Candidate Statement

This is about action. Smith students deserve a hardworking, dynamic, experienced, strong leader as their SGA President, and I believe that I am that candidate. Running for SGA President is not about an activity to put on a resume or ascending to leadership based on seniority, it is about having a vision for the Smith community and providing the leadership to achieve that vision. As SGA President my main objective would be to represent students. For me, representing students means not only listening to their concerns, but also seeking out the voices of people in communities who have traditionally not worked with the SGA. It will not be solely sitting around and listening to student feedback. Instead I will work to hear the suggestions, innovations, and issues that you all voice and I will turn them into actions. It will be about using experience and knowledge to link together individual student concerns and present them as priorities to the administration. For the past three years I have been actively involved in the SGA as a senator, the Student Finance Committee chair, and the Vice President, and in this time I have had the benefit of getting to listen to many student concerns and ideas from diverse factions of the Smith community. This experience with direct student feedback has shaped my platform and priorities. If elected SGA President I can assure you that I will carry the values of community, diversity, academic excellence, transparency, democratic participation, effective management of the SGA, and fun into every conversation I have and every decision I make. I am ready to fight for student concerns, to turn ideas into actions, and to unify the student body under shared visions for Smith College. If you seek proactive leadership that will hear your voice and pursue your concerns, then vote Shawn Basta for SGA President.