With it being my fourth year at Western Washington University, I have been given the unique opportunity to understand the different structures of the University and to establish relationships across several departments and/or offices that give me insight as to what students want and need of this institution. For the past year and a half, I have worked as a peer advisor in the Academic Advising Center that has helped me familiarize myself with not only my own College of Humanities and Social Sciences, but other departments across campus as well. My experience extends to working with transfer students, new students, and continuing students at Western through the office and pre-quarter orientations. I am dedicated to each individual student concerning their academia and plan to help provide them with the resources needed to be successful.

My political and governmental experience sets me apart from my competition. For example, I’ve had the privilege of sitting on the Legislative Affairs Council representing the interests of Western students and lobbying on behalf of them, I’m the chair of the Young Democrats of Skagit County, and I sit on the Endorsement Committee of the Young Democrats of Washington, which is responsible for choosing the best candidates of the Democratic Party to be elected to office. Furthermore, I have worked on Representative-Elect Debra Lekanoff’s campaign staff as a canvasser, and I am proud to say that my contribution is part of the reason that she was elected the first Native-American woman to the Washington State House of Representatives. All of these qualifications culminate in the fact that I’m the best and most experienced candidate for the CHSS position of the AS Senate.

Hey everyone! I’m Colton Redtfeldt and I’m running for Student Senator of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences because I have a passion for helping people find success and I want every student to feel like their voice matters. I want to help alleviate bottleneck classes, support low income students through the creation of a safety net, and ensure students have resources to graduate on time. I’ll also demand more transparency in University actions, especially with sexual assault cases. On the AS’s Legistative Affairs Council I’ve lobbied for students at the local level and worked to fully fund and expand the state need grant eligibility to more people. Growing up gay in conservative Central Washington around a large minority population has taught me that people face barriers each day and people get hurt when they’re not listened to. I will take those lessons with me in this position.

Hello! My name is Delaney and I want to be a senator for Western students at large. I am a junior at WWU and majoring in sociology and philosophy. I hope to take the skills I’ve gained at Western to a law school in my next life chapter. I have been interested in the inequities in our society for some time now. I intend to dedicate my career to weaken the forces that benefit from these and help the communities that have been historically deprived of justice. This dream, for me, starts at Western. I want to make WWU a safe, fair, fun place for all students and address issues that undermine this goal. I have multiple ideas on how to improve student life at Western, and I am always looking for more. I want all students to know that I am here to listen to them and if elected, bring those ideas to an audience that can enact change.

My name is Elly Connett-Porceddu and I’m an undergraduate student at WWU. I’m an English (Literature with Teaching Endorsement Option) and French double major, and a student in the Honors College. I’m running for Student Senate because I want to represent the students at Western, people who have, in the past couple years, become my friends, peers, and colleagues. If I become a Student Senator, I hope to lead with kindness and integrity, and I aspire to be open and honest with the people I represent. I aim to act as a voice for CHSS and WWU students, to hear and echo their needs, wants, and concerns. I would take this opportunity as a responsibility and a joy. I know that I would be an enthusiastic and capable senator and representative. It would be an honor to serve the people that have become my community.

I am a senior in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology. After being accepted so warmly into the WWU community after transferring at the beginning of my junior year, I want to be able to give back to the community that made me feel at home. In addition to having university governmental experience, I am also a former NCAA student athlete. Having been both an elected official and a student athlete, I learned the importance of being able to work well in a team, be it a budgeting committee, or a regatta. I believe that I can bring a new perspective to the Western Washington AS Student Senate. If elected, I hopes to advocate for not only for CHSS, but for Western students as a whole. I am passionate about Western, education and my fellow Vikings.

I’m Laura Meerdink and I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to represent CHSS and to work alongside fellow student advocates for change. [Trigger warning: sexual violence, oppression]. I am first and foremost an advocate for justice, and I envision a community free from violence. I am a violence prevention educator and an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence through CASAS and DVSAS. I work to center the experiences of those who are most affected by violence and will bring this to my position as a senate representative. I recognize that every form of violence, including sexual, is rooted in and upheld by structures of oppression including racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, abelism, the gender binary, and other assaults of autonomy. I pledge to advocate for institutional transparency, the centering of survivors in prevention and response efforts, and the voices of my fellow students though community connection and engagement.

I want to not only represent the College of Humanities and Social Sciences but also the marginalized students of Western. For many students there are obstacles to accessing the basic tools needed for their success, I want to be a part of removing those obstacles, and giving students better ways to have their issues addressed. As a transgender and disabled student I know what it means to not see yourself fairly and accurately represented, and to have to advocate for yourself and others. I am passionate about improving the accessibility of campus: making walking paths safer at night, working to make a better winter weather policy, creating a system to report accessibility problems on campus, etc. I will also push for a system of accountability and transparency. How can we as students succeed without a clear way to make complaints, and the assurance that we will be taken seriously?

Western is an amazing place to attend classes, work, and have fun. As a fourth-generation Western student, I know what it has taken to get Western to where it is today, a place where students from all walks of life can come together and chase their dreams. I want to help everyone who calls the College of Humanities and Social Sciences home, chase those dreams. I want to focus on issues that help make education better and more affordable, but more importantly, I want to focus on issues you want me to work on. My agenda as your Senator will be your agenda. I pledge to work to find common ground and to do what it takes to solve problems, not just talk about solving problems. I would love to talk to you about my campaign and my vision. If you would like to contact me, my email iscondylp@wwu.edu.

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