Representative

Jared Covit

In running for the position of Freshman Class Representative, I hope to serve as the link between the student body and the various committees that make decisions so readily felt at Johns Hopkins. The freshman class contains 1,005 intelligent and equally opinionated students all wanting to have the best possible college experience and I want to be the vehicle for communicating the class's ideas for making college life at Hopkins superior. I want to get to know the students and I want to know how I can serve everyone best. I will send e-mails, discuss policy to find out how important, and unimportant, some topics are. While I will bring many of my own ideas to the table, which include expanding the University's "meal equiv" system and improving the University's online student services (grades, classwork, lecture notes, schedule changes), I truly want to be the student's voice. I cannot promise that if elected I will service the desires of every member of the freshman class; however, I do promise that I will make myself accessible so that each member of the freshman class can voice their opinions on the decisions that effect them so directly yet commonly remain unknown.

Monica Lai

Hi, my name is Monica Lai. To get the basics out of the way, I am from Lawrenceville, New Jersey (yes, another Jerseyan) and I am a behavioral biology major. Some of my pastimes include tennis, painting and music.

Like it or not, the fellow members of the class of 2005 are now your classmates, housemates and roommates for the next few years. When people eat, study, (party) and basically live together in such a close environment, issues are bound to come up. That's where I come in. As class representative, I will work hard to voice any concerns and complaints that you may have. With the other representatives of the class, I will do my best to carry out the decisions made by the Student Council and to keep the freshman class informed about what's going on around campus.

Why should you vote for me? With four years of experience on my class executive board and Student Council, I know how the system works. I will work to make sure the board runs effectively and efficiently. I am well organized and responsible. I'm very easy going and as a resident of McCoy Hall, I've gotten very good at starting conversations up in the freshman quad, so feel free to come talk to me anytime.

Morgan MacDonald

As freshman class representative, I will focus my efforts on three main categories: Student involvement in the Baltimore community; Student involvement on campus; and student-faculty relations.

As leaders in the academic world, Hopkins' students should also be leaders in their community. By tutoring grade school students, becoming involved with community efforts to "clean-up" the city, working with organizations such as BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development), etc - Hopkins' students can show their concern for the community.

Student involvement in clubs and club-sponsored events must be increased. As it is important for students to support the surrounding community, students must support each other. By increasing participation in student organizations, students will have a stronger, more united voice when addressing the school administration.

Lastly, I will focus on closing the communication gap between students and administration. If Hopkins' students work in the community, so too should the administration. The students and administrators should work together to show that the university as a whole is a leader in the community.

I believe improvement in these three areas of focus will greatly benefit not only Hopkins' students, but also the surrounding community.

Charles Reyner

Hello, my name is Charles Reyner and I would very much like to be your Student Representative. I would like to work on two goals: the posting of a list of activities happening daily/weekly for all students, and increasing options for student activities during the weekend.

We have all received via e-mail the Student Council's calendar for the week, however this message covers very few of the club meetings or activities occurring each day. I would like to see a list posted, much like the one held behind Levering desk, with everything listed with a place and a time.

Also, I want to know that Hopkins students are taking advantage of the Baltimore/D.C. area. We could use more choices than staying in dorm or partying. What about movies, sporting venues, concerts, clubs, etc.? Shouldn't Hopkins at least provide some sort of transportation option to us since we don't have cars?

These problems are exactly why I want to be a Student Representative. I see this as a chance to be unfettered by the extra responsibilities of the other posts, and still join the committees I need to accomplish my goals. Remember to vote Charles Reyner in Monday's election.

Jason Schneiderman

My goals as Freshmen Representative are twofold - increased wellness for the community and insuring a damn good time for the Class of 2005. Increased wellness for the community means protecting academic programs like Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and founding those like African Studies that diversify our academic opportunities, provide a window into unique modes of thought, and promote a tolerant, healthy community in which to interact. This process further requires student pressure on administration for proactive recruitment of faculty and students of color. Additionally, we cannot claim to live in a vibrant community if the individuals employed by Hopkins who work for our own betterment do not receive a living wage that keeps them above the federal poverty line. And for the Class of '05, we need more phatty social events, some cool local band concerts that rock, and, if any groups have their own ideas, free money to see them accomplished. How about some sprinkles and fixin's for our sweet sweet ice cream in Terrace? Mmmmm, sprinkles and fixin's . just consider Schneids (or Jason Schneiderman if you're not into the whole brevity thing) your fixin's for the sweetest class ever: 2005.

Manu Sharma

Hello! I'm running for Student Council Class Representative. I have leadership experience from high school ranging from my involvement as a planner and facilitator of Baltimore's Student Diversity Leadership Conference to my organizing fundraisers for earthquake victims. These positions involved communication and interaction with my high school's student body, student council, and administration. I have learned how to organize activities effectively and how to handle different opinions in an objective manner. Our class is new to Hopkins, and we need leadership to get our issues addressed. I sincerely want to speak on behalf of everyone's concerns and I will work diligently to keep students aware of Student Council's progress. My motives for running are, in sincerity, to represent YOU in Student Council and to give back to our class. I will speak on tough issues you want addressed. I propose changing the meal plan system to better serve our needs. I am involved in RAB, SLAC, H.S.C., Hosting Society, and H.O.P.E. I feel that my involvement in various clubs makes me a good representative of the different interests of our class. I will always be willing to listen. I ask you to GET GOOD KARMA, VOTE MANU SHARMA to represent.

Daniel Touchette

Hello, my name is Daniel Touchette, a candidate for the position of Freshman Representative to the Student Council at JHU. I am a native of New Hampshire and attended Kearsarge Regional High School. At Kearsarge, I represented my class by being on Student Council, Junior and senior year, and was Vice-President of my class senior year. My experiences at Kearsarge will help me to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability and help bring the class of 2005 together for the years to come.

To help better bring together my class I have listed three of my many ideas. First, promote sports and theatrical events by doing raffles at such events. Next, a complete list of activities going on weekly at Hopkins, posted around the food courts and freshman residence buildings, would be very informative. Finally, sand ashtrays in the freshman quad benches and around campus would be helpful and make the area more appealing to the eye. These are a few ideas I have to benefit the freshman class. I am really excited about being elected to freshman representative on JHU Student Council, and helping to further my class' dreams.