The Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress (HUSC) held their student representative elections on Sept. 25–27. The open positions included three representatives for first-years and juniors, two reps for sophomores and seniors and one representative for each living area such as residence halls, apartments and commuting students.
To apply for the position, applicants filled out a Google Form by answering a few questions about themselves and what they hope to accomplish through their role on HUSC. The Hamline student body was then able to vote by reading through these answers and deciding who best fit their desires as a representative.
As an enticing incentive to vote, HUSC provided students with exclusive bucket hats after they provided proof of voting. These student elections are a great way for everyone to have their say in matters and be a part of the important decisions that are made on campus. “[HUSC] is allowing students to have more of a voice in what’s going on here at Hamline,” said Anabel Bradley, a running first-year representative.
The candidates all seem to have a strong desire to create positive change in the Hamline community. They have passions about what they want to see different on campus and things they would like to add.
“To start, my biggest passion is dorms … I did get woken up at 7:30 by leaf blowers, a weed wacker and a lawn mower. The conditions are sometimes questionable. So I think my main priority is the dorms,” Megan Aurandt, a running first-year representative said.
Aurandt has not held a student government position before, but she felt that a position like this would be great for her future and to develop some excellent leadership skills.
“I will take the lead by actively participating in HUSC activities, listening and understanding my constituents, and taking action when it comes to things I believe in,” Aurandt said in the HUSC ballot.
Some of the candidates have lots of experience in student congress and are eager to continue.
“I’ve passed resolutions in the past and hope to write more of them to continuously improve campus for all community members!” Tawny Plenty Horse, a running junior representative, wrote on her HUSC application.
The candidates are prioritizing communication and connection with their fellow students which is emphasized by Kharisma Naidu, another first year candidate.
“I used to be the president of one of the clubs during my senior year … What was really important for me was to keep in contact with people individually, and also making sure that I’m open if anybody wants to talk or if there’s any issues out there,” Naidu said. The HUSC representatives are eager and excited to work with the community and learn from everyone around them.
For candidate Anabel Bradley, HUSC has an enthralling air to it.
“I went to one of the HUSC meetings… and I thought it was really cool because we got to watch them do a proposal and have a conversation with the faculty. I thought it would be something that’d be really cool to be a part of,” said Bradley.
After looking through all these incredible candidates, it surely was challenging to decide who is best for the job. They all have great qualities and priorities and any one of them would do a stellar job leading and representing their communities.
“I think there were a lot of good options. It was hard to know which three to pick. I think that community building is a big thing people were focused on, which was good,” a voting first-year student, Ava Franzwa, said.
Results for the elections will be revealed within the next week, so keep an eye out for who the new HUSC representatives are!