Statements from the candidates for First-Year Class President.
First-Year Class President posters hang along the balcony outside of Appleby Hall
As the fall semester ramps us, familiar banners hang over the balcony outside Appleby Hall. First-Year Class President campaigns are in full force, and this year's cohort promises to bring you everything from North Quad air conditioning to new party music to chicken-fueled social events.
The First-Year Class President (FYCP) sits on ASCMC’s Executive Board as a representative and liaison of the Class of 2027. The FYCP manages a budget of $3000, and is responsible for planning a plethora of events, activities, and initiatives geared towards the Class of 2027 or the broader CMC community.
Candidates rush to collect 50 signatures by Thursday at 11:59pm to officially declare their candidacy and earn a spot on the ballot. Speeches will occur during snack (10:30pm) on Thursday, September 19th at Collins Dining Hall! Voting will open starting at Midnight and will be open until 8pm on Friday the 20th!
FYCP Candidates (alphabetical order by last name)
Clark Cheung
Gabe Gardner
Selah Han
Ismail Iftikhar
Ibukun Owolabi
Caleb Rasor
Gabe Gardner
Hi everyone, my name is Gabe Gardner, and I'm running to be your first year class president!
These past four weeks have been an amazing way for us to get to get to know one another, but I believe that we can make these bonds even stronger.
If I were to be your class president, I intend to grow our already amazing community into an even better, more connected group. I want to plan events that you, the students, want. Whether it’s Raising Canes or Chick-Fil-A at socials or study groups, painting class coolers or di tables, communicating your wants and concerns with ASCMC directly, I will do my absolute best to make sure I am serving you all.
On top of this, I would use my position and the resources it comes with for everyone’s best interests. We’ve only been here for a short time, and might not know what needs adjusting, but I can promise you that once we do, I will work my hardest to fix it.
I want to be here for everyone and their problems, whether it's social, academic, or personal. College has, and will continue to be, a transition for all of us. Transitions are shaky, scary, and uncertain at times, and I want to be here for you all, so we can build a strong, tight-knit community.
Just like RA’s, I want to have open-door hours and times for people to meet and talk with me, and also each other. Socials are going to be one of my biggest focuses if elected, but on top of that, I also want to make sure that I can create environments for people to study and hang out. I want to program for all of you, not just some of you.
Selah Han
INVEST IN SELAH
shes YOUR greatest asset and she won’t SEL YOU OUT!
super excited abt possibly representing our class and having a fun year! come up and say hi, I’d love to get to know everyone more!
Ismail Iftikhar
As freshmen class president, there are two main causes I, Ismail Iftikhar, will dedicate myself to. First, our upperclassmen have been striving, for some time, to include racial-studies as a G.E. This initiative succeeded in attaining approval from the faculty, but has, till now, been submissed by the board. This, to me, is utterly surprising. Racial-studies is a broad category, and almost 85% students fulfill the requirement without it even existing. Thus, it isn’t a matter of academic consideration, rather, a political statement. A statement that we as a community should be proud to make, as only by learning about each other can we truly learn to co-exist. Thus, as the only international student in the race, I pledge to dedicate myself to making sure that CMC stands for such statements.
Second, as a leading institution of the world that will give birth to the leaders of tomorrow, we must remain inclusively engaged with relevant global issues. In particular, it is disappointing that CMC has played no role in educating its students on the Israel-Palestine conflict. This isn’t a matter of opinion or sides. It is a matter of principle. We cannot ignore the realities of such terrifying global issues. Thus, considering the uniqueness of the ath, I seek to elevate student involvement in deciding speakers for ath talks, so that we may host speakers that inform us about both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
While I will work towards other causes, like North-quad air conditioning, increasing budgets for dorms, and evacuating the school whenever there is a fire again (just for free vacations), what I ultimately stand for is simple: to make CMC a place that we and the world can be proud of. A diverse, responsible, honest, and proactive institution.
Ibukun Owolabi
One of the best success stories in sports history is that of Serena and Venus Williams. Their whole life, they pushed each other as far as physically possible in the sport that they loved. Eventually, their hard work and dedication would lead to their cementation in the Sports’ Hall of Fame! Without one another, they would not have been able to become world champions. Without one another, they would not have been challenged and pushed hard enough to become better.
When asked to write this statement, I was challenged. Not because the question was hard, but because there were so many ways to go about answering the question. As I pondered an answer, I thought about how Serena and Venus would tackle such a situation. And I realized that (if they were in such a position of running for Class President of CMC) no matter what their answer to this question would be, they would not go through it alone. That is where I took inspiration from as my answer.
Regardless of who ends up as our class president, I encourage and implore you to put your voice and ideas out there. Solutions that seem minuscule to you can be life-changing for other people. Whether you go to senate meetings or reach out to your class representative, please use your voice to make CMC better. If I have the honor to serve you as president, I would love to hear all of the amazing ideas that all 338 of you have and I would love the opportunity to learn more about the beautiful person behind that idea.
Caleb Rasor
Hey everyone! My name is Caleb Rasor, and I’m running this year for First Year Class President.
When your high school ran class president elections, who tended to be the winner? I can guess that they were charismatic, popular, and skilled at speaking. I can also guess that they had elaborate, lofty plans to “change things” – and that those plans never panned out. You may have found yourself disappointed at the end of the year, when all their promises came up empty, that no one had simply vowed to listen.
Unlike your class presidents of old, I not only vow to listen – I vow to make it my top priority. I vow to make myself available to all first years so you can voice your concerns and desires. My first line of business will be to make a submission form where, at any time, you can share your thoughts anonymously or with your name attached. With every major decision by ASCMC involving the first-year class, I will specifically ask for your input, and vote according to the sentiments you express.
Throughout this year, we will all face opportunities and challenges. There will be clubs to be funded, parties to be planned, physical spaces to be improved, and issues to be resolved. No matter what comes our way, you can rest easy knowing that you set my agenda. I don’t act like I know all the answers – and you shouldn’t settle for a class president who does.
Oh, and when I’m elected, I think we can agree on agenda item number 1: improving the CMC party music!
Candidates who did not provide a statement will still give speeches!
Speeches will occur during Snack (10:30pm) on Thursday, September 19th at Collins Dining Hall! Voting is open starting at midnight and is open until 8pm on Friday the 20th!
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