LUCC Executive Elections 2016 – Candidate Profile (Jo-Hanna Rifai)

To prepare our readers for the upcoming Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC) executive elections, The Lawrentian has compiled candidate profiles. Members of the Lawrence community can learn more about these candidates at a debate hosted by The Lawrentian‘s Zach Ben-Amots and Amaan Khan on Monday, Jan. 18 at 8:15 p.m. in the Nathan Marsh Pusey room of the Warch Campus Center.

 

Vice Presidential Candidate Jo-Hanna Rifai ’17

Hometown: Montreal, Canada

Majors, minors and concentrations: Economics major with a minor in biomedical ethics and an interdisciplinary study of innovation and entrepreneurship

Extracurricular involvement: 

• Currently the general secretary for the current LUCC president’s cabinet
• Currently the treasurer for the Lawrence University Panhellenic Council
• Director: House Corporation for Alpha Zeta of Delta Gamma
• Member of the Lawrence University Women’s Hockey team
• Manager and bartender at the Viking Room
• Tour guide for Admissions
• Lawrence Assistance Reaching Youth (LARY) Buddy

Prior relevant experience: I currently serve as a member of LUCC as general secretary on the president’s cabinet. This position has allowed me to be deeply involved in the student government here at Lawrence. Serving on Steering Committee has allowed me to stay current on all the issues and matters central to the Lawrence community. Aside from being an economics major, I am also treasurer of the Panhellenic Council, which has given me hands-on financial experience, a central role of the vice president of LUCC.

Basic platform: I am a junior economics major running for vice president of LUCC. I will leverage my LUCC experience to create a more equitable financial process. I am excited by the opportunity to continue my involvement with LUCC and apply my strong financial skill set to the vice presidency. My current involvement in cabinet as general secretary and as treasurer for the Panhellenic Council has prepared me to meet the expectations and demands of Lawrence clubs and organizations, by both understanding what organizations require to be successful and the importance of customizing the financial relationship of LUCC with organizations of different natures. Specifically in regards to finance, the standardized procedures do not serve the wide range of organizations within our community. By creating specific guidelines for groups of organizations such as service organizations, dues-paying organizations, off-campus travel based organizations, etc., we can increase transparency and understanding for all LUCC groups and individuals who seek funding. Currently, communication is one of the greatest weaknesses of LUCC. A lack of transparency prevents information from reaching the student body, which causes confusion about LUCC decisions and weakens our relationship with the student body at large. Despite this, LUCC has made great strives this year with our accessibility and I hope to continue this effort if appointed vice president. I look forward to partnering with the Lawrence community to bring about positive change. Thank you for your consideration.

What will you bring to the campus community? I will contribute my experience and knowledge to help LUCC continue to improve. I bring an open mind and a strong work ethic that is sure to help the student government be successful in meeting the needs of Lawrence students

What works at Lawrence? In my experience, when groups or individuals come in to LUCC meetings, their concerns or questions are addressed and the proper resources utilized. Increasing transparency in all aspects of LUCC’s operation will help even more people better use the representative body serving them.

What does not work at Lawrence? What needs improvement? We are currently in a housing crisis. Ideally, in the future, students will be able to choose housing on campus and have their needs met in a timely manner. Also, the administration has to take more strides toward diversity and inclusion in order to make all students feel safe and welcome on campus.

What are some key issues you see at Lawrence? Communication, diversity, on-campus student parking, transparency, divisiveness between Lawrence groups, housing

How would you address or amend these issues as vice president? I will be transparent with the Lawrence student body. I promise to inform the community of the current involvement opportunities on LUCC to increase communication and transparency. I will also work to foster an inclusive Lawrence community by making LUCC an accepting and diverse student government. I will ensure that student voices are heard by the Lawrence administration to address not only the issues listed above, but also any issues or concerns that may arise in the future.

Relevant links: facebook.com/VPRifai/

 

[Editor’s Note: Candidates’ submissions have been edited for style.]

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Have questions for Jo-Hanna? Ask them as comments below and they may be brought up at the debate on Jan. 18.