You may have seen her at your last sorority or fraternity chapter meeting. You may have seen her talking to people around Marketplace and in dorms. Or perhaps you’ve just seen her posted about via Facebook or on her campaign website. At this point, it is pretty clear that Stefani Jones is running for Duke’s 2013-2014 DSG President.
And if you haven’t at least heard her name by now, you’re the odd ball out. If you have, but want to know about her, keep reading. And if Stefani Jones just happens to be your BFF, then you should know that her favorite food truck on campus is Only Burger and that she is a true Cameron Crazy. (She BLACK tented her freshman year!)
But on a serious note, junior Stefani Jones deserves recognition. After meeting with her at Alpine, I realized just how much this girl has contributed to our Duke community and why she is the perfect candidate for our DSG President.
First off, she’s got her act together. Campaign week is tough for all candidates, but Stefani makes it look easy. She walked into Alpine smiling, ready for an interview. I learned she had just come from a meeting and was going to another one with Dean Sue after talking with me. Three meetings in one day? That’s when she told me that she had eight on Sunday. Campaigning ain’t easy boys and girls.
“It’s a whirlwind, but a lot of fun. I’ve gotten to meet with so many interesting people,” she said.
That’s just what Stefani is good at: talking to people. She prides herself on being able to listen to student concerns, come up with a strategy to address them, and clearly communicate those concerns to whoever need be.
Currently, she is DSG’s Vice President for Equity and Outreach, serving as a liaison between student groups and administration. Her biggest accomplishment in this position was repealing the statute of limitations for the University Sexual Misconduct Policy, which had been shortened last year from two years to one year. With her leadership, the statute of limitations has been removed and now victims of sexual assault can take action anytime before they graduate.
But the list of how she’s advocated for students goes on and on. Stefani has also worked on getting more gender-neutral housing, organized bystander intervention training for students, and created a voting plan to increase civic engagement at Duke.
She has also been DSG Senator for Athletics, Services, and Environment, which I think we can all agree, covers quite the range of topics on campus. She is on the debate team and various committees on campus.
“I want to understand all groups and to do that, work on a lot of committees,” Stefani said.
Well she’s fulfilled that goal! Check out her website www.stefanijones.com to see all the groups and committees she’s been involved in.
Why is Stefani running for DSG President now? She feels she is the most qualified for the job (seriously, check out her website) and knows the difference between having ideas for change and having the ability to make those changes. She has the latter.
As DSG President, she wants to lead DSG in accomplishing tangible results. She plans to work with administration to compile a clear and effective alcohol policy, build an inclusive community among students, and deal with the lack of dining options that will arise as the West Union goes under construction next school year.
Stefani Jones has proved herself an exceptional leader on Duke’s campus. Think about what you want in your President. Someone that’s goal-oriented, passionate, and energetic? Stefani’s yo girl.
On March 7th, Vote “Stefani for President!”