From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank all of you. I don't know what I would have done without all your support. You all have been so incredibly amazing and I just want to thank you for going out and voting this year.
To my wonderful campaign team: Thank you for all you have done this past week - for cheering me on, putting a smile on my face, doing some crazy-ass chalking all over campus, putting up table tents and posters, wearing my pins, wearing my shirts, and for your constant love and support.
It was a "Win for Kim" and I look forward to bring your College Government President next year. More importantly, I look forward to serving you and working hard for you all - the student body at Wellesley.
Yours,
Clare
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
VOTING DAY!
...is TOMORROW.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my responses on the Q&A conferences and for reading my blog.
This has been an incredible experience and I have enjoyed answering all your questions from the conference, the debates, and through personal encounters.
Voting takes place in the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center tomorrow from 8am-10pm and there will be an Elections Party in Pendleton Atrium afterwards so please come out and hear the results of next year's Cabinet!
21+ Please bring ID.
Thank you all again.
Yours truly,
Clare
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my responses on the Q&A conferences and for reading my blog.
This has been an incredible experience and I have enjoyed answering all your questions from the conference, the debates, and through personal encounters.
Voting takes place in the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center tomorrow from 8am-10pm and there will be an Elections Party in Pendleton Atrium afterwards so please come out and hear the results of next year's Cabinet!
21+ Please bring ID.
Thank you all again.
Yours truly,
Clare
The Admin? Who's That?
Anybody understands that fine line between stepping on someone's toes to get what you want and when you've gone too far. I think this past year, I have had a working relationship with the administration so I have gained their respect. A lot of the times however, I have pushed for the students and have received very little support from the administration. A specific example is the new Health Services initiative. I have been in meetings where I have voiced my concerns and have felt that they weren't heard, so I set up individual meetings with Dean Lepore and Kris Niendorf to discuss how I felt and what they were going to do to respond to recent student concerns. They have told me just as they have told the rest of the student body that they are planning on going ahead with this plan even though the majority of the student body opposes it. I have challenged the Interim Deans, but plan on continuing this discussion with Debra DeMeis when she arrives to Wellesley, to ensure that this is a student-led initiative and not just another example of the admin making decisions FOR us.
I have continuously pushed for the students and I will always do my best to make sure that that trust is never compromised, with both the admin and the student body. Secondly, as Sec/Treas this past year, I have received emails from certain administrators asking me to reword publications, either on my spam or my minutes, to make it much more "acceptable for the student body." After receiving these unwarranted requests, I thought to myself, "How can they tell us what is acceptable for the student body and what isn't?" This was just another attempt to sugar-coat everything and to make sure that nothing would offend anybody or cause a stir among the student body. But what's wrong with telling students like it is? Absolutely nothing. That is our duty as CG, as representatives or liaisons to the student body. We need to be straight-forward and honest with everyone we communicate with, so I chose to ignore their requests and to type my minutes verbatim and not to accommodate their "special wording."
I think that I have chosen my battles wisely and hopefully, as your next College Government President, I will individually base that decision upon personal and student concerns, all through consultation with Unity and Cabinet members and other student leaders on campus.
I have continuously pushed for the students and I will always do my best to make sure that that trust is never compromised, with both the admin and the student body. Secondly, as Sec/Treas this past year, I have received emails from certain administrators asking me to reword publications, either on my spam or my minutes, to make it much more "acceptable for the student body." After receiving these unwarranted requests, I thought to myself, "How can they tell us what is acceptable for the student body and what isn't?" This was just another attempt to sugar-coat everything and to make sure that nothing would offend anybody or cause a stir among the student body. But what's wrong with telling students like it is? Absolutely nothing. That is our duty as CG, as representatives or liaisons to the student body. We need to be straight-forward and honest with everyone we communicate with, so I chose to ignore their requests and to type my minutes verbatim and not to accommodate their "special wording."
I think that I have chosen my battles wisely and hopefully, as your next College Government President, I will individually base that decision upon personal and student concerns, all through consultation with Unity and Cabinet members and other student leaders on campus.
What I would never change about Wellesley
Growing up in a traditional Korean-American household, I was told that men were to be given more respect than the women in my family, simply due to gender roles. However, my lonesome father happened to be the only male in my immediate household of 4 other women and my amazing mother quickly developed into the patriarch of my family, acting more as "the man of the house" than the "woman." From my mother, my grandmother, and my sisters' examples, I have learned that gender roles do not and should not exist and that was one of my main reasons for coming to Wellesley.
