A new name will make its way into undergraduates’ inboxes in Fall 2017 when Lian Chen ’19 assumes her role as Student Union Secretary, taking over the job of sending out weekly emails and other reminders from the Student Union.

After spending this spring as the Racial Minority Senator, Chen is moving to a more administrative role on the Union where she will help manage elections, the Student Union offices and outreach to the student body.

Chen hopes to improve the Student Union’s connection with the undergraduate body and increase transparency in the Student Union.

Through her weekly emails Chen wants to help students “know about the events going on on campus more efficiently.”

“People want to know about what Student Union and E-board does,” said Chen. “I’ll increase the transparency and … involve more people in the decision process.”

Working for the Student Union “is a really important job for anyone that wants to do a good job for the student body,” Chen said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot. “The Student Union definitely has the power to change some policies in the school if they are in the students’ need.”

As a senator, Chen says she represents racial minority students and helps fulfill their needs.  She holds roles on three Union committees: Service and Outreach, Club Support and Social Justice and Diversity.

Working for the Service and Outreach committee, Chen has helped set up shuttle services, dubbed “bunny shuttles,” which will conveniently take students to Logan Airport and South Station when Brandeis breaks in April. These will be similar to the Thanksgiving break “turkey shuttles,” which provide discounted transportation to Logan and South Station in November.

Shifting to become Secretary at the turn of the semester, Chen will hold an Executive Board position and wants students to know that she is “open for any suggestions and kind of changes people want to see.”

“If people want to reach to someone I’m always willing and open to give my time to it,” Chen said.