AAS Candidate Statements for 2023-2024 E-Board

On Thursday, April 13, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) will hold elections for president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and Judiciary Council chair. A speech night will be held on Wednesday, April 12. The students below have announced their candidacies for these elections.

President

Lori Alarcon ’24

I’ve been in the Red Room every Monday night for the last three years. I have always been an active advocate for the Latino community in AAS, and for the FLI community. I am realistic about the financial situation at Amherst and plan on working with the administration to pay for more of our more costly expenses, like transportation shuttles, so we can have more money in our discretionary budget.I created an undocumented immigrant committee for AAS, and I know how out of touch people in senate can be about specific issues. I’ve made changes in the way we treat the undocumented community. I never stopped advocating for La Casa; now Newport is getting new renovations this summer. The Latinx house was neglected for far too long by the administration, but now we’re getting new amenities, bathroom renovation, and re-carpeting done. I also have plans that will benefit the entire student body, and I know most of the administration and have gotten things done. This is only the start of what I’m hoping will be a successful transition in senate. We need to spread love, awareness, and community. I hope I can receive your vote!

Allie Ho ’24

Hey, Amherst. I’m Allie Ho. Homies call me (The) Ho. I got 200 words to tell you what I’m about, so I’ll make it quick: I’m fighting to make Amherst College a better place for us and for future students, Amherst residents, higher-ed, and for the intersections of our collective global impacts.

What does “better” mean, though? To me, it looks like pushing for a social justice-oriented institution through more programs and policies; continually challenging and adding to the college’s anti-racism plan; fostering a more cross-cultural/organizational community; refurbishing responsibilities of the AAS; and pushing for a college that drives change.

Who is Allie? People call me multiple things: musician, activist, two-time senator, artist, friend, lover, queer, Taiwanese/Canadian, adventure-seeker, and sometimes tree-hugger. But most importantly, I am a learner dedicated to making a place better than when we found it.

Why Allie? That’s up to you. My drive was instrumental to providing drinking water on this campus and to creating the Office of Sustainability — among other projects. The other candidates are also great ex/senators who dedicate their lives to their communities — just as I do.

I only ask you one thing: vote.

Read my longer-than-200-words platform on Instagram: @allie.ho

Zane Khiry ’25

Hi everyone! I’m Zane Khiry, and I’m running for AAS President. In my time at Amherst, I’ve become a passionate advocate for social justice, and have helped make numerous progressive changes on campus. As President, I’d like to continue these efforts by working to center community, public service, and a more efficient and accessible senate.

I believe every Amherst student should have the opportunity to experience themselves as belonging to a greater college-wide community. As president, I plan on pushing for more structure to be added to the sophomore year, more group-friendly housing policies, and the revival of some of our beloved Amherst traditions.

Second, I strongly believe Amherst College should do more than only pay lip service to public service — and I’ve been instrumental in the fight to make that happen. I’d like to push Amherst even further in advocating for the further creation and maintenance of public service career pipelines, as well as increasing the visibility of opportunities to volunteer in the local town.

Third, I’d like to advocate for more efficient debate guidelines, support the Committee on Public Relations, and ensure that the AAS is made accessible to everyone.

Vote Zane Khiry ’25 to get the job done!

Shreya Mathew ’25

For those who don’t know, I am the Senator who brought Grammarly Premium subscriptions to you all. As soon as I stopped being a Senator, no one was able to follow through with the program. After that, I went on to implement the #SustainableMenstruation campaign as the Zero-Waste Fellow to distribute free menstrual cups on campus and work towards equity and inclusion in our admissions process as a Diversity Outreach Intern. I was able to accomplish a lot by myself, so I know that the Senate could be doing a lot more with the resources they have. As president, I will advocate for allocating more discretionary budget for AAS to spend on clubs

and student activities; improve the culture of Sexual Respect on campus by taking steps to help students understand their rights and options for seeking support and justice, work to make integration with the Five Colleges more seamless by making courses and event registration much simpler, organize more Senate-funded campus-wide events to celebrate diversity and increase engagement of the student body with Senate; and bring back Grammarly Premium following popular demand! I am a candidate who can and will execute tangible changes for you! Vote Shreya!

