Candidates for President

Natalie Hilarie, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/natalie.jpg" direction="right"]My name is Natalie Hilaire and I am declaring my candidacy for Student Government President because I believe that I have the skills and experience to represent the voices of our diverse and inspiring student body.

My role as Class of 2017 representative has given me significant insight into the workings of Student Government and allowed me to form relationships with the administration that will facilitate future negotiations for student interests. I have also been exposed to various issues in our community that I aim to address next year. If elected, I would focus on: Increased Transparency: Students are often unaware about what happens in Student Government and how it improves their university experience. I aim to make the reasoning and outcomes of Student Government decisions widely publicized and accessible.

GA Attendance: Low attendance at GA is often a result of students believing that the issues discussed do not affect them. I will work to increase enthusiasm around GA by ensuring that student input is collected on a weekly basis when setting the GA agenda.

Exposure to the UAE: Our campus is physically isolated from the city and it can often be difficult for students to explore the country that they live in. As president, I would organize various events to close the divide between NYUAD and the UAE, unifying the student body and exploring the local culture.

Please feel comfortable approaching me at any time with questions or concerns about my platform or your experience at NYUAD.

Rend Beiruti, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/rend.jpg" direction="right"]Somewhere between Sama and Saadiyat, Student Government became an abstract. It was no longer a multitude of peoples, but a magnet for a specific type of persons. I have a particularly tumultuous relationship with StuGov. On one hand, I appreciate the difficulty of the role it aims to assume. On the other, I feel that it has become increasingly irrelevant and hardly representative. In light of this, I am declaring my candidacy for, small p, president.

What I hope to affect in the coming year, if given the opportunity to do so, is the lack of self-critique and self-reflection in this structure. While at the same time, continuing important work that StuGov is meant to perform in terms of bridging communication between administration and students and advocating for student interests at all fronts. I hope to cultivate a new culture around StuGov that dissolves it into our community rather than creates the same hierarchies (ones that have constantly proven inefficient in the real world). I plan on using transparency about the limitations and possibilities of StuGov, as a launchpad for reimagining the role of StuGov.

I hope that we can start moving forward not as a monolithic body, but as one driven by lively debate and a spectrum of convictions about the role of StuGov.

Let’s be driven by innovation rather than complacency, questions rather than inherited forms. On a final note, I have decided not to pepper this platform with promises of this, that or the other. What I am infinitely loyal to is being spearheaded by student interests. The rest, we’ll rethink together.

Riaz Howey, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Riaz.jpg" direction="right"]My first campaign promise is to publicly burn Faiza the Falcon. Faiza represents everything imperialist about this school—that is, the need for us, with minimal student consultation, to impose some social aspect directly from hegemonic U.S. American college culture onto the supposed cultural ‘desert’ of Abu Dhabi.

I will also work to increase the amount of useful and concrete information we have on the school. Transparency from the school is needed on topics such as the commitment to sustainability, labour codes, sexual harassment and, of course, #budgetcuts.

We should question unfortunate precedents in this school, and create new traditions. We need to look back on our mistakes: who cares if “that’s the way the campus was designed”. The Meal Club system has been broken from the start. Why does a Shwarma cost 30 AED on campus, but 5 in the city? We need to actively resist the administrative urge to force a securitised U.S. luxury urban culture on our student body.

But we must also look forward: Let us hold banquets in the dining hall to introduce first-year students to upperclassmen, let us inaugurate a student-run orientation for incoming students to communicate to them our problems in dealing with administration, our pluralistic understanding of NYUAD identities, and our hopes for the future of the school.

I also plan to experiment and recreate student governance. Let us move all the undesirable dry debates about the constitution and amendments to a suitably dry online platform.

Candidates for Vice President

Maitha AlMemari, Class of 2018

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/maitha.jpg" direction="right"]Hello, my name is Maitha and I am running for Vice President. As an active member of the NYU Abu Dhabi community, I have previously led Sila, the UAE Club, Google Student Club, and participated as speaker at TEDx to name a few. As a Vice President, I aim to work closely with the Student Government committees and the student body to execute impactful changes in our community. Those changes include:

Committee developments: Create opportunities for committees to be more interactive and effective by ensuring they hold their promises throughout the year. For example, I will hold biweekly meetings with the committee chairs to ensure they are on track. Such meetings will be open to the student body to attend to ensure transparency of the process. Start an initiative to match committees with SIGs. This way the two groups can coordinate events and work on overlapping issues on campus. Committees can also help SIGs relay information to administration. The initiative aims to create more effective and inclusive changes and enhances communication between active groups on campus.

