AAS Candidate Statements for 2019-2020 E-Board

On Friday, April 5, 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 Monday, April 1 at 6:30 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

Gabriel Echarte ’22: I am only a first -year, but I already love Amherst and want to do everything I can to give back to it. AAS should serve as a connection between the student voice and the administration and right now that is not happening. As president, I will make sure the actions of AAS align with the will of the student body. AAS will transition from serving primarily as a funding body to serving as a source of leadership and improvement to the student experience. Thank you, and vote Gabriel Echarte.

Avery Farmer ’20: Vote Avery. If elected president, I will make these goals a priority: increasing support for students who are struggling to be well at Amherst, particularly those 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.

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

Vice President

Lauren Knight ’20: Amherst student body — the past three years I have served as senator for the 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!

Isiaha Price ’21: Vote Isiaha Price for vice president of AAS! I don’t need to offer empty campaign promises. Instead, let me offer you what I have done as a senator: Friendsgiving, Poetry Slam, spearheading the fund for free PrEP and The Amherst College Talent Show. I don’t give this list of Senate projects to say “Look at what I have done,” but, to say I am all-in. We are required to do one Senate project — I did four. I am not here to list a cool bullet point on my resume. I am here because I believe in the work Ssenate facilitates.

Secretary

Angelina Han ’22: When I ran for Senate, my platform focused on community and sustainability. I kept those promises. I am a founding member of the Sustainability and Climate Task Force, lobbying for the Climate Action Plan. My Senate projects are: reviving the peer-mentoring program and working with Valentine Dining Hall to address food waste. I have attained effective time-management and organizational skills, juggling school, Senate, crew, First-Year Quad Council (president) and juggling club! I will bring my drive and experience to best advocate for your needs. Vote Angelina Han for AAS secretary!

Treasurer

Brooke Harrington ’22: I am a member of the Budgetary Committee (BC), the minute taker for BC and the treasurer of the Amherst 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 BC member, I understand the challenges of our current system and am committed to solving them in the 2019-20 academic year.

Judiciary Council Chair

DJ Boakye ’21: I love my community — sometimes I don’t like it, but I always love it. Amherst is my home. And the students here are constantly changing and growing. They need a constitution that reflects their evolving values. I want to be the advocate for progress or at least pave the way for people who have big ideas and want big changes. If I can do anything to help those who want change, I will try. But for now, I’ll start with holding the Association of Amherst Students accountable to the Constitution in all ways.