Mallory Rothstein, 20-years-old, Sophomore, Psychology and Business Management
What experience do you bring to the position you are running for? Why are you qualified?
I am most qualified for this position because of the knowledge, experience, and dedication I encompass. I am currently a Senator and work closely with the current Executive Vice President so I understand the position fully and the expectations that come with it. I know how to conduct meetings through the Campus Involvement Project and have worked with Robert’s Rules of Order as a Senator and the Student Health Advisory Committee. Because I’ve written the Out-of-State Driver Act which outlines a process for out-of-state students to have the ability drive to USG funded off-campus events, I can advise the future Senators on how to outline and present legislation. I’ve built a great relationship with administration through sitting on multiple committees with them and working alongside on executing a Color Run on campus. My involvement on campus has stemmed from research, working at Campus Recreation, being a teaching assistant, sitting on the University Scholars Council and being a member of various clubs which has and will continue to allow me to bring to student government a diverse perspective.
Is this your first time getting involved in USG? If so, why are you interested in getting involved? If not, why do you wish to be involved again?
I have been involved with USG since the beginning of the Fall semester as a Senator for the College of Arts and Science. I want to continue to be involved because I’ve seen where USG has succeeded and where it has fell short. I have been able to execute small changes but I feel that as Executive Vice President I will be able to better serve the students by executing change within the Senate. The Senators are the ones that can override a presidential veto, decide club budgets, and write important legislation. I want to provide better Senate training so that Senators are more aware about certain USG policies and clubs/organizations policies so that the same mistakes from this year are not made next year.
What do you think is the best thing about USG and if elected, how do you plan to continue that?
The best thing about USG is that you get a platform to interact with a diverse group of student leaders. Because USG interacts with many club leaders, you get an opportunity to hear varied opinions and concerns regarding student government and administrative policies so you can write legislation and advocate for the right change on campus. I plan on continuing to communicate with club leaders and make sure that they are comfortable with the leaders of USG. I believe that it is important for students to feel that the leaders representing them actually care about their concerns.
On a scale of 9-10* (10 being the highest) how successful were the past two semesters for USG?
I would say that USG has earned a 9.5 ranking. There have been numerous successes this year for USG such as the reform of the Financial Bylaws and SSC Bylaws, John Oliver and Wyatt Cenac Comedy Show, and the Max Brooks Lecture. But, there have also been many failures such as the Hood Internet Concert, un-updated website, lack of transparency with budgeting, and a horribly structured grant system.
What are USG’s biggest flaws, and how do you plan to correct those? For those currently in USG, what have you done to try to correct those flaws?
The two biggest flaws with this year’s student government have been the lack of an effective website and lack of transparency. During the past summer and fall, I offered to work on the website but was told that it was being worked on and that Senators don’t have access to edit the website. For better transparency, I came up with a USG brief presentation to give to Freshmen seminar classes so that freshmen are aware of what student government is, how they can get involved, and what student government offers students on campus. I’ve met with a lot of club leaders regarding the budgeting process and budgeting decisions to increase awareness about why certain decisions are made.
Do you think that putting on successful campus events should be prioritized over increasing clubs’ budgets?
I think that both large-scaled campus events and clubs’ budgets are equally important. There are many students who are a part of clubs and organizations that talk to me about increasing club budgets and decreasing the Student Activities Board’s budget. But, on the other hand, there are many other students who I’ve spoken to that look forward to the Student Activities Board’s events because they aren’t a part of any club or organization on campus. This is why it is equally important to prioritize campus events and clubs’ budgets.
Representing the student body sometimes means taking a firm stance against administration policies. How willing are you to speak up on behalf of the student body, even when it means conflicting with administrators?
When you are elected by the student body, you are expected to voice the opinions and concerns of the student body. You are not elected to represent the administration’s voice but rather effectively communicate with administration to hear the voice of the students. This year I proposed the idea of having a Stony Brook version of a Color Run on campus. When I first brought up the idea, I had certain administrators whom just laughed and others told me that it would not be feasibly possible. But, I didn’t let their reactions discourage me. I made sure I spoke to as many students as possible and got student feedback via Facebook so the next time I demonstrated to administration that the students really wanted an event like this so they should be open to planning one. Right now, there is no official date yet but I am currently working with Student Activities to find a way to have one on campus. If I hadn’t spoken for the students, this conversation and planning wouldn’t have happened. I am very willing to speak up on the behalf of the students and have the experience of having done so.
*Please note we intentionally asked for a scale of 9-10.
[/tab] [tab title=”Ryan Heslin”]Editor’s Note: Candidate for Stony Brook USG Executive Vice President, Ryan Heslin, did not submit a survey to the Stony Brook Press.
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