Who are we?

 Scott Myers

S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS! (I am the S. My name is Scott Myers and I want to be your External Vice President.)

You know you are passionate about an activity or hobby when you tirelessly pursue it. You partake in it every day, every week, every month, and never lose a modicum of interest. And as months become years, your experience with this activity makes you more knowledgeable and familiar with what steers you to failure, and what leads you to success.

My activity is Student Government.

Beginning at Millburn Public High School in New Jersey, I found my passion with my nomination to the Student Liaison Committee. This select group of students had the opportunity to meet with the school administration, as well as the district superintendents, to discuss issues that the student body wanted to address. As the weeks progressed, friends began approaching me, burying me with topics they wanted me to broach at my meetings. I’d essentially become a bridge between students and administration. And when my two-year term concluded, I searched for other ways to involve myself in student representation.

Junior and senior years of high school, I was elected by my peers to serve as our class Vice President. My job was centered on fundraising, organizing prom logistics (location, catering, etc.), and getting my class more involved in school-wide events. I met with other class officers weekly to create agendas to better serve our school and community. I solicited local businesses and received cosponsors for various school events. And I am proud to say that all of these efforts paid off; junior and senior proms were very successful, the relationships I fostered while in office helped create a sense of pride and unity throughout the grade.

I am hopeful that my new peers will elect me as Freshman External Vice President. If elected to this position, I guarantee to enhance Wash U student life, work with local entities to plan events off campus, bring knowledge and experience to the Class Council, and most importantly, work to accomplish what you, what we, want.

As a new student in this community coming from the East Coast, I haven’t yet been exposed to any enticing events off campus, and thus haven’t explored the surrounding St. Louis area whatsoever. I plan to work with other student groups on campus to ensure that my peers are presented with any off campus opportunities they desire.

If it’s important to you, it’s important to us.

I pledge to live by that philosophy, and do everything in my power to provide for my friends, peers, and community throughout the year.

Remember, S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS!

Nicole Andrzejewski

S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS! (I’m the N. My name is Nicole Andrzejewski, and I want to be your President.)

Why should you vote for me? Because I understand the most important role I will have: to represent you. I feel that Student Government has the ability and duty to address all students’ needs while bringing different groups together and ensuring that they see themselves as part of a vibrant whole instead of factions of a larger community.  This understanding stems from my five years of experience.  I have held numerous positions, including student body president of my high school.  As President, I wore many hats. I conducted a student survey on ways to improve student life, developed proposals, and presented them to the administration.  As the voice of my peers, I was successful in a myriad of initiatives, including a pilot program with online classes. I have represented the student body at board meetings, alumni luncheons, and orientations, always expressing our community’s goals, expectations and needs. I have led fundraising functions from formal balls to 5ks.  I’ve solicited businesses to sponsor a charitable event, at which I raised over $20,000 for research for a degenerative disease that affected an alumnus. I launched a new event to raise money for Cancer Research in memory of a beloved teacher, which included a viewing gallery for the NCAA basketball tournament that was happening simultaneously – a last minute addition to ensure the strong attendance needed to raise thousands of dollars.  I spearheaded countless community building events including Spirit Weeks, Homecoming festivities, and Chocolate Days (a favorite among students). Because of my experience, I know that I have what it takes to be a responsive, active, and effective President.

Why do I want to be President? I realized in high school that I enjoy being involved in my community. I want to make sure I am giving equally to a place that offers and allows me to take so much. My high school’s diverse population was a microcosm of ours at Wash U. Thus, I have the knowledge needed to address all of our students’ needs and am committed to enhancing the energy and spirit that we feel around us already. 

What will I change at Wash U? For our freshman year, I believe that bonding our class is of upmost importance. I want to implement new events that will unite our class, including a slip ‘n’ slide event, a Winter Carnival, excursions in St. Louis, and tailgates before sporting events. 

If I were President of the Wash U’s Class of 2017, I pledge to allocate money to clubs in a fair and unbiased manner. I pledge to advocate for student’s needs and requests.  I pledge to program events that will enhance student life on campus, and our surrounding community.

REMEMBER, S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS!

 Abby Rickeman

S.N.A.R.L FOR THE BEARS!  I’m the A! My name is Abby Rickeman and I want to be your Internal Vice President (IVP).

I am running for IVP because I truly love Wash U.  I love that when I walk to the library, everyone that passes me says “Hi.”  I love when the chef making my quesadilla at lunch explains to me that queso means cheese in Spanish.  I love that I can hear people having insightful conversations about controversial political issues from my dorm room.  There are so many things to love about Wash U!

I attended The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota during high school and in my four years there I worked with our student government to unite my grade.  I was a part of my grade’s service board, where we found different service opportunities that our grade could participate in together.  I also helped student government host different school-wide events, such as fun themed dances and bonding retreats.

Why should you vote for me? I am a good listener.  I will proactively gather information to fairly represent our grade to the administration.  I want every individual voice in our grade to be heard and appreciated.  I will set up weekly meetings in the DUC where you can come up to my table and talk to me about things you want to change or ideas you have for an event for our grade.  I will also create a forum on Facebook where people can anonymously post things they would like to see Student Union achieve to enhance their experience at Wash U.   I also have leadership experience.  I was captain of my school’s varsity tennis team and I taught reading and writing to Minneapolis public school students through a program called LearningWorks every Saturday for two years.  I will work hard and dedicate myself to this job because it is important to me to represent our grade well!

