Hey Gophers! I am a junior studying Political Science and German while learning Mandarin through East Asian Studies. I am asking for your vote to re-elect me as an At-Large Representative. Over the past two years in Student Government, I have served in various roles, from the Environmental Accountability Committee to the Ranking At-Large Representative and having a seat on our executive board. Now I am the Speaker of Forum and work to plan and run our large meetings.

Over the past couple of years, I have diligently worked to improve the community that is USG and improve the accessibility students have to the school's administration. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for improving inclusivity during tense times, safety that doesn't overreach, sustainability on campus, and digital privacy in the University system. Vote for me as YOUR representative; During my term, I will continue to work for YOU. I am always open to new conversations on problems at the U and ready to work with and for you all.

I have a lot of advocacy goals on campus! I understand that before you are a student, you are a human being. This means that I will continue to advocate for your basic needs. This includes addressing the issues of food insecurity, housing insecurity, as well as expanding mental health services. Students should have nearby affordable groceries. There needs to be more counselors, including counselors with diverse backgrounds. One is that the library and campus spaces should be open when students need them most. These are vital spaces for commuter students and should be open longer. Also, parking prices are extremely taxing on students and should be a focus point in cost reduction. Basic needs also includes ensuring basic safety. There has been a growing concern for safety on campus. I have, and will continue to advocate for broader lighting and infrastructure systems. There has been a prioritization of Dinkytown, but these efforts must be expanded to all parts of campus. I also understand that this needs to be done without over policing. Students should not be harassed in order to ensure public safety. These solutions are complicated and need open and honest conversation. Campus safety must be addressed through multiple measures. Your basic needs are essential to your success as a student, and I will actively pursue solutions to better all students.

I am currently serving as your Ranking At-Large Representative. This means that I advocate on behalf of all At-Large Representatives and students within the Undergraduate Student Government. I currently lead and communicate the needs of other representatives within the broader structure. I also prioritize outreach and engagement with students. I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent you and advocate for students! I have served as a representative for two years. In the past I supported legislation and ideas including the expansion of SNAP, rent control, rental assistance, environmental justice policy, campus safety initiatives, the fight for a fifteen dollar living wage, and much more. I have also focused on supporting campus workers and advocating for excused absences on election day.

My focus on advocacy stems from my upbringing in Rochester, MN, where I faced discrimination as a religious, ethnic, and racial minority. Throughout my primary education, I felt compelled to assimilate with my peers and was silent about my experiences. However, in high school, I recognized the need to speak up and take action. This realization sparked my drive to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which I continued to pursue in college. After years of advocacy, I now understand that DEI advocacy can and should come in a range of actions, including allyship, activism, and community resources. However, because majority groups naturally have more representation and “votes,” DEI advocacy is easier said than done. As a member of USG, my advocacy goals are centered on amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups and advocating for change in various departments including academic affairs, basic needs, and infrastructure. By doing so, I hope to create a more equitable and inclusive society, as I believe that raising awareness and advocating for the voiceless is crucial in combating discrimination.

Advocacy is rooted in the ideology of service to a community, particularly where there is inequity. My journey to serving my community started when I felt the need to create awareness about my religion in the state and district K-12 curriculum to prevent discrimination against Sikh students in my district. I started by serving on my district's Student School Board to advocate for students' needs. This experience sparked my passion for advocacy and social justice, which I continued to pursue in college through my involvement in four organizations: USG, MCAE, Carlson Business Board, and Sikh Student Association (SSA). As an at-large representative in USG, I vote on bills that impact the entire campus and create initiatives such as the West Bank Social Space Initiative and the Late Night Dining Initiative to improve basic needs on campus. In MCAE, I work as a front-operations specialist to make resources more accessible to marginalized students. As the Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Carlson Business Board, I manage initiatives to advance DEI awareness in a predominantly white college with a history of high legacy student populations. I also co-founded SSA to spread awareness of Sikhism on campus. I believe that my dedication to creating an equitable and inclusive campus community, combined with my flexibility in advocacy skills and experiences, make me an ideal candidate for the University of Minnesota undergraduate student government.

