Illustration by Soleil de Zwart // AS Review
Note from editor: Candidates submitted their statements for the voter guide, the AS Review made no edits. All photos were taken by AS Review Photographer Joe Addison.
Kaitlyn Davidson
Hello, I am Kaitlyn Davidson and I am running for Student Senate because I want to make a positive change at WWU. It is imperative that our voices are heard on the administrative level and I am dedicated to making sure all ideas are represented. I am running on a platform of activism, with the intention to expand programs for food-insecure students, decrease graduation time, and to increase visibility in student government. My goal is to see Western become a hub for diversity and progress, and I am prepared to work for it. This school has provided me with so many amazing opportunities to be engaged, from serving as President of Young Democrats to registering voters, and I want to continue turning student voices into policy at the Senate level. Let’s create a campus where everyone feels like they can bring their ideas to the table! I would love to offer all of you a seat.
Connor Farrand
Hey Western! My name is Connor Farrand and I want to work for you as one of your student senators this year. I’ve been really interested in political and social issues since high school, and I’m planning to declare a Political Science major by the end of this year. I’m also on the AS Voter Registration Staff for this fall, and I’m currently enrolled in Western’s Honors College. As a senator, I want to engage with and learn from anyone who has an idea about improving Western, and use my platform to support the people already working on the most important issues facing our community. I also want to focus on improving access to on-campus mental health resources, reducing the number of students who take 5-6 years to graduate because of “bottlenecked” classes, and allocating more time, energy, and resources to helping first-generation students and students from lower-income households.
Sargun Handa
Since my TEDx talk, my goal has been to serve others through representative leadership and solidarity. My name is Sargun Handa and I am a queer, disabled, female of color. I am a sexual assault survivor and first generation college student. I am a best-selling author and public speaker. My diversity is a curse and a blessing; I am no stranger to struggle. However, this struggle has allowed me to see other perspectives while representing people of all backgrounds. As Senator At-Large, my goal is to advocate for undergraduate students of any gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, disability, and more. Western strives to be a welcoming community, but more needs to be done. It is up to us students to fill in the gaps. Please give me the opportunity to be a representative leader and to work with you, in solidarity, towards making our school a welcoming community for all!
Koby Okezie
This candidate did not submit a candidate statement.