This year, the race for the General Studies Student Council president may not be as competitive.
The GSSC released a list of candidates for the upcoming elections, with Vice President of Finance Jacqueline Thong, GS, running for president in an uncontested election.
In her platform, Thong emphasized her experience as Vice President of Finance and International Student Representative as well as the need for better relationships with alumni in order to increase financial aid for current students.
“I have come to realize that this issue [financial aid] can largely be attributed to GS alumni’s experiences at Columbia,” Thong wrote in her platform. “Many leave the school with a bitter taste, recalling their difficulties in obtaining loans to finance their education, their problems with student housing, and the feeling that GS did not truly help in advancing their careers.”
She also highlighted the importance of students coming to GSSC with concerns in order to foster a greater sense of community.
“It is especially important to build a structure and hence connection within GSSC, and use it as a vehicle to compensate for this disadvantage, by reaching out and participating in other activities throughout the campus,” she wrote.
Candidates for other positions were also announced, including Vice President of Finance and Vice President of Student Life. See below for the full list of candidates.
Vice President of Finance: Chin Kim, Daniel Lagana
Vice President of Student Life: Candice Arakalian
Comptroller: Elizabeth La Marca
Social Chair: Maria Wright
Academic Affairs Representative: Rena Lee Mukherji
Alumni Affairs and Center for Career Education Representative: Xixi Fu
Student Services Representative: Andrew Choufrine
International Students Representative: Kayoung Lee; Kristina Wells
Delegate-at-Large of Finance: Jason Lim
Senior Class Vice President: Henry Wells
Sophomore Class Vice President: Keenya Powell
GSSC elections will be held online from 12:01 PM on April 8 to 11:59 AM on April 9.
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