"Nothing About Us, Without Us"
Why is Markus Running for Senate?I'm running for SA Senate because I know that the students at GW need more passionate, accessible, and active leadership in order to make the needs of the students first priority with the administration.
GW students are known as the most politically active students in the country, but also can be some of the most disenfranchised when it comes to student voice being taken into serious consideration. At an institution as unique as GW, I believe that students play a unique role in shaping their education and student life. Our unique ability to lead needs to be reflected in the institution designed for student leadership. I want to be a student advocate, a student fighter and an effective and accessible student leader. My job as Senator will surround making sure that students have a voice in decision-making process that effect them and that our Student Association is more effective in facilitating this conversation |
The Big Three
Giving Student Orgs a Fair Shake
One of the main responsibilities of the SA Senate is to make sure that student life thrives and that the organizations that add positively to the community can function. The SA has consistently short-changed many student organizations in their appropriations. As Senator, I plan to be an advocate that:
- Is open to meeting with student org leaders, talking about their org needs for the upcoming year, their progress, their setbacks and how the SA can help
- makes sure if a student org has the support of students willing to see it grow have the resources to precipitate this growth.
A Mobile Community
Reliable transportation services are important to students at GW. Increasingly, the services that students depend on to quickly and safely get from one place to another are becoming more unreliable. I will work with my colleagues on the SA to:
- (ACCOMPLISHED!): Extend 15-minute Vern Express service to 1am instead of 10pm. Expanding service would make it more convenient for Vern residents to study and socialize on the main campus during late nights or weekends. It should not be so difficult for Vern and Foggy residents to get back and forth.
- Streamline 4-Ride Service so that it is easier for students to request service and so that service is faster.
- Make it a requirement that students remove bikes from racks after 1 semester of non-use
More Effective and Open Student Leadership
As members of the SA, our responsibility and our alliance is not to the administration or our colleagues, but to the students who we were elected to represent. That being said, the SA has to do a better job of updating students on their progress and including them in the progress. As Senator, I will work to:
- Advertise the time, date and location of SA meetings more effectively to the student body so that those who want to be in attendance have every opportunity to.
- Use social media and the SA's already existent online presence to better inform students on what the SA (and your individual Senators) are presently working on.
- Set up mobile town halls around campus at public student spaces 3-4 times during the school year in order to gauge student opinion and interest on what the SA should tackle.
Markus On Other Issues
Slashing Student Fees and Campus Costs
An education at GW is not cheap by any standards and surviving on a student's budget while getting that education is hard. But, it seems the fees we have to pay and the costs for food and other amenities keep rising in price! I will work with my colleagues on the SA and the next SA President to:
Read a recent Hatchet article about the current SA's fight for lower student costs
- Continue the mission of lowering printing costs, not just to 7 cents, but to 4 cents (the original goal)
- Advocate for lower costs at student dining centers on Foggy Bottom and The Vern
- Slash the fees tacked on to study abroad programs, off-campus programs and other alternative academic programs.
Read a recent Hatchet article about the current SA's fight for lower student costs
Student Input on a New GW
GW is now changing more than ever and it's important that students have a strong voice and a seat in the decision-making process. As Senator, I will be an outspoken figure and will make sure you have the opportunity to make your voice heard when it comes to:
- The reconstruction of the Marvin Center, Fifth Floor
- Working with the Library Liaison in making sure Gelman Library reconstruction best serves students.
- Making sure the new construction causes as little disruption to student life and quality of life in dorms
Supporting and Appreciating Diversity
The GW community is one of the most racially and culturally diverse student communities in the nation. The level at which the administration supports initiatives that promote diversity and support our multicultural student associations is great, but we still have a long way to go. Our GW community and the SA must not only appreciate different cultural groups, but also promote cultural exchange throughout our community. As a Senator, I would work with the next administration to:
- Promote cultural exchange programs and initiatives such as Black Heritage Celebration, Hispanic Heritage Month, Women's History Month, etc., encouraging the whole community to take part.
- Support organizations such as the BSU, NASA, OLAS, NOW, NCNW, and multicultural fraternities and sororities that promote the appreciation of diversity in our community.
- Support religious organizations who strengthen our diverse faith community.
- Support our LGBT community and the organizations that stand up for equality and against prejudice, such as GW Allied for Pride.
A Cleaner, Greener GW
Our GW Community is committed to sustaining the cleanliness of our environment and beauty of our campus.
As Senator, I would support/introduce resolutions and support activities that:
As Senator, I would support/introduce resolutions and support activities that:
- Replace plastic/cardboard plates and utensils in J Street with washable plates and utensils.
- Emphasize student education about green initiatives being run on campus
- Support student-led groups like GreenGW and other groups who lead green initiatives on campus.
A Community within a Community
GW is a small portion of the vast community that lives outside our campus. As a native Washingtonian, I find that it's important that students who make Washington their home actually make Washington their home and make a valid effort to immerse themselves into the culture and become a productive member of the community. I will work to:
- Support the dozens of GW Service Organizations that do projects in and around the Washington Metropolitan area.
- Work with groups like DC Students Speak to engage students and get them to take on the pressing social and political issues in the neighborhoods where we live.