Community Integration: I will work hard to make NYUAD part of the Abu Dhabi city again and beyond, by ensuring that we are all informed of the events happening in the city. I aim to do that in collaboration with the officer of external affairs, such as to provide transportation or co-host events with other universities. Moreover, I will work on integrating NYUAD within the Global Network University in collaboration with the Global Vice President and Senator.

I want to be a source of support and guidance for solving any issue that students may face, making me a reliable right hand for the president. Unity is my principle, and I aim to unite Student Government, the student body, and the administration to make the year of 2016-2017 collaborative and proactive, rather than negative and disruptive.

Candidates for Global Vice President

Patrick Sheldon Wee, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/patrick.jpg" direction="right"]Hi! My name is Patrick, and I am running for Global Vice President. My vision for the upcoming year includes three key points: Experienced Action: As your Senator, we’ve been able to pass unanimously a resolution that supports Syrian Scholars and Refugees in the Student Senators Council. This is the first resolution from NYUAD, and one on track to the University Senate. If elected, I hope to continue fighting for important global issues that matter to NYUAD students. Community Engagement: You will be heard. As your Senator, we’ve worked to gain more funding for NYUAD students. In fact, we were able to successfully bring NYUAD students to watch Les Miserables on Broadway as well as to ascend One World Trade Center here in New York. Also, we’ve just brought the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion to Abu Dhabi in order to build an even more welcoming community at NYUAD. If elected, I hope to continue working with everyone to build a global community that we are all proud of. Global Collaboration: In New York, I’ve worked in various committees including the Global Policy, and eventually Vice-Chairing the Site Ambassador Committee where I worked directly with NYU Site Ambassadors in 14 global sites and 3 portal campuses. If elected, I hope to help connect the three portal campuses through effective global policies and continue championing NYUAD students wherever they may find themselves in the world.

Yalla! Let’s take that first step for a more welcoming, inclusive and global NYU, together

Victoria Blinova, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Vika.jpg" direction="right"]My name is Victoria and I have to say I would be honored to serve as NYUAD’s Global Vice President. As a rising senior, I feel it is my responsibility to give back to our generous NYUAD community.

Having visited the NYU Abu Dhabi, New York, DC, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Paris, Florence, Sydney, Tel Aviv and DC campuses, I have learned the perspective of most of New York University’s campuses and would love to learn more! Thus, I believe I will be the right candidate to represent the NYUAD community across the global network.

Currently, I am serving as Vice President at NYUDC Hall Congress, which prepares me well for this position. I help lead general assemblies, execute student life events with a team from NYU New York, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.

I do have to mention that I’m the eldest of four in my family. Naturally, I have a tendency to want to take care of my peers. Sooo… All I want to ask is – please please - allow me to Skype you, send you notes and ask how you are doing while you’re away from our Island of Happiness.

Candidates for Officer of External Affairs

Joseph Chu, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Joseph.jpg" direction="right"]Our university and student body is in a unique position both internationally and here in the UAE. As our population grows and our institution develops, interaction with the external community will become an integral part of our identity as a university and our legacy here in this country.

Having served on Student Government over the past two administrations as Class Representative and on the IRHC last year as the Director of Communications as well has having led multiple SIGs, my experience and familiarity with the community and university places me in a good position to know, represent, and serve it.

However, this is not enough. An Officer of External Affairs must be inwardly rooted, but outwardly focused. Throughout my last few years, I have had the opportunity to interact with organizations outside the NYUAD community, but more importantly develop friendships that span across various universities in this country as well. Having contacts and friends at universities in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and of course Abu Dhabi as well, it is my hope that NYUAD and its students will have more opportunities to tap into the wealth of culture and exchange that will lead both to greater intervarsity connectedness as well as a more defined NYUAD identity.

