This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.
SGA Spring Elections are here! Elections are being held for SGA President, Vice President, and Trustee and voting will take place March 9th-11th on Campus Pulse.
This ticket includes Stefan Herlitz for President, Amanda Aziz for Vice President, and Diego Fellows for Trustee!
Stefan Herlitz – Candidate for President
Stefan Herlitz is a passionate, enthusiastic, and motivated individual who hails from Franklin Massachusetts. He’s a Political Science and Classics double major, loves to watch informational documentaries, and is a complete House of Cards buff. In his two short years at UMass he has worked tirelessly to improve Campus Policies and has worked towards making a safer, more student friendly atmosphere on this campus. He has been a part of the SGA since his freshman year and is currently the Chairman of the Administrative Affairs Committee. Stefan has worked diligently for the past two years as a member of this committee to interview candidates for office, streamline rules and procedures, and ensure that the Student Government Association promotes the general welfare of the student population as best as it possibly can. Stefan has been an active member of the MSA, Eta Sigma Phi, a columnist with The Daily Collegian and a volunteer at the UMass Red Cross among numerous other activities. Being a strong ally of the LGBTQ community, he believes in equal rights for EVERY individual irrespective of gender or sexual orientation and believes that every student’s voice needs to be heard. Needless to say he has been and continues to work with students to try to promote diversity at this campus. As President of the Student Government Association, Stefan will work ceaselessly with other students and administration to lower student costs, increase students’ access to student spaces, make the campus safer, offer better, more affordable meal plan options and foster a more diverse community on campus. A strong supporter of shared governance, he wants to heighten student involvement and input into the decision making process at UMass Amherst, and in doing so help the university live up to its potential as the flagship campus of the largest public research university in the region. With its storied history of activism, UMass Amherst has never been content with the status quo; we as a student body have burned into our hearts a desire for something better, and the pursuit of a better tomorrow is why Stefan is running for President.
Amanda Aziz – Candidate for Vice President
Amanda Aziz is a political science and Spanish major from Methuen, Massachusetts. While at UMass she has devoted much of her time working on issues that are important to students at this university as well as students state- and nation-wide through her work with MassPIRG (RSO). While volunteering with MassPIRG at UMass, Amanda has worked on the Get Out The Vote campaign for the 2012 Presidential elections, she was a Phone Bank coordinator for the Zero Waste campaign in Spring 2013, and is currently a member of the Bottle Bill campaign. The environment and sustainability are very important issues to her as well as many other UMass students, which is why she will make sustainability and solutions to campus environmental issues her main concern if she is elected Vice President. Along with working with the SGA Secretary of Sustainability to bring UMass into 21st century environmental efforts, Amanda plans to meet with student groups such as Eco-Reps, CEPA, and MassPIRG frequently to collaborate and discuss how to best improve UMass’s environmental policy while keeping the best interests of the students in mind. She will work with the Student Trustee to work with the other UMass campuses in organizing a statewide plan to move the entire University of Massachusetts system toward a more healthy, stable, and feasible environmental policy. UMass had provided Amanda with numerous opportunities to advance her academic career in a way that other schools would not have been able to. Her mission as Vice President would be to give back to the university, campus, and the students that have given her so much.
Diego Fellows – Candidate for Trustee
Diego Fellows is a junior political science major from Salem, Massachusetts. First and foremost, he loves this University and all the students in it. He would not be running for trustee if he didn’t want what’s best for students while they’re here. If you’ve seen Diego out and about he’s usually chatting up a storm about UMass Athletics, talking about the marching band or another student activity he’s involved with, all with pride. During his time here at UMass, he has been active in numerous organizations and has spent his time actively fighting for UMass and the people within it. A member of the SGA and a leader in the Boy Scouts of America, Diego has been a highly successful leader of organizations in both the public and private areas. At UMass Diego has been a member of the Student Philanthropy Committee, Phi Sigma Pi, MassMusic (RSO), the New Student Orientation Program as a leader and as a Senator for the Student Government Association among other activities. His resume with the instrumental groups on campus is long including the marching band and symphony band! Last year Diego had the privilege of serving as a Senator for the Central Residential Area. This year he is serving as a Senator for North Residential Area. Some of the accomplishments he is most proud of include campaigning and raising the Student Activities Trust fund so we could support more RSO’s and his bill last year asking the university to install security in the Fine Arts Center. In both years, the Speaker of the Senate has appointed Diego to the Committee of Ways and Means, which helps distribute 2.7 million dollars to you, the students! An advocate for funding higher public education, Diego has attended numerous lobby days and has spent time discussing with public officials both at UMass and the State Government about the best way to tackle student debt issues and other issues that are pertinent to college students in the commonwealth. As a Trustee, Diego will continue to work for the students within the UMass system. First and foremost he will build on the work of past Student Trustees and will work to educate students about what the trustee does and how it helps students. Some of the things he wants to do include lowering fees and providing transparency for the fees that exist currently so that students know what they’re paying for. He is also a staunch advocate for sustainability and increasing the use of renewable energies across the system which will in turn lead to a more cost effective and environmentally healthy UMass. Lastly, on a more personal level, Diego is committed to making diversity a cornerstone of what he wants to see increase at UMass. Not just ethnically, but socially and economically. I want UMass to be a place where everyone who has earned the right to be here, can. When they get here as well, I want to make sure that they know that there’s a place for them here, be it Amherst, Boston, Lowell, Worcester or Dartmouth, and that the sky’s the limit for those who work hard and dream big! Oh, one of Diego’s favorite questions…WHO’S GOT THE BEST UNIVERSITY ANYWHERE?! UMass!