I quickly discovered that Wellesley is a place that cultivates a comfortable learning environment where students who come to Wellesley College will leave this institution feeling that they can do almost anything, that we don't ever have to compare ourselves to men, or to feel stigmatized by gender constraints. And that is something I treasure about Wellesley and would NEVER want to change this sentiment, my own or anyone else's, about Wellesley.
I quickly discovered that Wellesley is a place that cultivates a comfortable learning environment where students who come to Wellesley College will leave this institution feeling that they can do almost anything, that we don't ever have to compare ourselves to men, or to feel stigmatized by gender constraints. And that is something I treasure about Wellesley and would NEVER want to change this sentiment, my own or anyone else's, about Wellesley.
Moving Forward...
I think the most important issues this past year was resolving the ethnic and racial conflict that occurred on campus at the end of last year. As a result, Cabinet and College Government knew we had to address those issues by instituting Culture Shock, a week-long program of talkbacks that covered an array of topics such as socio-economic status, why there isn't a cultural organization for everyone, and many more. In addition, this past year, Unity, a group of student leaders on campus including all the House Presidents and the members of Cabinet, have been working on issuing a Code of Ethics for the entire faculty. This Code of Ethics is incredibly important because it addresses the fact that there are some instances when faculty members will make students feel uncomfortable about their dispositions inside and outside the classroom. What it comes down to is that it really is a matter of respect and this should be and WILL be institutionalized at Wellesley.
The second issue this past year was the lack of communication between the student body and the administration. You may be asking, what does that mean really? It means that there have been pitfalls of the administration's behalf in communicating to Wellesley's student body and telling us exactly what they discuss. Enough of this "political correctness" and "carefully phrasing it so that it's receptive to the student body." They need to tell it to us straight out so that an occurrence like the new Health Services proposal doesn't develop like the way it has or how the administration and the staff respond to recent occurrences, because it ultimately affects the student body.
This will be a huge undertaking on my part and I will ensure that CG will step up on the communication part, because this has been an issue EVERY single year that I've been here at Wellesley and this will continue to be an issue next year. But, so long as we can work on it, things CAN improve and they WILL. Next year is going to be crucial because we have a new Dean of Students arriving at Wellesley to work with us. I have been here this past year working with the interim and new administration, so I know how important it is for CG to communicate the student body's issues to incoming members. I have been in contact with President Bottomly and I will make sure that the new Dean of Students is well-acquainted with Wellesley's specific student culture.
The second issue this past year was the lack of communication between the student body and the administration. You may be asking, what does that mean really? It means that there have been pitfalls of the administration's behalf in communicating to Wellesley's student body and telling us exactly what they discuss. Enough of this "political correctness" and "carefully phrasing it so that it's receptive to the student body." They need to tell it to us straight out so that an occurrence like the new Health Services proposal doesn't develop like the way it has or how the administration and the staff respond to recent occurrences, because it ultimately affects the student body.
This will be a huge undertaking on my part and I will ensure that CG will step up on the communication part, because this has been an issue EVERY single year that I've been here at Wellesley and this will continue to be an issue next year. But, so long as we can work on it, things CAN improve and they WILL. Next year is going to be crucial because we have a new Dean of Students arriving at Wellesley to work with us. I have been here this past year working with the interim and new administration, so I know how important it is for CG to communicate the student body's issues to incoming members. I have been in contact with President Bottomly and I will make sure that the new Dean of Students is well-acquainted with Wellesley's specific student culture.
EAST-SIDE!
I have lived in the East Side (McAfee and Freeman) for two years and have loved living there. I currently live in Tower and have noticed a huge discrepancy in terms of community and student concerns. On the East Side, we would have to worry about walking 15 minutes across campus to check our mail or to go to an event but Tower's concerns were more that we were living in such an enormous building where we wouldn't really be able to get to know all the residents in the hall.
This past year, most of Cabinet resided in Tower, making it much easier for us to run up and down the stairs to hand something to each other or to discuss a recent occurrence. I think it is important for Cabinet to be all-representative and wide-reaching so I do understand your concern in having members of Cabinet spread throughout campus so it encompasses all student voices. Because of my experience on the "West Side" for a year, I am contemplating returning back to the East Side but I will decide this once all the members of Cabinet are elected so we know where we all would like to live.
This past year, most of Cabinet resided in Tower, making it much easier for us to run up and down the stairs to hand something to each other or to discuss a recent occurrence. I think it is important for Cabinet to be all-representative and wide-reaching so I do understand your concern in having members of Cabinet spread throughout campus so it encompasses all student voices. Because of my experience on the "West Side" for a year, I am contemplating returning back to the East Side but I will decide this once all the members of Cabinet are elected so we know where we all would like to live.