There is so much that we can do as students together in this country. I will make it my mission to provide a platform on which students across universities in this country can grow in their mutual collaboration and understanding in the hope that we as a university will have a greater impact now and leave a stronger legacy in the years to come.

Jotham Varghese, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/jotham.jpg" direction="right"]My name is Jotham Varghese and I intend to run for Officer of External Affairs. Firstly, let me tell you more about myself. I am a freshmen from India, and have lived in the UAE most of my life. I am an engineering major. Just like the most of us, I enjoy watching movies, TV shows and simply hanging out with friends. As to why I want to run for this position, the most important reason would be my desire to take on a responsibility and engage with the NYU Abu Dhabi community in a more active and responsible way. As my first year has progressed, the more I have realized that I am willing and ready to take on a responsibility. I have represented my high school to external entities before and that may count as past experience but to me it is more like motivation as to why I want this job because of the immense pride that came from it. Just being a part of NYUAD has brought about a great sense of pride to me but to represent this university on a larger scale would allow me to channel my pride and motivation into useful and meaningful work . If I am elected, my goal would be to further foster the ever growing presence of NYUAD in the local community and at the same time to grow up as an individual. Thank you and I hope you pick the person you believe in.

Yousra El Hassan, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Yousra.jpg" direction="right"]As Officer of External Affairs my role would be to connect NYUAD to the wider UAE community. In a university where the vast majority of the student body has ventured far away from home to come to a completely foreign country and stay in quite the isolated campus, integrating with the outside community is exceptionally important but definitely no easy task. I hope to make engaging with the UAE community easier and, as impossible as it seems, attempt to dissolve (at least a little – realistically speaking) the ‘NYUAD Bubble’ by making the city more accessible to NYUAD and vice-versa. To do so, the first step would be to survey the student body and gauge their needs and interests. This may include additions in shuttle destinations if possible, increase in cultural-oriented events, engaging more with UAE nationals etc. Additionally, I would like to continue the work that has already been initiated: Strengthening the relationship between the NYUAD student body and other universities as well as the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Scholars (who are technically part of the NYUAD community) to improve intercollegiate involvement.

Thus far, the work I’ve done within the university, particularly with TEDxNYUAD and weSTEM, has been centered around outreach and consisted of contacting members of the general public as well as universities and high schools in the city. I plan on extending the information and experience I’ve gained from these platforms into my responsibilities as Officer of External Affairs. This, in addition to the fact that I have lived in Abu Dhabi for all my life, will hopefully prove beneficial to the role.

Candidates for Officer of Communications

Vishwanath Chandrasekar, Class of 2018

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/VishwanathC.jpg" direction="right"]As a sophomore here at NYU Abu Dhabi, I can say that I’ve been through the enthusiasm associated with being a Freshman as well as the more disconnected and academic inclination associated with being a Sophomore. While I haven't been on Saadiyat this past semester, the role that I feel Student Government plays in relation to this student body has not changed. There was, in my last semesters at Abu Dhabi, a sense of distrust of the Student Government, and a disbelief that its members were there to act as an advocate for issues related to both academic and student life around campus. The key to breaking down the wall between the Student Government and the student body is the free flow of information, and transparency in its functioning. This would be my primary objective as Officer of Communications. I believe I would be well suited for this post as my past experience has prepared me well to serve as this point of information exchange and advocacy. I served as President on the Executive Board of the A2 Hall Council in my freshman year, and as Events Coordinator for Tashan in the Fall of my sophomore year. While both of these positions were more focussed on programming, there was a significant amount of dealing with social media and interacting with the student body to gauge interest and publicise the events. I believe this will stand me in good stead, and will make me the candidate of choice for Officer of Communications.

Candidates for Treasurer

Mitali Banerji, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Mitali.jpg" direction="right"]I am a rising senior from India studying Economics and Political Science. I am running for Treasurer to make sure the student body's voices are heard and to give back to the university community that has given me so much over the past three years.