My main goal as IVP would be to unite our grade.  We are currently in the midst of big transition-we miss our families and friends, we are nervous about our classes, and we still don’t know our way around campus.  However, I want to be here for you to make that transition easier.  I want there to be pajama day during finals week.  I want to have hot chocolate nights and a snowman-making contest during the first snowstorm.  I want everyone to celebrate spring with a huge slip n slide out on the swamp!   I want to host all of these events to create a bond in our grade that will not only last for the next 4 years, but for the rest of our lives.  Although we only have four years here, the friendships and relationships we forge at Wash U will last us our entire lives.

REMEMBER: S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS!

 Reid Petty

S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS! (I’m the R. My name is Reid Petty, and I want to be your Treasurer.)

Treasurer is defined as an officer of a government, corporation, association, or the like, in charge of the receipt, care, and disbursement of money. For most people this is the complete image of a treasurer. They handle the assets and finances, but do not have any major sway in terms of decision making and general management of the organization. While bookkeeping is critical to the job of any treasurer, there is so much more to consider. Treasurers are in charge of fiscal responsibility, ethical and appropriate distribution of funds, and general healthiness and efficiency of the organization’s spending. They keep the organization on track, and keep the budget balanced. I am here to ensure all these items are completed to perfection.

Coming from four years of experience as the treasurer of my high school class, I know the responsibilities that are demanded for this position. I know how to cut corners without sacrificing quality. I know how to retain revenue and always satisfy the needs of the groups requiring funding. Throughout my career as treasurer, I oversaw countless events with outstanding execution as they were financed by my own fundraising and that of my peers. The reason for this success was the transparency within the government. Our staff was always open to questions, concerns, and advice on the direction of the class. S.N.A.R.L. is here to do just that. We are here to promise you the most effective and open student government possible. We’re here to represent YOUR interests, not follow our own agendas. As treasurer I promise not to be held by bias, placing greater support within the groups that I am involved with. I promise to distribute funds fairly and equitably. I promise never to authorize anything that sacrifices quality for quick results. I promise an administration where all interests are represented, not those of the select few.

WashU is objectively the greatest place on Earth. Okay maybe that wasn’t so objective, but it is a pretty spectacular place! I want to ensure that WashU continues to be the university that creates, inspires, and leads the world. The Class of 2017 is the greatest to ever arrive at WashU, and as a result it deserves the best student government. This class deserves the leadership and abilities that S.N.A.R.L. can and will provide!

As Treasurer of the Wash U Class of 2017, I pledge to allocate money to clubs in a fair and unbiased manner. I pledge to advocate for student’s needs and requests.  I pledge to program events that will enhance student life on campus, and our surrounding community.

Remember, S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS! 

 Lexi Orsky

S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS! (I’m the L. My name is Lexi Orsky, and I want to be your class secretary.)

I believe that student government should answer to the students. I believe that it exists as a tool for the student body to have their voices heard, ideas turned into action, and wants transformed into reality. As secretary, I will act as the link between you, the class of 2017, and the administration, creating an open line of communication that ensures that this year’s potential is fully realized. I will read emails, set up in person and online forums, and listen to concerns and suggestions. I will keep you updated on our meetings and resist the tendency for government to act behind closed doors. I will advertise opportunities to explore St. Louis and have fun on campus so that we, as a class, can make the most of our freshmen year. And I will do so knowing that I am serving a vibrant and deserving student body.

While attending Mount Mansfield, a public school in Vermont, I enjoyed the privilege of being a part of student council for four years, serving as secretary and then as class president. Throughout this time I gained insight into what it means to represent a student body, navigate the intricacies and politics of the administrative office, and organize fun and spirited events as well as charitable fundraisers to support clubs, sport’s teams, and local nonprofits. I helped plan events such as blood drives, waffle Wednesdays, penny war, winter carnival, Mr. Cougar, a male beauty pageant, and our senior prank. I became a point person in my grade to resolve issues of underclassmen parking in our lots, to design and order our senior t-shirts, as well as to speak on behalf of my whole grade at graduation. While I also participated in soccer, lacrosse, key club, knitting club, as well as snowboarding, baking, and playing with my pug Charlie, my involvement in student government was one of the highlights of my high school experience because I got to know a variety of people, act as an approachable liaison, and work to improve the community.

It is for these reasons that I want to be a leader at WashU. Only a few weeks have past since we arrived, but in that time I have met so many people that have made me feel at home, and I am excited to continue building connections. I want to support student clubs as well as intensify school and grade spirit, increase turn out at sporting and school wide events, plan tailgates, have a chocolate day full of free snacks to de-stress, celebrate snow with a winter carnival and set up a slip ‘n’ slide in the spring. I want to make our freshmen year the best it can be and I believe that a vote for S.N.A.R.L. is a vote to make it happen!

Remember, S.N.A.R.L. FOR THE BEARS!