Hello, everyone! I’m Ismael Pérez, and I want to be your next Student Government Association (SGA) Treasurer! I believe that I have the skills necessary to successfully manage the SGA budget for the 2012-13 academic year. I am a strong proponent of student activism and organizational movement, so I would like to encourage and inspire everyone to organize with their intellect and passion.

I am a junior mathematics major with a minor in Chinese. In my time here thus far, I’ve been a member of several Pugh Center clubs, including Students Organized for Black and Hispanic Unity (SOBHU) and The Bridge. I’m also a general board member of the Pugh Community Board (PCB). In addition, I sing with the Colby College Chorale and Chamber Chorale, as well as with the Colby 8, Colby’s longest-running a cappella group, in which I also serve as the webmaster. As an organizer of various sorts and frequent audience member of many events on campus, I understand the level of detail required to run successful events, campaigns and general programming. I believe this level of understanding is essential when reviewing and voting on budget distribution.

I’ve grown to learn and to respect the needs of various clubs on campus, whether they are sports clubs, programming boards, affinity and support groups or activities and interests groups. These are all clubs and organizations that provide a place for students to showcase their passion and interests. As a member of various clubs, I understand the importance of building communities within communities. In order to accomplish several club initiatives, like community building, funds must be had, and they must be spent well.

If elected as SGA treasurer, I want to encourage clubs to collaborate more often. Collaborative events, in my opinion, offer much more in terms of skill building and community building. Although I have never served on SGA, I believe that my clear passion, belief in student organization and fresh perspective in SGA make me a strong candidate for the treasurer position.

My hope is to help student organizations as much as I can, while maintaining a level of professionalism for SGA. If a budget is not approved, I plan to help the organization get the funds that they need to host their event. Whether that means providing constructive criticism on their budget proposals or letting student organizations know about other financial resources on campus, my goal is to help students and their respective clubs achieve their visions.

So if your club is trying to get its name out there through a campaign, if you’re trying to bring a great speaker to campus on your own or even if you just want to have a relaxed event to promote unity within your club and the college at large, I will be your biggest advocate because your time here at Colby is short but valuable.

Lastly, I encourage you all to vote because your voice, big or small, matters in this community.