The recently elected ASMC representatives have a lot of plans for the 2014-15 school year. Some examples are reducing the campus’ carbon emissions and student athlete PE credits. The election results were announced on Sept. 19, 2014.
Senators act as liaisons between the community and the ASMC Executive Board. According to their constitution, senators review reports and activities of the ASMC Executive Board, report cases where the Executive Board or members of the Board do not comply with their responsibilities or duties, approve changes in ASMC spending and meet with constituents of the communities they represent. First-year class councils are elected upon entering the academic year, with the class historian serving as the liaison between the council and ASMC.
Cassandra Colten — the Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (APER) senator — plans to increase awareness of Mills College sports and athletes on campus. Colten said that she feels people aren’t aware of just how many student athletes are in their classes.
“I feel like, a lot of times, we have home games, especially for soccer, and no one shows up,” Colten said. “Like, the other team has more fans than we do. That’s a little sad. It’d be great if more students came to the games and realized how many student athletes are on campus.”
According to Colten, student athletes are pushing for their PE credit limit to be increased from one credit to two credits.
“We use that one credit by the end of sophomore year, I think, and it’d be great if we could count all four years toward graduation because we’re working hard, it should count,” Colten said.
Sustainability Senator Rachel Patterson’s goals for the school year include pushing the 15 x 15 over zero initiative, which is a program to reduce carbon emissions, water use and conserving energy, by 15 percent by 2015.
“I talked to Britta [Bullard, Sustainability coordinator] and we’re at eight percent right now,” Patterson said, “so getting that next seven is really my goal for this year.”
Patterson hopes to further the connection between students and the Mills College Sustainability Committee.
“I’m hoping to have some kind of partnership with Britta and maybe sit on the committee for sustainability and see how students feel about it,” Patterson said. “I’m trying to figure out what kind of network is going to be best for that committee.”
Class of 2018 President, Jackeleen Trinidad’s goals include finding a common ground for first-year students with the class council.
“At the moment, we’re just building community,” Trinidad said. “I think the ideal thing would be to do things that everyone would enjoy, at least partially. But, I don’t think we’ll be able to cater to everyone”
As an environmental science and public policy double major, Patterson said that it’s nice for her to be able to apply what she’s learning.
“To be able to see both of those at the same time is nice,” Patterson said.
The 2014-15 academic year also brings new ASMC board members. The members of the executive board are as follows, according to the Mills College website:
ASMC Officers
Skylar Crownover, ASMC President
Cheyanne Young, Vice President/Diversity & Social Justice Chair
Sam Gatton, Finance Chair
Cheryl Reed, Internal Affairs Chair
Larisa Gearhart, Judicial Affairs Chair
Ashleigh Bell, Academic Affairs Chair
Katie Laackmann, Student Affairs Chair
Tayla Muise, Publicity Chair
Jaylina Vay, Historian
Senators For 2014–15
Emma Ishii, Social Sciences
Ruby Rodriguez, Continuing Residential Community
Demishia Jones, Clubs and Organizations
CJ Roessler, Transfer
Eva Steward, Fine Arts
Cassandra Colten, APER
Rachel Patterson, Sustainability
Hallie Oberg, Health
Erin Clark, Senator-at-Large
Gina DePaul, Resumer
To contact the Executive Board, email asmc@mills.edu or visit their office at Rothwell E in Adams Plaza.
