<ison senators were elected this past week in the spring term CSA elections.
Only the Office of International and Intercultural Life (OIIL) Liaison and the ResLife Liaison had contested elections. Around 40 percent of the student body voted in the election, according to data published by the CSA. Last term’s CSA election had 65 percent turnout.
Anesu Masakura ’20 was elected to the OIIL Liaison position. “I believe that I can make a real impact in this position,” he said during the debates, pointing to his leadership experience with the African-Caribbean Association.
As an OIIL Peer Leader, Masakura expects to work closely with the OIIL office and his fellow Peer Leaders to bring their concerns to CSA. “I will be able to strategize initiatives with the OIIL office and OIIL peer leaders,” said Masakura.
Masakura’s platform had goals specifically geared toward increasing the number of “campus-wide diversity initiatives” as well as goals like advocating for “increased number of international students from Africa and the Caribbean islands.”
The other student running for the OIIL Liaison position was Meritxell Colet ’20, who won 30 percent of the vote. Colet’s platform included goals of building on what previous OIIL Liaisons have done, as well as reaching out to “all the different cultural communities on campus to unite and actively participate and coordinate activities and spaces.”
The other contested position resulted in the re-election of Roy Cady-Kimble ’18 as ResLife Liaison. Cady-Kimble spoke during the debates about his desire to make the residential life experience safe and productive for all students.
“I’ve loved Carleton since I stepped on the Bald Spot in 2014, but I can’t say that’s the same for everyone,” said Cady-Kimble.
“A community that doesn’t take care of all its students isn’t a community at all,” he said. Through his position, he wants to see greater buy-in of students in campus activities. “That starts in residential halls.”
Cady-Kimble’s platform reflected his work done so far in the ResLife Liaison position, including his participation in the Student Projects Committee (SPC) and the Mental Health Committee.
Tate Bosler ’19 was the other student who ran for the ResLife Liaison position, and he won 18 percent of the vote. Bosler’s platform included goals like improving the housing process for students who return from abroad and overseeing the implementation of the BikeShare Program, a SPC project that passed as a part of winter term elections.
The other 13 senate positions were uncontested, and the students running were all elected to their positions.
Mabel Frank ’19 is the Chaplain’s Office Liaison, a new position on Senate, which was added after the student body passed a CSA bylaw in the winter term elections. “My goal is mostly centered around shaping the position, connecting the Chaplain’s Office and CSA and seeing what that connection can look like,” said Frank.
“Religious life is so often overlooked or hushed up. People don’t want to talk about it,” she said.
Frank hopes to work on changing the stigma that exists around discussing religious life on campus in her new position. “I think even creating this position is the first step in that process.”
Frank encouraged students to come to CSA meetings and let senators know about the different opinions and viewpoints that exist on campus.
“It’s really hard to be a voice and a vote for the religious community because of the religious diversity that exists,” she said. “It’s impossible for me, with one voice and one vote, to speak for all students.”
Frank hopes to see religious groups on campus come to CSA meetings and voice their opinions because “Senate often doesn’t know that these opinions exist on campus.”
In working with the newly elected Senate, CSA President Walter Paul’s main goal is to connect CSA with the student body.
“I think students think that CSA is an extension of the administration, which is against the fundamental premise of the organization,” said Paul.
“It’s the Carleton Student Association, so it’s more an extension of students. But there’s a barrier there. There’s a gap, right, between Senate and the students, and building a bridge is what I want to do for my presidency. I want to help students realize that what Senate is is totally up to them.”
Walter encourages students to read his emails, like the CSA’s Facebook page and be aware of Senate. The campus announcements contain the CSA agenda, and Paul hopes students see that as an invitation to get involved.
“Look at the agenda and if there’s one activity that you’d like to be a part of, come during that time and then leave,” Paul said. “The biggest thing with CSA is students realizing that the organization exists for them, 100 percent. There shouldn’t be a divide between what it stands for and what students stand for.”