Alexa: Why do you want to be representatives of the Student Government?
Diego: First and foremost I want to be a representative of the students. They’re the ones who go to school every day, work hard and accomplish so many wonderful things that it would be impossible to list them all at once. I want to be their voice. I want to continue to work with them and bring their concerns to the board of trustees and the campus administration. It’s about being there for people who aren’t able to be the voice themselves. In my opinion, to be able to represent the students and the challenges and successes they face daily, I have a unique opportunity to make an impact in other people’s lives. The lasting impact is the most important one. I know that I can be a solid representative and I can make a difference not only for students today, but for those who come here after.
Alexa: What is the #1 reason students should vote for you?
Amanda: Because we have taken our time to talk to many students and understand their wants and needs – because we have been heavily involved not only in the SGA, but in organizations across campus, from MASSPIRG and the Daily Collegian to the UMass Marching Band. We have the experience, know-how, and drive to make the UMass experience better not only for current students, but generations of students to come.
Alexa: Stefan, what has been your most noteworthy accomplishment as the Chairman of the Administrative Affairs Committee, and how does that reflect on your ability to lead as President?
Stefan: As Chairman of the Administrative Affairs Committee, I have worked tirelessly over the past year to not only interview candidates for vacant Senate seats, but to upkeep and improve the SGA Constitution and Bylaws. As such, my work has been a constant stream of changes rather than individual accomplishments: in my time as Chair, we have improved the Senate’s Parliamentary procedure, changed the way Committee Chairs are appointed, created an SGA Mission Statement, streamlined elections procedures, and fixed thousands of lines of text for grammar and consistency. All of this has made me extremely knowledgeable about the SGA, as it’s my job to know everything about how it operates. As President, this experience would allow me to work most effectively with the Cabinet, Senate, and the rest of the SGA, as the President ought to know all of the inner workings and procedures by which the organization he/she leads operates.
Alexa: Amanda, how do you think your involvement with MASSPIRG on campus might help you to be a successful Vice President?
Amanda: From registering students to vote during my first semester to talking with them about their support for the Bottle Bill, my involvement with MASSPIRG has allowed me to interact with thousands of students, and I have valued their input about what they want and expect from this university.
Alexa: Diego, You are VERY involved on campus, how have these experiences with groups provided you with the necessary skill set to become to next Student Trustee?
Diego: I am very involved on campus, and to be honest, it’s given me the ability to connect with many different students who have in turn told me about their groups, their stories about UMass and their needs or wishes. Along with meeting so many students I believe that having been to many events and activities, the experience and knowledge of what happens across the campus, allows me to really be able to bring the full plethora of our campus to the board, and what we need to continue to grow. Being involved has provided me many opportunities here, and really, these opportunities have given me the skill sets to be able to work with the board or administration, and at the same time still be a student that enjoys a fulfilling college experience.
Alexa: How do you plan to increase student control over student space?
Stefan: We plan to increase student control over student space by creating a better scheduling system, integrating spaces in the Student Union, Campus Center, and academic buildings into that system, and seeking to have room booking charges waived for Registered Student Organizations.
Alexa: How will you lower dining costs for students?
Stefan: To lower dining costs, one of the largest single expenses for many students, we plan to work with UMass Dining to create more meal plan options, and more flexibility to use those options. The bottom line is that students currently pay for services they don’t end up receiving, and that needs to change.
Alexa: How will you strengthen university shared governance?
Stefan: We will strengthen University shared governance by setting a strong precedent of student voice and action within the newly created Shared Governance Advisory Boards. These newly created boards have the potential to significantly increase students’ ability to affect the changes they need, and one of our primary goals will be to ensure that they fulfill this mission.
Alexa: Amanda, How do you personally plan to “give back to the university, campus, and the students”?
Amanda: Giving back to this university in general would involve increasing the diversity of the student body to improve UMass’s representation of the state of Massachusetts as a whole. Increasing the success of student business is also integral to the success of this school. This university is home to some student businesses that are approaching 40 years old, and others that are relatively new. We want to contribute to the prosperity of all student businesses by working with them to increase student awareness of their location and do our best to make sure their business is not impeded by construction. We have such a beautiful campus to enjoy and be proud of. Being a member of MassPIRG has taught me a lot about sustainability needs at UMass, and I plan to give back to this campus by working closely with the Secretary of Sustainability to ensure that UMass is progressing towards its desired environmental and energy. The intent of our entire platform is to give back to the students and truly represent their interests. Personally, I would like to give more representation, recognition, and appreciation to underrepresented groups on campus such as members of the LGBTQIA community through cooperation with the Stonewall Center, as well as our school’s veterans, who have given so much to our nation and deserve our appreciation.
Alexa: Stefan, what does your vision of “a better tomorrow” look like?
Stefan: My vision of a better tomorrow is a day when UMass is affordable and accessible to every student, regardless of the circumstances of their birth; a day when students have a primary role in decision-making at the University level; a day when UMass can live up to its potential as the flagship University of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The University is rapidly expanding, and making leaps and bounds towards being a destination of choice for students not only from Massachusetts, but from the rest of the United States, and around the world. It is our mission to guide UMass in this expansion, to ensure that, even when it is among the greatest institutions of higher education in the world, it still holds to its mission to serve and educate all of the citizens of the Commonwealth, irrespective of socioeconomic status.