While we were sorry to see our spring Romers (and those seniors cunning enough to graduate in December) go, this semester brought several welcome new faces to the second term of the Schmidt administration; Judith Webster, Adele White, Andrew Kelly, Grace Hamilton, Nick Buono, Adriana Terrazas, Noah Gulick and Santiago Barajas all joined Student Government this January, and are all eager to positively impact campus culture at UD.
“I wanted to get involved with daily life on campus, fixing things that address student concerns like washers in Clark, hours for the Dumb Ox, designated smoking areas and whatnot,” said Noah Gulick, sophomore politics major. Mr. Gulick served on SG during the Enriquez administration, where he learned the senatorial arts from Paul Ochoa, who ran a tight ship (current VP Joe Teson has some (Elvis) shoes to fill). When asked which of SG’s accomplishments he is proudest of, said Mr. Gulick, “The Crawfish Boil! Also, every club gets their funding from SG, meaning students can express themselves in a non-academic manner. People don’t feel like they have to escape campus in order to have a good time.”
Grace Hamilton, junior history major and the proud founder of UD’s Mock Trial Club, remarks that she “understood [as a club founder] the meticulousness of having to go to SG for funding, so I wanted to be a part of the Administrative Functions committee to help that club process.” An aspiring lawyer, Ms. Hamilton applauds Pres. Schmidt for “putting subsidiarity into practice; you report to your committee, which gives senators independence to be able to support students’ plans.” She hopes to advertise that “there’s a lot of club funding left! Also, SG is really proactive; if you have a concern that isn’t in our wheelhouse, we will direct you to someone who can fix it. We’re kind of cool like that — we’re a chameleon.”
Andrew Kelly, senior physics major, had a two-fold motivation to run for office; not only did he promise his roommate Pres. Schmidt that he would, but he also hopes to bridge the long-standing gap between STEM and humanities majors. When asked about his political role models, Mr. Kelly responded, “When I was in seventh grade, there was that one Roman soldier who stood on the bridge. Also, there’s Arthur Brooks [not the name of the soldier]. I love his outlook on life; he’s a true Catholic who integrates his faith into business, science and politics in a way that’s very tasteful.”
Judith Webster, senior politics major, serves as SG’s commuter senator. She says she is “excited for this semester, because I can take on more events after I finish my comps.” Ms. Webster adds, with enthusiasm, that her political role model is “Dr. Tiffany Miller; she has pushed me academically and professionally to be a better student.” In the true manner of a well-educated politician, Ms. Webster pledges that, were SG to suddenly receive a bottomless budget, she would personally provide “unlimited Chick-Fil-A for all students.”
Like Mr. Kelly, sophomore Nick Buono was encouraged to run by his friends in high places (read: Emma Alexander). He has enjoyed getting involved at UD, playing for the Sons of Sanford intramural basketball team and for the band Three Minutes Late (might need to change that name!) as a keyboardist and singer. Mr. Buono “wants to help start and encourage new UD events, such as perhaps a 3-v-3 basketball tournament. I also enjoy doing SG on the Mall and listening to all your concerns, even those as trivial as which candies are missing in our supply.”
(Dear reader, congratulations on finishing another Cor Chronicle SG article. This publication has dedicated itself to perpetuating the hegemony of SG for generations to come. Hopefully, you recognize that each of these senators, including Ms.Terrazas, Ms. White and Mr. Barajas, wish for you to ask not what you can do for Student Government, but what Student Government can do for you. Reach out to any of them for club or event ideas as well as student concerns!)