Vice-President

Erik Arciniega ’26

When I first came to Amherst, I was excited by the idea of our student government. But like many of you, I have been disappointed by its inefficiencies and lack of representation. As a senator whose seat was left vacant for six weeks, I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to feel unheard and underrepresented. However, my experiences have also fueled my passion to make the Senate a more efficient branch of the AAS. That’s why I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for vice-president of the AAS. As Co-Chair of La Causa, I have demonstrated my dedication to restoring engagement with our members to pre-pandemic levels. As a member of the AAS, I have also argued on the senate floor about the need for a more effective constitution. If elected, I will restore structure, promote order, and ensure that every student’s voice is heard on the senate floor. I believe that the AAS has the potential to be a powerful force for positive change on our campus. As vice-president, and in turn president of the senate, I will work tirelessly to make this a reality.

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to earning your vote.

Shane Dillon ’26

Hi everyone! My name is Shane, I am a current freshman from Springfield, and I live in South! I am excited to share that I am running for AAS vice president. In my time in the Senate, I have worked to establish transparency from the Board of Trustees, begun working on new senators’ training, training for new club members on how to request BC funding, and have been exploring options to bring back Grammarly Premium! I want to bring a new, diligent structure to the Senate, establish debate rules, and continue to build working relationships with all administration departments to ensure everyone’s Amherst experience is what they deserve. In my experience in the Senate and leading my high school class, I believe I can execute the Vice President’s position with everyone’s interest at the center of my work. It will be a learning opportunity, but we will be in it together, as one Amherst, built by so many different experiences and perspectives. This is a time to rebrand AAS and capitalize on building relationships with every member of the student body. I look forward to seeing and continuing to meet everyone! Please reach out with any questions or ideas!

Judiciary Council Chair

Jaimie Han ’26

Hey hey hey! My name is Jaimie Han and I’m a current first-year senator. This past term, I helped plan the Major Fair, created the survey to get better rice at Val, and most importantly, served on the Judiciary Council (JC) and experienced responding to your petitions and concerns first-hand. There’s little public information on how to make petitions and suggestions to senate, and it’s unclear how to hold senate accountable. I’ve gone through the constitution and found many of the inconsistencies (and typos) that I aim to resolve. As JC Chair, I plan to simplify the language of the constitution and bylaws and clarify the content that is actually relevant to students, like BC procedures and the duties of your senators — so you can ensure that they’re meeting your needs and interests. Receiving the impeachment trial complaint on JC showed me that the student body and Senate are too disconnected. I want JC to be accessible, so that all of your complaints and calls for change are actually heard and initiated. My leadership experience and dealing with JC and law specifically has prepared me to actively lead change in JC and advise AAS. Vote Jaimie for JC!

Treasurer

Min Ji Kim ’25

Having been on the Budgetary Committee for the past two years, I have seen the BC’s changes firsthand. Furthermore, as the current treasurer of both the Korean Student Association and the Asian Student Association, I have plenty of experience managing and budgeting money. As your new treasurer, I promise I will do my best to get us out of the deficit and return to past budgetary policies.

Secretary

Hedley Lawrence-Apfelbaum ’26

Hi, I’m Hedley Lawrence-Apfelbaum, a first-year on AAS Senate. I’m running for secretary because I aspire to make AAS more organized, active, and impactful in our daily lives without having to be a constant focus. As Secretary, I hope to promote efforts to recruit the best members of our community for at-large committees, work with the E-Board to set a general mission for the year, and communicate these goals effectively to the rest of the Senate. I also want to do more outreach with the Elections Committee to encourage participation in Senate races. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!