Intentional leadership matters too. As president, I want to push AAS to be a body that is more in tune with our community and proactive in addressing our campus’ deep-rooted issues.

Jeremy Thomas

Hi, everyone! In the past three years, I’ve held leadership roles in the following:

•               Black Student Union (President)

•               Mock Trial (Captain)

•               CareFest and Walk for Mental Health (raised $30,000)

•               #IntegrateAmherst

•               #AmherstActs (raised $200,000)

•               Bias Response Protocol

•               Student Code of Conduct and Faculty Handbook changes

•               Center for Restorative Practices at Amherst

•               @BlackAmherstSpeaks

•               #ReclaimAmherst

•               Presidential Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion

•               Office of Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

I can’t imagine a better way to continue bringing change to Amherst than as AAS president. I’ll continue to not only represent students but more importantly bring change to the college. Thank you.

Vice-President

Angelina Han

My name’s Angelina Han ’22 and I am running for AAS vice president! Building off my experiences as class senator, I want to make senate meetings run more efficiently and effectively to properly address all the needs of our community. My focus this year is on mental health and student wellbeing. One idea is a peer-mentorship program to connect first years/sophomores with upperclassmen, pairing across student groups and athletes with nonathletes, since our classes are not interacting otherwise. Also, I will hold the college accountable for following through the anti-Black racism plan they sent this past summer.

James Hulsizer

This year, we face a new challenge, but this challenge comes with opportunity: to revolutionize and re-evaluate Amherst culture. We must lay the foundations for a new Amherst experience through herd unity and community. Let’s take advantage of the might of the herd and strengthen our community by redefining empowerment of students of color, reimagining discipline and streamlining textbook acquisition. Last year, I was told that late-night val was impossible. Think of what we can achieve this year: movie nights, contactless delivery and live music on the Valcony. Let’s set the bar even higher. Vote James Hulsizer for vice president.

Treasurer

Brooke Harrington

I decided to run again for reelection for two reasons – first, I enjoy the work and the people, and second, I’m good at what I do and I think continuity is important in this moment.  Since being elected in 2019, I have led the Budgetary Committee through major changes, such as last fall’s overhaul of committee policy surrounding food and events as well as this summer’s restructuring of the student activities fee due to Covid. No one knows the budgetary process like I do, and I have done my best to make sure that the student activities fund is distributed fairly.

Secretary

Noah Kim

I was blessed with the opportunity to work as Secretary for AAS this past year, and I look forward to continuing my work in the next. This past year, the E-board and I have worked on many different reforms, including the operation of the rainy day fund, transfer student representation on senate and, of course, the updated safety guidelines for AAS vans. A lot of initiatives are long-term, so they are still in progress, and if I become secretary again, I will make sure I continue those projects and see that they come to fruition.