AAS Candidate Statements for 2019-2020 E-Board

On Thursday, April 18, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) will hold elections for AAS president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and Judiciary Council chair. 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, April 16 at 7:00 p.m. in Cole Assembly Room, which is located in Converse 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.

President Avery Farmer ’20: If elected president, I will make these goals a priority: increasing support for students who are struggling to be well at Amherst, particularly due to social inequality and mental illness; opening up the AAS’s million-dollar annual budget to more students; and bolstering mutual respect among students, staff and faculty. Beyond that, I promise to work diligently, dedicate myself to my fellow students, particularly those who have been failed by Amherst, and lead with integrity, sincerity and honesty. This community holds so much potential, and together we will achieve our shared aspirations next year. I’m grateful for your support.

Sarah Montoya ’21: I’m running for AAS president because it’s time that the most vulnerable on our campus have real input into what we push for at the AAS level. There’s a lot we have to work on. – Mental health is a crisis. We need more counselors — specifically, POC counselors. – Safe Ride needs more support. – The administration continues to sideline the voices of marginalized students. I will work closely with students and student groups to push for our real priorities. I believe our student government should not just be a bank. Reach out if you want to talk anytime!

Trishala Roy ’21: Empathy and understanding are at the core of interpersonal communication. Moreover, I believe that this is the best approach to solving any problem, regardless of circumstance. I hope to bring both of these qualities to the office of president in order to improve the culture of exclusivity on our campus and create a path to productive discourse surrounding them sometimes, especially recently divisive issues concerning our community.

Caleb Winfrey ’20: I am doing this SOLELY for my resume.

Vice President Lauren Knight ’20: The past three years I have served as senator for class of 2020. I have dedicated my time outside classes to Senate and would be honored to serve as your vice-president. I will gladly continue to commit my Monday nights to the weekly Senate meetings. I am passionate about Senate and will bring the knowledge I have gained from being a part of Senate since my first year. As someone familiar with Robert’s Rules and Parliamentary Procedure, I would be honored to serve as the president of the Senate, AAS vice-president. Vote Lauren Knight VP!

Lucien Perrault ’21: In view of the Judiciary Council’s call for a new election, I have decided to add my name to the running for vice-president of AAS. Like most of us, I do this out of my love for Amherst College and its community. I will bring the sort of solicitude and patient reason which our community needs from its leaders at all times, but especially in troubled times. I will happily commit my time to directing the Senate and to bringing the concerns of students to the Senate. It would be my privilege to support my peers as their VP.

David Rosa ’21: Recent events on campus have opened my eyes to the many challenges we face within our governmental body and community at large. As Amherst enters a time of high tensions, I find it essential to have strong leadership and decisive action to keep our community from falling apart. If elected, I plan to focus on rebuilding community within Amherst, making sure Amherst’s diversity is reflected in student government and increasing transparency and accessibility within AAS. Vote for change! Vote for David!

Secretary No Candidates

Treasurer Brooke Harrington ’22: I am a member of the Budgetary Committee (BC), the minute-taker for BC and the treasurer of College Democrats. This fall, I helped draft an amendment to the AAS Constitution to increase accessibility of registered student organizations, while still allowing club sports to be competitive. Additionally, I supported providing transportation funding for all clubs, no matter their frequency of travel. As a club treasurer and a BC member, I understand the challenges of our current system and am committed to solving them in the 2019-20 academic year.

Noah Kim ’22: Equal access. That’s the ultimate goal AAS should pursue, and that’s my main campaign objective. Having served as treasurer in student government, budget planner for a hospital charity and budgetary associate for Seoul City Hall Library, handling finances and budgets is my expertise. I value the importance of equitable opportunity on campus. I pledge to be an advocate for increasing each and every student’s accessibility to the student activity fund. I vow to reform budgetary “leaks,” allocating funds to student organizations more efficiently. I will promote better transparency regarding AAS’s finances, publicizing budgetary reports through emails and website as necessary.

Judiciary Council Chair Nawoo Kim ’22: I am running for Judiciary Council chair because I want to serve this school and help provide a better experience for everyone during their time at Amherst. I will not only work to establish justice, but also ensure that the constitution accurately reflects the ideals and beliefs of the student body. It is important to me that each and every student feels they are valued and have a voice, and as a member of the E-board, I will strive to make that a reality.

Sebastian Montesinos ’21: We are living in a time in which our campus is more polarized than ever. People don’t talk to each other, and people don’t try to bridge their differences. We need someone for judiciary chair who will reject partisanship and work as a fair voice. Vote for campus unity; vote for Montesinos.

Ella Peterson ’22: At the heart of the AAS Constitution lies the belief that we, as a collective body of peers, can collaboratively build and maintain a community. I am running to be chair of the Judiciary Committee because I know that belief is true, and I want to do my part to contribute. Through my various involvements, I have gained a holistic perspective of life at Amherst in all its many forms, and my hope would be to use that outlook to ensure equitable justice for all. It would be an honor to serve with and for you.

Amalia Roy ’21: I have spent almost two years at Amherst. I have also spent five years doing mock trial. These experiences taught me a couple of things. First, that Amherst students care… a lot. This includes passionately advocating for what they believe — and it is truly incredible to see an Amherst student on a mission. Second, I learned the importance of an unbiased judge to see through the rhetoric from all sides and look at the arguments. I believe that the current Judiciary Council also sees this importance, and I would love to be part of it as your JC chair.