Sarah Ngu, Bwog’s CCSC correspondent, partnered with Tyler Benedict, Poet Laureate of the Marching Band, to interview Karishma Habbu, President of 212, and Alex Jasiulek, President of the Block Party. Make sure to cast your vote before elections end, this Thursday.

The Parties:

212:
Three Council members:
Karishma Habbu – former VP of Communications and student services representative
Daphne Chen – funding committee, CC’14 Council
Jared Odessky – Peer Advising, CC’15 President
Two non-Council members:
Will Hughes – Residential Advising, CUPAL (Columbia University Performing Arts League), GHAP (Gay Health Advocacy Project)
Yanyi Luo – CQA, Live at Lerner, Puppy Coalition

Block Party:
Council member:
Alex Jasiulek — CC’13 class council
Four non-Council members:
Peyton Bell – Pike & Rugby team
Lauren Barriere – Delta Gamma
Janice Yoon – APAHM (Asian Pacific American Heritage Month), Raw Elementz,
Jean Pierre Salendres – CIRCA (Columbia International Relations Council and Association), Event Salsa


1) Track record: What are the highlights?

Block Party

  • Led efforts to revise Global Core, launched alcohol re-use policy for groups, assisted with exam schedules and posting exam grades. VP of Policy has had no policy experience but cites his experience of working on policies at the Mexican consulate.

212

  • Revamped financial aid service, helped coordinate Student Wellness Project, assisted Puppy Coalition, spearheaded peer advising initiative, led workshops for Resident Advisors on counseling skills, updating resource stickers that are on every door.

2) Outside the bubble: Best idea(s) for engaging the student body?

212:

  • Online collaborative platform where students can post issues/complaints, up/down vote, and “follow” topics such as “continually broken printer in X” or “global core.”

Block Party:

  • Free weekly lunches with executive-board and ensuring each council event is co-sponsored by a club (i.e. Block Party).

3) Wellness: What are they gonna do about it?

Block Party:

  • Engage student groups, especially Greek Life, and foster collaboration among them
  • CCSCcares campaigns (wellness initiatives)

212:

  • Host more frequent events where people can bump into each other, stop and chat (breakfast bagels in Hamilton lobby)
  • Act more as an enabler of wellness initiatives rather than compete with other clubs
  • Institutionalize policies to move midterms and ask for extensions

4) College vs University: How are they going to advocate for the College?

212:

  • Advocate for student representation in Facilities’ renovation of lounges, EPPC (faculty committee that makes education policy decisions like Frontiers of Science), Dean selection, post-Manhattanville space allocation, CUIT, Public Safety.

Block Party:

  • Advocate for student representation in post-Manhattanville space allocation and more transparency in dean selection process. Sidenote: Believes EPPC is “minutiae.”

5) Student Groups

Block Party:

  • Taking Back Lerner, giving more room for student groups and less for admin
  • Grants for student groups who co-sponsor events with others
  • Representation of SGB/ABC at F@CU process

212:

  • Expand the club-resources rental system; reusable dishware program
  • Expanding vendor list, online e-forms, student project grants
  • Representation of SGB/ABC at F@CU decision-making process