As an At-Large Representative, it is my job to hear the needs of students and translate that need into according legislation(resolutions/letters). If elected for my third term, I would keep extending this philosophy. I think that there is work to be done to ensure that the on-campus dining halls meet the needs of all students, and for libraries to be open longer to accommodate commuting students. These things are important because other students have told me about these issues, and they resonate with me as well.

I have been an At-Large Representative within the Undergraduate Student Government for two years and am currently seeking a third term. I have sat on the Environmental Accountability and Academic Affairs committees. I helped organize the events of 'Earth Week' 2022 and co wrote a letter demanding the University divest from fossil fuels. I was also an intern for USG from Fall 2021-Spring 2022!

Let us be real: student government is not something that most people on this campus think can help solve their problems; in fact, it is not something that most people on campus think about at all. If this organization is to make a difference in students’ lives, it needs to be one that students know exists. USG already does a lot of great things to improve the quality of life for students on campus, but few ever hear about it. I hope to change this by making sure that, on a campus of 36,000 undergrads, we make sure to reach out to as many individual students as possible. In addition, when student government lands a major win for students, everyone should hear about it. Remember the Universal Transit Pass? Yeah, that was us! $15 an hour for student workers? We spent years fighting for that one! It is only by improving our name recognition and our outreach that we can continue to have a personal effect on each student on campus. 36,000 may be a lot of students to reach, but I know we are up to it.

If you could not tell, I am currently an At-Large Representative. This whole student government thing is kind of my passion. My favorite project from this year was working to get voting removed as an unexcused absence from the university’s makeup work policy. Giving students more access to the ballot box will always be a win.

Next school year, I will push the University to allow student groups to paint the Washington Ave bridge again. This is a long-standing campus tradition, and the bridge painting serves to provide the student body with more awareness about clubs, groups, and organizations on campus. Allowing the student groups to get the word out on campus helps to foster a better-connected community here at the University.

This past year I have worked in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee within USG. I, along with 4 others, have worked to improve the quality, quantity, and awareness of on-campus prayer, meditation, and spiritual spaces here. This work is important for students of all faith backgrounds, as well as non-religious students on campus that need a private space for mental health. I hope to continue advocating for students of all backgrounds next year.

For the past year I have served as an At-Large Representative, specifically as a part of the Infrastructure Committee. I am devoted to working to improve the University of Minnesota for everyone here. In my time as an ALR I have dedicated myself to working towards improved student representation and financial transparency by the U of M. The work I have done so far has culminated in a report authored by ALR Niel Drabek and myself which will help to easily explain some of the complex financial systems at the U of M. This will provide a simple resource for anyone who needs to get an idea of how the finance systems work so that they do not spend a lot of time researching this.

My advocacy goals center around improving financial accountability at our university and using resources to address climate change and affordable housing. As students, we deserve to know how our tuition dollars and other financial resources are being used. I will work to ensure that the university is transparent and accountable in its financial decision-making process, and that resources are being used effectively and efficiently. I will advocate for steps to reduce our university's carbon footprint and address the affordable housing crisis when working with financial institutions at the University.

In my time in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) as an At-Large Representative, I have had the opportunity to work on a project meant to provide USG with an in-depth understanding of our university's financial system. This project has allowed me to see firsthand how our university's financial decisions are made, and it has inspired me to take action to improve financial accountability at our institution. A report, co-authored by myself and Nicholas Perszyk, detailing the findings of the project, will be released in mid-April on the USG website. If you have questions about university finance before then, feel free to email me.

I’m currently in my third year and am majoring in neuroscience and minoring in both sustainability studies and public health. I’ve been involved with the Campus Life Committee this year and have supported resolution building focused on the mental health of students as well as safety in the dorms. Last fall I collaborated with other members to make and disperse finals goodie bags to students, and we are continuing to do that for this semester. In addition, I’ve helped foster the idea, and planning, of a mental health awareness event happening later this spring. In the future, I want to continue to take in feedback from other students about their college experience and use that to better campus life.