As we begin our transition towards a new constitution and the student body continues to grow, I believe it is crucial that funding and finances are managed by someone with experience running SIGs, SIG budgets, and major student events. In previous years, many of us have faced issues with insufficient SIG budgets, loss of funding for athletic programs, changes in guidelines for internship funding, and other changes that have inhibited the student body from realizing its full potential. I want to champion these causes as a member of the Student Government to reinstate confidence in the government as a successful advocate for the students.

I believe my diverse experience with leading student activities will make me a forceful advocate for students' interests. During my time at NYUAD, I have served as treasurer for both the Debate Society and Ecoherence, which has made me familiar with the details of the funding process of our university and its shortcomings. Additionally, I have a good rapport with many offices within the university through my involvement with several major student events such as the Public Health Think Tank and Biiah and my work on several university committees. I have also been on student councils in the past during my high-school years and have always been a fierce advocate of students' need for self-determination, empowerment and leadership.

With your trust and support, we can regain control of our budget, and work with the administration to make sure we meet our full potential.

Cyril Cuda, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Cyril.jpg" direction="right"]I hereby announce my candidacy for the Treasurer. If elected, I promise to give my all to the position and to be there anytime to address your concerns or learn from your ideas. As the Treasurer I will find fair budget distribution between SIGs and other fund recipients, remove bureaucratic obstacles that students and SIGs face, and fully comprehend your organization’ or projects’ individual financial needs. I will focus on eliminating inefficient expenditure, a substantial factor in past budget cuts, and approach the administration with concerns about decreasing relative budgets, which threatens the University’s mission and renders some of its provisions short-sighted, sudden, and hasty. These conversations will require diplomatic experience with negotiations, which I gained in my past Committee positions (Academic and Dining).

Aside from the treasurer’s responsibilities on the funding board, I would like to serve as your advocate for broader financial issues too; be it recent CDC funding alterations (summer deadlines, limited test funding), inflexible Study-Away funding (textbook policies), ongoing meal-plan restrictions, or changes to summer school availability. As a senior, I have experience with three past Governments, with both Sama and Saadiyat, and served as Vice-President, President, and Treasurer of multiple SIGs. Furthermore, as Mathematics and Economics major, I am qualified to face the challenges of the Treasurer's position.

You can expect my full devotion to ensuring the best possible financial environment for current student body, irrespectively of class, as well as for classes to come. An environment, in which events, interest groups, or other projects can live up to their full potential.

Hind AlTantawi, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/hind.jpg" direction="right"]It is with great pleasure that I declare my candidacy for Treasurer of student government. I am a Junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and I have served as treasurer of the Arab Cultural Club throughout my sophomore year. Through my past role I worked directly with the treasury of student government on financing multiple events. I therefore experienced the work of the Student Government Treasurer; this has allowed me to notice areas where the management of funds can be improved. I hope to maximize on my experiences with previous E-boards to build a better money management system that will improve on the performance of the student government and increase the availability of funds to the student body.

The role of Treasurer entails specific responsibilities that I look forward to fulfill efficiently. Among these are accurately maintaining student government expenditures, reporting on them to the student body, and chairing the student funding board. I aim to maintain transparency while meeting my constitutional role. This is key for healthy communication between the student body, student government, and administration, especially when it comes to decisions in regard to financing student activities. However, I plan on going beyond what the constitution entails.

My focus will be on making the processes of the treasury more efficient through facilitating a system of faster and better decision-making. Beside my financial responsibilities towards the student body, I will try my best to work on enhancing our sense of community through dedicating my efforts towards both planning and funding inclusive activities that will work towards creating and cementing our collective spirit as NYUAD students.

Mohsin Syed, Class of 2018

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/mohsin.jpg" direction="right"]For me, it's about legacy and ideas. Student Government started from scratch a few years ago, but has come a long way since then, aiming to establish an effective means of empowering us, the NYUAD student body. I look forward to building upon that progress, by doing everything that would benefit every single student here. And for that, I have a few ideas that I hope to implement: Transport: It's frustrating to not get on the shuttle on Thursday evenings, when you have just had a long week and are hoping to relax off-campus. I would work to increase shuttle capacity for the weekends, probably by having extra available buses.

Meal Plans: I find it sad that many people run out of meal plans and are forced to borrow them or eat less. I aim to solve this issue by either increasing meal plan allowances, or/and getting the prices right so that more can be bought from a 30 aed meal plan.