A Drastic Change? I Think Not.
There has been a growing sense on campus that, because House Council are more accessible than Senate , House Council should happen before Senate. What do you think about this idea?
I have been a HUGE supporter of this idea as this idea has been on my platform. I have seen the success of Stone's House Council changing to Sunday nights before Senate on Monday nights and would work with the HPC/CG Liaison, next year's House Presidents, the Resident Directors and the Deans to implement this change.
I would like to hold senators more accountable in their roles in effectively creating open dialogue, and so by switching House Councils to Monday nights instead of Tuesday nights, the senators would get the agendas ahead of time, discuss it in their House Councils with students who normally aren't involved with CG, bring the discussion and important points back to Senate the following night, where we would discuss the issue in an open forum. It makes more sense to have Senate and House Council structured this way so that people can be involved in dialogue and change on this campus.
I have been a HUGE supporter of this idea as this idea has been on my platform. I have seen the success of Stone's House Council changing to Sunday nights before Senate on Monday nights and would work with the HPC/CG Liaison, next year's House Presidents, the Resident Directors and the Deans to implement this change.
I would like to hold senators more accountable in their roles in effectively creating open dialogue, and so by switching House Councils to Monday nights instead of Tuesday nights, the senators would get the agendas ahead of time, discuss it in their House Councils with students who normally aren't involved with CG, bring the discussion and important points back to Senate the following night, where we would discuss the issue in an open forum. It makes more sense to have Senate and House Council structured this way so that people can be involved in dialogue and change on this campus.
Clare's Three C's
Advancing Change:
- Restructuring Senate and House Council, so that Senates include more organizational involvement from "Organization of the Week" and more open forums to students at large through "Hot Topic of the Week." In addition, I'd like to propose a plan in accordance with next year's HP's to switch the days of House Councils and Senates so that House Councils are held Monday nights in the res halls and Senate will be on Tuesday nights. This will ensure constituency feedback, more face-to-face dialogue in the Academic Council Room, and an increase in Senators' attendance and retention.
- Changing the way CG interacts with students through an end of the year survey and regular CG office hours
Improving Communication:
- Fireside Chats with Debra DeMeis, the new Dean of Students
- Institutionalize regular Town Halls, at least once a semester, where the faculty or administration will present to the student body in a centralized space
- College Government Blog
- Revamping the CG website so we increase accessibility
Daring to Challenge:
- Following through with the Faculty Code of Ethics
- Town Halls where the administration and the faculty will present on a pressing issue affecting the College Community to the student body
- Accountability for Student Reps on administrative and academic committees
These are some realistic goals I have set for the upcoming year and I hope to be remembered for a solid year of consistent successes as CGP.
- Restructuring Senate and House Council, so that Senates include more organizational involvement from "Organization of the Week" and more open forums to students at large through "Hot Topic of the Week." In addition, I'd like to propose a plan in accordance with next year's HP's to switch the days of House Councils and Senates so that House Councils are held Monday nights in the res halls and Senate will be on Tuesday nights. This will ensure constituency feedback, more face-to-face dialogue in the Academic Council Room, and an increase in Senators' attendance and retention.
- Changing the way CG interacts with students through an end of the year survey and regular CG office hours
Improving Communication:
- Fireside Chats with Debra DeMeis, the new Dean of Students
- Institutionalize regular Town Halls, at least once a semester, where the faculty or administration will present to the student body in a centralized space
- College Government Blog
- Revamping the CG website so we increase accessibility
Daring to Challenge:
- Following through with the Faculty Code of Ethics
- Town Halls where the administration and the faculty will present on a pressing issue affecting the College Community to the student body
- Accountability for Student Reps on administrative and academic committees
These are some realistic goals I have set for the upcoming year and I hope to be remembered for a solid year of consistent successes as CGP.
Absentee Ballots!
The absentee ballots have been sent out to all students not at Wellesley for the day of election, April 9th. Only the students listed on the registrar's "abroad" list, which was obtained by Election Committee, are eligible to receive absentee ballots. All other students have to vote in person on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 between 9am and 10pm on the second floor of Wang Campus Center.
Below is a brief reminder of when and where to send the absentee ballot. The ballots will be counted on the day of election.
PLEASE pass the word to anyone who is abroad, or not at Wellesley, for the semester.
