The Student Union held its winter elections for the spring 2023 semester on Feb. 1, according to an email sent by Student Union president, Peyton Gillespie ’25. Students had 24 hours to cast their votes. 

The positions up for election were Student Union Secretary, East Quad Senator, Mid-year Senator, Senator for the Class of 2026, Allocations Board Three-Semester Term, Allocations Board Racial Minority Representative, as well as two open seats for Allocations Board One-Year Term. 

Carol Kornworcel ’26 won the position of Secretary. When asked about her goals as Secretary, Kornworcel stated, “I want to be a resource for students and connect them with whoever they need to speak with. Communication and transparency is something very important to me, and something I work hard on achieving through my position as the Director of Media & Outreach. If I can help the student body be aware of the spectacular work Student Union is doing and help clubs work alongside us, then I would consider this semester a success. Specifically, I want to work on updating the romper room for club use and bringing back the weekly newsletter from Student Union.”

When asked if there were any prominent issues that she’d like to address as Secretary, Kornworcel noted, “An issue that I hadn’t realized before campaigning for this position is how unclear elections can be. I would find a way to streamline and simplify all the election rules, while keeping them intact, so candidates can know exactly what can constitute a disqualification and what they are allowed to do.” She also noted her excitement for the position, saying “I am so excited to continue meeting and supporting students on campus. Being in Student Union has truly impacted my first year experience, and I am confident that with this new role I will be able to continue doing what I love while getting students involved!”

As the only candidate for the East Quad Senator position, Sherry Tao ’25 won the position. From her candidate biography, she stated, “I hope to bring a subsidy for water filter pitchers, as we couldn’t install more water fountains in the building, as well as placing more picnic tables in front of the [Inter-Cultural Center].”

Matthew Norris ’26 won the position of Mid-Year Senator. When asked about his goals as Mid-Year Senator, Norris stated “I want mid-years to become more accustomed to Brandeis without a rough adjustment. Although it may be challenging to adjust at first, the struggle should not withstand through the whole semester. Former mid-years report having a hard first semester with not many friends, so I want to make sure the opposite happens for this year’s class.” 

Norris also mentioned that he wanted to tackle issues such as mid-year exclusion by noting “I want to ensure that mid-years don’t feel like they are being excluded by having more events involving both groups, specifically for mid-years to meet first years – not just general events, but events specifically for these two groups to mingle.” Finally, Norris expressed his excitement about the position by stating, “I am most excited to listen to other mid-years and what they feel Brandeis can do to become more welcoming for those starting a semester late.”

Tyler Johnson ’26 won the position of Class of 2026 Senator. When asked what issues he plans to tackle this semester he stated, “I intend on seeing through my platform which I ran on transparency. From talking to friends and other students on campus, there is a feeling of a lack of transparency from the Student Union regarding what it is we actually do on campus.

The Hoot then asked Johnson what his goals were for this semester, to which he responded “I plan to livestream a portion of my office hours going forward so I can more easily engage with the student body. Senate meetings are open to the public, and I would like to gather a few senators to hold dedicated open sessions to the public where we can hold public forums.” Johnson also noted his excitement for the position, saying, “What I am most excited for is to represent the student body and be a voice of change that can improve everyone’s lives on campus.” 

Myla Indigaro ’26 won the position of Allocations Board (three-semester term). She emphasized in her campaign that she wants to “provide clubs with adequate funding to allow them to not only function, but flourish.” Indigaro also noted that she’s “always willing to listen and empathize with any questions or concerns you may have regarding funds, and it is my promise that I will consider the needs of each organization equally.”

Sara Motoyama ’24 won the position of Allocations Board Racial Minority Representative. She noted in her campaign that “My responsibility is to welcome and embrace the diversity on this campus by making sure these clubs receive the funding they need to build community. With my passion for celebrating differences, I am excited to work on a team to advocate for fair distribution.”

The two one-year allocations board seats were won by Cindy Chi ’25 and Rashail Wasim ’25. 

When asked what her goals were for this position, Chi stated that she wants to “help come up with cohesive plans when deciding fund allocations, make conscientious decisions based on fairness, sustainability, and accessibility, and overall, get clubs and organizations the funds they need to run their goals, events, and missions.”

Chi was then asked what issues she’d like to tackle this semester. She emphasized “making our funding policies and guidelines more clear and more concise. This will help streamline the marathon and make the process of budget allocations more efficient and transparent for both A-Board and clubs. Chi also noted her excitement for the position by stating, “I am most excited to immerse myself further in the Brandeis community and culture, and support events and trips that celebrate our various interests and cultures.” 

When asked about what his goals were for this position, Wasim mentioned that he’d like to “increase the transparency on A-Board as much as possible. For example, I would like to publicize the amount of money A-Board has to allocate for the next semester before the marathon begins, and I would like us to hold office hours around marathon time so that people can come and ask us if they have uncertainties.” 

Wasim was then asked what issues he’d like to tackle this semester. He noted transparency as the big issue stating, “Transparency is the big one which is what I promised to focus on during the campaign. I would also like to look at whether we can simplify or clarify in our guidelines what things will be funded and what things we will give priority to, so that every club can plan accordingly.”

More information on Student Union proceedings can be found on their website.

Editor’s Note: Deputy Features Editor Myla Indigaro did not participate in the writing or editing of this article.