Increased Collaboration: I hope to encourage SIGs to collaborate more often on events, helping to get our community closer.

I would be honored to be your Treasurer, and I am committed to working hard, being accessible so that I can listen to your ideas whenever you may have them, and truly making a difference in our lives here at NYUAD.

Candidates for Officer of Student Activities

Nina Bambysheva, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Shanghai.png" direction="right"]If you ask me to describe my first year experience at NYUAD with one word, I would chose “exploration”, exploration of the variety of activities and events that different Student Interest Groups on campus have to offer. Involvement with SIGs has not only provided me with an opportunity to learn new skills and simply have fun but also made me realize that there is room for improvement in the SIG system. For instance, there is an issue with platforms that SIGs use to promote their events and share information. Right now SIG committees communicate with their members through OrgSync, Facebook and emails, which can sometimes be time-consuming in terms of having to post or check updates on multiple websites. I would like to work on the simplification of the current system. Some students have encountered a problem with RSVPing, again due to the fact that it is hard to keep up-to-date with everything that is being posted. Also some people do not even know who the Officer of Student activities is so I would like to make this position more transparent so that students know that there is someone who can they go to if they have questions or concerns. Among some other changes that I would like to work towards implementing is fostering communication between SIGs through meetings so that SIG representatives could keep each other updated or maybe discuss something that they would like to work on together.

Christine Dah-In Chung, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Shanghai.png" direction="right"]Throughout the 2016 Spring Semester, I was committed to several SIGs including Dongari: The Korean Sig as Treasurer and Events Coordinator and Asia-Pacific Night 2016 Planning Committee Member, Tower of Babel as Japanese Teacher and Russian Learner, Society for Global Development, and Capoeira. I hope to expand my involvement in the student community by becoming Officer of Student Activities, and I aim to carry out the following missions throughout the year if elected: 1. Guide and support NYUAD SIGs during the procedure of event planning and budgeting through meetings. 2. Connect with the students so that they can be more aware of and familiar with the SIG registration process and policies. 3. Communicate with the Office of Student Life as a student representative, and regularly check with SIGs for effective management of activities. 4. Become a facilitator within SIG joint events so that collaboration between the involved SIGs can occur as smoothly as possible. 5. Organize a more structured SIG Fair so that each and every SIG has the opportunity to advertise itself in its uniqueness. 6. Promote the OrgSync website as an effective system for not only SIG Presidents and Treasurers, but general members as well to bring the student community together. 7. Open up new official positions in a SIG in order to provide opportunities for more students to contribute as dedicated members. 8. Update the NYUAD Student Handbook in any necessary circumstance. 9. Make myself available to the students in need of any help regarding SIG maintenance.

Candidates for Senator

Farzan Ahmed Khan, Class of 2018

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2015/12/farzan.jpg" direction="right"]As an eager member of the student body I jumped at the opportunity to run for a Student Government position and thus be more involved with university affairs. Throughout my two years at NYUAD, I have had significant exposure to positions which require both acting as a representative and as a liaison, the two primary responsibilities of a Senator. As the President of Tashan for two semesters, I focused my efforts on making sure all cultural groups part of Tashan were represented to a level that pleased it's members. To do this, I started initiatives like the Sri Lankan Night. In addition to this, I was an RA for the past academic year, which meant that I acted as a liaison between the residential community and the pro staff. Attending weekly ResEd meetings as a representative of my floor and it's residents, I made sure their concerns were voiced properly and at the same time that the rules and policies set by ResEd were implemented effectively. The position of the Senator would be an ideal way to both use what I have l gained from these positions and also to build on that knowledge. To serve as a Senator would be the ideal way to give back to a community that has always looked after its members and to do so in a setting that provides a platform for interaction with equally passionate individuals in the University Senate and the Student Senators Council would be an invaluable learning experience. Time in the positions listed above make me well suited for a position that would be the optimum way to stay in touch with NYUAD during my semester abroad.