- Absentee Ballots are due by 12:00pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 9, 2008.
- Send your ballot to: “CG Absentee Ballot 08” please do NOT reply sender.
Below is a brief reminder of when and where to send the absentee ballot. The ballots will be counted on the day of election.
PLEASE pass the word to anyone who is abroad, or not at Wellesley, for the semester.
- Absentee Ballots are due by 12:00pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 9, 2008.
- Send your ballot to: “CG Absentee Ballot 08” please do NOT reply sender.
Monday, April 7, 2008
My Experience.
I've served on this past year's Cabinet as the Secretary/Treasurer and working with the 8 other Cabinet members has taught me so much about working closely with others and a lot about myself and my own capabilities. Working with Shelly and the rest of Cabinet to put topics that affect the entire student body on the Senate Agendas has really shown me ways in which CG currently communicates with students and how much room there is for improvement.
CG can sometimes be insular, but it's always our hope to break that mentality and to provide opportunities for the students who traditionally may not be involved with CG. I will hold regular Cabinet office hours around campus, both in our office in the Campus Center and in the dining halls around campus so that students will have a chance to come up to us and tell us what's on their minds. Additionally, I will make sure that CG will have a blog next year and Cabinet members will regularly post so that the community is aware of policies that are instituted, of issues surrounding the administration and staff members, and generally what goes on with CG.
I also want to hear individual stories from students who don't know the capabilities of CG. It's my job to educate those people about CG and what they can do FOR you all. I plan on working with the elected Cabinet to issue a survey immediately by the end of this year asking students what they really think of CG. I don't think you can change any individual's mentality but I know that CG can provide as many outlets as possible to not make students care about Wellesley but to constantly support and encourage any type of input or involvement.
CG can sometimes be insular, but it's always our hope to break that mentality and to provide opportunities for the students who traditionally may not be involved with CG. I will hold regular Cabinet office hours around campus, both in our office in the Campus Center and in the dining halls around campus so that students will have a chance to come up to us and tell us what's on their minds. Additionally, I will make sure that CG will have a blog next year and Cabinet members will regularly post so that the community is aware of policies that are instituted, of issues surrounding the administration and staff members, and generally what goes on with CG.
I also want to hear individual stories from students who don't know the capabilities of CG. It's my job to educate those people about CG and what they can do FOR you all. I plan on working with the elected Cabinet to issue a survey immediately by the end of this year asking students what they really think of CG. I don't think you can change any individual's mentality but I know that CG can provide as many outlets as possible to not make students care about Wellesley but to constantly support and encourage any type of input or involvement.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Q&A Conference
Hi everyone,
I apologize for not updating since Thursday. I have been swamped with questions from the Q&A conference, so if you have a question you'd like to ask, please ask on the conference before tomorrow at midnight.
No one will have send access to the conferences starting then, so please be sure to get your questions answered by all the candidates!
I will be sure to post later tonight about key things that have come up during Campaign Week!
Thanks for reading,
Clare
P.S. The third debate is tonight in Schneider regarding religious and ethnic conflict. It's at 7pm so please attend if you can!
I apologize for not updating since Thursday. I have been swamped with questions from the Q&A conference, so if you have a question you'd like to ask, please ask on the conference before tomorrow at midnight.
No one will have send access to the conferences starting then, so please be sure to get your questions answered by all the candidates!
I will be sure to post later tonight about key things that have come up during Campaign Week!
Thanks for reading,
Clare
P.S. The third debate is tonight in Schneider regarding religious and ethnic conflict. It's at 7pm so please attend if you can!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
CG-Ethos Debate - 1st Debate of Campaign Wk!
Today at 5:30pm is the first debate of Campaign Week!
It'll be at the Harambee House (the house behind the Library) and dinner will be served, so please come and meet all the candidates for CG Cabinet and come hear their platforms!
Hope to see you there :)
Clare
It'll be at the Harambee House (the house behind the Library) and dinner will be served, so please come and meet all the candidates for CG Cabinet and come hear their platforms!
Hope to see you there :)
Clare
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Campaigning Kick-Off!
Hello everyone!
I'd like to welcome you to my campaign blog, Declare Your Vote.
I will personally be posting entries throughout Campaign Week to discuss the campaign trail, topics that have come up during the debates, and other tid-bits I'd like to share to give you all an insider look at my campaign for Wellesley College Government President.
Oh, excuse me - I forgot to get started with introductions! For those of you who may not already know, my name is Clare Kim and I am currently running to be your CGP.
