Our first Campus Celebrity is someone that everyone at on the Hill should know: Lia Parker-Belfer! Lia had a very successful first semester as President of Student Assembly, and we can’t wait to see what she has in store this year.
Name: Lia Parker-Belfer
Class Year: 2016
Hometown: Brookline, MA
Majors: Government and Chinese
What activities are you involved in on campus?
Judicial Board, Tour Guide, Burke Library Circulation Desk, and Alpha Theta Chi
Why did you first get involved in Student Assembly?
Freshman year I decided to join student assembly so that I could work to improve the quality of life for students on the hill. I was attracted to the idea of representing the student body and becoming a positive agent of change.
What Student Assembly Projects are you and your Vice President, Ryan Ong (pictured below), most excited to work on this year?
Ryan and I are very excited about the recent formation of the Sexual Assault Prevention Committee, an ad hoc committee formed to look at how sexual assault affects Hamilton’s campus and educate the Hamilton community on sexual assault prevention. This ad hoc committee hope to collaborate with SAVES and other organizations on campus. The committee will also be participating in a national sexual assault prevention campaign this semester.
If you could create any rule at Hamilton, what would it be?
I would like to figure out how we can have a “shopping period” at Hamilton College before class registration. Other colleges and universities have “shopping periods” at the beginning of each semester where students can visit classes before registering for them. I think this would benefit Hamilton immensely and make the process of class selection easier and cleaner. Students would be able to check out classes in advance and not have to go through the hassle of adding and dropping classes.
What has been your favorite Hamilton memory so far?
It is hard to pick just one! Can I cheat and just say the entire first semester of my freshman year? I have never had so much fun as I did during the fall of that year. Exploring what Hamilton had to offer in terms of academics and extracurricular activities was incredibly exciting and I enjoyed meeting new people. I felt like I was unstoppable freshman fall.
Any tips for new students this year?
My greatest piece of advice for new students would be to get involved. It is important to join clubs and organizations. It facilitates the development of new relationships, which helps the college acclamation process significantly. Hamilton has a million opportunities that students should look into and capitalize on!
How can people get involved with SA in the future?
Our weekly meetings are Monday nights at 9PM in the Sadove Conference Room and are open to the public! Aside from attending meetings, individuals can also join SA committees, such as Philanthropy Committee. I would also encourage students to reach out to their class representatives and email us as sa@hamilton.edu with any comments, questions, and concerns.