Candidates for Class of 2017 Representative

James Carrington Gardner, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/James.jpg" direction="right"]It is my absolute honour and pleasure to declare my candidacy for the Class of 2017 Representative. Over the past three years you have trusted me with representing you as the Freshman and Sophomore Class Rep and the Senator in New York. In these roles I have grown in my leadership and passion for student advocacy and I believe that my track record alone demonstrates my commitment to you all.

You are all risk takers, you chose to come to a university without graduates, many of you chose to move away from your friends and families and I admire you all deeply; it is for these reasons that you deserve the absolute best that NYU Abu Dhabi can give you. In our senior year I will strive to make sure that the very best has been left for last, that we will have the opportunity to leave a legacy on our school and that your voice will be heard wherever you wish it to be.

You are my friends, my family abroad, and the reason why I chose NYU Abu Dhabi. I would be honoured to receive your vote, and if I do not, I am still so truly excited to connect with you again in just a few months.

Yi Yi Yeap, Class of 2017

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Yiyi.jpg" direction="right"]Hello my name is Yi Yi Yeap (yyy222) and I’m a social media addict. I live on Facebook and breathe through Instagram. But you already know this. To be completely honest, no matter the outcome of this election, I will be doing the same thing as I have been doing for the past few years: planning food events, promoting said food events, and eating at these food events. Nothing will really change. But food aside, I just like being able to get everyone together having a good time. Isn’t that what our final year is meant to be about? Whether it be crying over capstone, stressing over finding jobs, or anxiously waiting on grad school offers, I hope that we can experience them together as a class, so that no one feels as if they’re going through it alone. Being class rep would put me in a position to hear everything you have to say and actually be able to do something about it. Our final year of college is going to feel like the longest (or shortest) path that we will take in this lifetime, and I can’t wait to walk alongside you, whether that be as your class rep or as your friend (but preferably both).

Candidates for Class of 2018 Representative

Kelly Murphy, Class of 2018

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/kelly.jpg" direction="right"]Here’s a confession that has never made it to the NYUAD Confessions Facebook page: I love StuGov. Seriously. As a declaration of my love, I am running for Representative for the Class of 2018.

For the past two years, I've been an active member of the class of 2018 and student government, regularly attending GA and serving on several committees like the Global Affairs Committee or First Year Planning Committee. This experience has given me a strong understanding of how StuGov works and how I can make it work for the class of 2018. Seeing as much of our class is studying away or preparing for study away, I'll focus on ways to unite the class, whether in Abu Dhabi or abroad. I would like to work with the administration to better communicate and implement policies that affect us, especially those concerning study abroad and academics.  I love the class of 2018 and will give my greatest effort to serve you well.

More broadly though, I want to get people excited about Student Government. General Assembly is really depressing when there are five people present other than the Eboard, so I want to experiment with ways to better get everyone involved, like holding GA at a different time or location, exploring different ways of voting and hearing concerns, etc. I also hope to expand Committee visibility and representation. Student Government is our way to be heard and I want to involve as many voices as possible.

Candidates for Class of 2019 Representative

Mai Hussein Awamle, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Shanghai.png" direction="right"]Hello everyone, my name is Mai Awamleh and I am running for Sophomore Class Representative. My dedication to our NYU Abu Dhabi community coupled with my drive to make you all feel more comfortable on campus, motivate me to do my absolute best in representing our class next year.

Since day one I have felt welcomed and included, and I am eager to sustain this among our community and beyond just the first year. The bonds that are formed among us play a central element in the well-being of the students. I aim to organize events for the sophomore class and encourage students in getting more involved in representing the student voice and in sharing valuable resources.

As a Class Representative, I will ensure that my classmates are aware of important issues that are raised on campus, both on an academic and residential level, and investigate how these issues might affect us. It is my sincere intention to represent our class honestly and diligently, listen closely to your concerns and serve as a good liaison.

I realize how many issues are in need to be tackled and resolved, and I feel I need to be in a position, within a motivated team as well, that helps me well-implement certain project ideas. For instance, as some of us will be abroad over the coming year, I feel obligated to work in connecting abroad students with people who are here, and vice versa. This may be done by forming a program, for instance, based on the concept of the course review site that would serve in sharing our experiences overall.

