AAS Candidate Statements for 2018-2019 Senators

On Friday, Sept. 21, the Association of Amherst Students will hold elections for eight senators from the class of 2022, one senator from the class of 2020 and two senators for the class of 2019. 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 Thursday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Paino Lecture Hall. In order to run, candidates must bring a petition with 25 signatures from their classmates to Speech Night and prepare a speech. If a candidate cannot attend, they can send a proxy in their place.

Class of 2022 Jae Yun Ham: Hello! My name is Jae Yun Ham, and I am running to represent our class in the AAS Senate. I will fight on behalf of our class to make the AAS more accessible for students. I will 1) fight for FREE printing, 2) cheaper laundry services on campus, and 3) the fair allocation of funding for student services, activities and events. As a student-led organization, the AAS should work hard to make Amherst an affordable campus for every student. As a senator, I will strive to make that vision a reality for the class of 2022.

Gabriel Echarte: Hi!! I’m Gabriel, a first year from Miami, Florida. I’m running for AAS to serve as an approachable person to talk to and bring up your issues with the school. I served on my high school’s Honor Council for four years. My current field of interest is Political Science and PEOPLE! I love talking to people if anyone is looking for some company. I want to focus in particular on bringing a greater sense of school pride to Amherst and grade-wide unity. I am excited to spend the next four years getting to know you all. Vote for me on Friday!

Noa Simon: Hi! My name is Noa Simon, and I want to be your senator! I know that the first year of college is a time of both exciting and nerve-wracking change. Adjusting to the unfamiliar can be a challenge, but I think I can help ease this transition by ensuring that all students feel their voice belongs. As your senator, I would be dedicated to representing the diverse perspectives that make our class unique and to bringing a spirit of inclusivity that I hope will help make Amherst feel like home.

Aniah Washington: I am Aniah Washington. I’m a first-generation low-income student coming to Amherst to pursue my dreams and lay a foundation for my younger sisters to follow. I hope to leave my mark here by being an active member of AAS where I will work to make sure that all of the diverse voices of our first-year class are heard and respected. I believe Amherst is an amazing school, but I know we have plenty to fix and I would love to be a part of making this community more welcoming and encouraging to all first-year students.

Mattea Denney: Hi! I’m Mattea Denney, and I’m running for AAS Senate! I am a first-year student from Utah, and I love to sing, act, write music and discuss political philosophy, of course. As a first-generation college student, QuestBridge Scholar and Meiklejohn Fellow, I’m passionate about making sure that students who, perhaps, do not come from a familial legacy of collegiate scholars, have ample resources and support, should they need it. I want to ensure that the wealth of support Amherst provides for under-represented groups continues, and make sure everyone feels safe and included here! Be sure to vote, and thank you!

Andy De La Torre: My name is “Andy” De La Torre, and I am a first generation Hispanic student fighting for what I love: good food and a good ass time. UMass, with $300 million in endowment has better food than Amherst with $2 billion in endowment. Also, UMass’ social scene trumps Amherst’s, with hundreds of people (me included) hopping to UMass “socials” weekly. Amherst needs competent mediators to champion for a robust social scene and better food. I firmly believe Amherst has the means to mend these problems and I will do what I can to carry out the dialogue necessary for reform.

Kevin Jin: I’m running to become your senator because I’m touched by the compassion that is exhibited by everyone on campus. I want to give back to this wonderful community as your senator to address the division of students that arise from athletics, socioeconomic status or race/ethnicity. I propose to start the Amherst College Human Library, an event where people with different backgrounds can register to become books, which can then be “loaned” to readers to better understand each other’s backgrounds, becoming a tighter-knit community. Get JINSANE and vote Kevin Jin for the win! For more details, check out my webpage: www.kevinjin2018.weebly.com

Molly Cooper: Hi class of 2022! I’m Molly Cooper from Denver, Colorado. I’m a part of The Student and Amherst Dance here on campus, but I also love to ski, hike, play piano and participate in community service. As a part of student senate I want to help bridge the gap between the non-athletes and athletes and improve the social life here on campus. Our class is full of outgoing, bright, talented and energetic kids; I know that I can match that energy well and help improve the already wonderful Amherst College community.

Clinton Oshiptian: Tusks Up! I am Clinton Oshipitan, and I’m running for AAS Senator for the Class of 2022. I’m a Chicagoan who loves deep-dish pizza as much as watching anime and listening to J. Cole. I’m also a Questbridge Scholar who intends to major in Neuroscience. When I’m not grinding out homework, I like to dance, work out and make experimental dishes in Val. My goal is to make Amherst a better-connected community through “Clash of the Halls.” You may be asking what that entails. Come to speech night on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Paino-Lecture Hall in Beneski to find out!

Emmy Sohn: Hi, my name is Emmy Sohn. I’m running to be one of our first-year senators. My goal is to represent our class’ interests, opinions and concerns. I spent all four years of high school in student government, and I would love to use my experience to serve our class. As senator, my priority would be best representing our amazing and diverse class. I promise to always be available to listen to your concerns. I’m excited to be a part of the class of 2022, and I am dedicated to making our experience here the best it can be.

Samuel Beach: My name is Samuel Beach, and I am declaring my candidacy to represent the class of 2022 as a member of the AAS Senate. I am passionate about good governance and will dedicate as much time as possible to make the AAS find pragmatic solutions for and generally improve the Amherst community. While I am a member of the FLI and LGBTQ+ communities, I am running for everyone, not exclusively those I might identify with. As senator I would represent the entire class of 2022, and my door would always be open to discuss important issues with my constituents.

Class of 2019 Kelley Baumann: As your senator, I will continue my work with the Wellness & Health Equity and Accessibility Team, a student group dedicated to closing gaps of inequity within the realm of campus wellness and health resources. We collaborate with and advocate for many student organizations and AAS will only provide more such opportunities. I also plan to implement a new community-building initiative that funds social activities for groups of students within a major outside of the academic context. Most importantly, I am excited to work for YOU! Reach out if you have ideas or would like to participate in some projects.