When I think of Wellesley students, the word passion immediately comes to mind. Wellesley students’ passions range from their course studies to sports. So whether it means furiously trying to keep tempo as a musical director of an a capella group or passionately kissing a marathon runner at the Scream Tunnel, Wellesley students strive to act upon those passions and I feel compelled to do the same. My passion at Wellesley, without question or hesitation, is College Government. I have served on this year’s Cabinet as the CG Secretary/Treasurer and chaired the Communications Committee. You may have seen the NewsFlushes, the Sixty Second Senates, and the official Senate Minutes distributed all over campus, and this was done by Comm. Comm. The other side of my role was to be a treasurer for CG and I was in charge of allocating funds while co-sponsoring many events such as Culture Shock and the Presidents Tea. I was a Senator for Freeman Hall my sophomore year and was responsible for speaking on behalf of Freeman Hall’s best interest. In addition, I was the 2009 Vice President my first two years.
I have gained a breadth of knowledge of what it’s like to be a member at large, to serve on an e-board, and to chair a committee. I have worked with many organizations on campus as I was the Student Assistant to the Student Activities Office my first two years. The reason I became involved with CG was because I wanted to improve ways to connect the gap between various groups within our student body. This year has proven to be successful as CG instituted Culture Shock and talkbacks after recent events that happened this past year. But much more can be done. As our new Dean of Students will be arriving next year, I will make it my priority to understand the issues important to you and to familiarize her with your concerns. I will work to institute regular Town Hall meetings where faculty members and administrators present on a range of topics from religious life and multiculturalism to faculty hiring and retention. I will also work to host Fireside Chats with the Deans of the College and other administrators.
I have represented the interests of the student body and fought on our behalf and I will continue to do so, to a much greater extent. I guarantee that College Government will work to provide more resources to student groups so that they can work to enhance everyone’s Wellesley experience.
If elected, I will remember that I am a proud member of our student body and that I will work for the STUDENTS and not for the administration.
Improve Communication. Advance Change. Dare to Challenge. By following these three pillars, I would be honored to serve and to represent you as your next College Government President.
I'd like to welcome you to my campaign blog, Declare Your Vote.
I will personally be posting entries throughout Campaign Week to discuss the campaign trail, topics that have come up during the debates, and other tid-bits I'd like to share to give you all an insider look at my campaign for Wellesley College Government President.
Oh, excuse me - I forgot to get started with introductions! For those of you who may not already know, my name is Clare Kim and I am currently running to be your CGP.
When I think of Wellesley students, the word passion immediately comes to mind. Wellesley students’ passions range from their course studies to sports. So whether it means furiously trying to keep tempo as a musical director of an a capella group or passionately kissing a marathon runner at the Scream Tunnel, Wellesley students strive to act upon those passions and I feel compelled to do the same. My passion at Wellesley, without question or hesitation, is College Government. I have served on this year’s Cabinet as the CG Secretary/Treasurer and chaired the Communications Committee. You may have seen the NewsFlushes, the Sixty Second Senates, and the official Senate Minutes distributed all over campus, and this was done by Comm. Comm. The other side of my role was to be a treasurer for CG and I was in charge of allocating funds while co-sponsoring many events such as Culture Shock and the Presidents Tea. I was a Senator for Freeman Hall my sophomore year and was responsible for speaking on behalf of Freeman Hall’s best interest. In addition, I was the 2009 Vice President my first two years.
I have gained a breadth of knowledge of what it’s like to be a member at large, to serve on an e-board, and to chair a committee. I have worked with many organizations on campus as I was the Student Assistant to the Student Activities Office my first two years. The reason I became involved with CG was because I wanted to improve ways to connect the gap between various groups within our student body. This year has proven to be successful as CG instituted Culture Shock and talkbacks after recent events that happened this past year. But much more can be done. As our new Dean of Students will be arriving next year, I will make it my priority to understand the issues important to you and to familiarize her with your concerns. I will work to institute regular Town Hall meetings where faculty members and administrators present on a range of topics from religious life and multiculturalism to faculty hiring and retention. I will also work to host Fireside Chats with the Deans of the College and other administrators.
I have represented the interests of the student body and fought on our behalf and I will continue to do so, to a much greater extent. I guarantee that College Government will work to provide more resources to student groups so that they can work to enhance everyone’s Wellesley experience.
If elected, I will remember that I am a proud member of our student body and that I will work for the STUDENTS and not for the administration.
Improve Communication. Advance Change. Dare to Challenge. By following these three pillars, I would be honored to serve and to represent you as your next College Government President.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