I genuinely look forward to play a more active role at university, and to be more involved in planning and running successful events that purely serve and benefit our class. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to give back to you by choosing me as your Class Representative of the Class of 2019.

Lola Fernandez, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2015/12/LOla.jpeg" direction="right"]I am very excited to present my candidacy for Sophomore Class Representative!

Sophomore year is an important and exciting year for all of us, as some of us will be studying abroad in the Fall, some others in the Spring, while some will remain in Abu Dhabi. I will focus my efforts on making sure that the Class of 2019 stays connected, regardless of where we are around the world. I will take an active role in ensuring that we all understand the study away policy, the equivalencies of courses, and the different curriculums followed by the majors.

I also aim to raise the Sophomore class’s awareness of the role of Student Government, through enhancing the communication channels between the two bodies. I will work on increasing the Sophomore’s representation amongst Student Government, and ensuring that we have a voice in all decisions being made.

Moreover, I want Sophomore year to be a fun year; as intense as it can get, I am very excited to organize different events that will empower our class and allow us to spend quality time with each other.

Abraham Okbasslaise Hdru, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2015/12/Abraham.jpeg" direction="right"]As the class of 2019, we represent the largest proportion of the student body thus we play a huge stake in issues regarding our community. Given the drastic changes that have occurred this year, from budget cuts to new leadership, it is even more critical that we voice our concerns regarding the direction of these changes in the coming year. Having served in three separate student governments across three different countries, I strongly believe in the role that the student government plays in shaping our standard of living on campus. My ethos is simple: I value efficiency and personalized conversations above anything else; having governed in schools of all different sizes and cultural makeups, I don’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether it’s a personal frustration over dining hall food or a collective suggestion over more broader issues regarding our curriculum, I want to be there to listen and most of all, deliver. Given our NYUAD’s short history, our opportunity to voice out our collective interests will be paramount to defining this university as we climb up the ladder and eventually exit with pride and positivity. It will be my duty focus on impacts, from each opinion leading to each change.

Ushna Usman, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Ushna.jpg" direction="right"]My high school was relatively a new school, but it all turned out in my favor in terms of what opportunities I could avail. I was chosen twice to be the part of the student government. I came up with the idea of making the first ever science society of my school and managed to encourage 300 students of the school to become active members. I arranged the first ever science Olympiad which was attended by 200 students from all over Lahore. From searching to sponsors to finalizing posters for the event, I have fervently led my team. The most important one was an international competition arranged by NASA in India. I led the team of 15 students in another country and it turned out a success for us. Since I came here, I have been looking for an opportunity to become more closely knit with the student body. Being the Representative of Class of 2019 would provide me with a platform to communicate the concerns of my class actively. As a student of NYU AD, I have this responsibility to avail any chance that I get to become a leader, because it’s just an initiative in becoming an actual global leader- to what I committed to become when I first came here. I am willing to work to my full potential in order to gain as much as possible for the student body especially the Class of 2019.

Jacob Chagnon, Class of 2019

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2016/04/Jacob.jpg" direction="right"]Representing the class of 2019 means more than simply listening and forming an efficient line of communication, although that’s a crucial aspect. It entails being a member of the class, integrated into the community and reflective of the sentiments of my constituents; that’s you.

As a person, you know me to be extremely sociable and approachable, a reflection of my adept communication skills. With a bit of conscientiousness, I know how to tread the fine line between being respectful, but steadfast on the issues that matter. This balance is crucial to being a leader; one not only with good ideas, but with the situational understanding on how to realize them. With confidence, I can say that I am organized and skilled with logistics, a detail necessary executing ideas and inter-class cooperation directed towards the community as a whole. I’m passionate about social justice issues, and committed to the student body--a group I’d cite as the largest stakeholders in this university.

Experience is no concern; with four years of Student Government behind me, two of them in an executive position, I’ve worked in an environment strikingly similar to NYUAD. I’ve coordinated with administration on school policy and image, spearheaded and personally created a novel student government system, co-drafted a constitution, and helped forge the accepting and motivated environment present at my old school--and would love to do it again. Ultimately, I have a vision of breaking our metaphorical glass ceiling, and hope to create a better Class of 2019, together.