From Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29, Lawrence students had the opportunity to elect Lawrence University Common Council (LUCC) class representatives for the 2023-2024 academic year. This is a break from previous years, in which class representative elections were held in September.
Juniors Rowan Tipping, Dylan Borash, Elliot Williams Hutfilz and Jonathan Dahl were all elected as representatives for the Class of 2024. The four were uncontested in their campaigns.
Tipping was re-elected to the position of class representative for 2023-2024. He said that having served as a class representative before had allowed him to learn about Lawrence’s institutions and how to address the issues that arose surrounding them. He used the example of when he successfully advocated for more coathooks outside of the Andrew Commons this year for the increased safety of students. This year, Tipping hopes to join the compensation task force and advocate for higher student employee wages.
Borash hopes to use his voice as a representative to unify the college and the conservatory more fully. He said working towards this goal will be a way to create more solidarity within the student body.
Like Tipping, Dahl was also re-elected as a representative for the next year. He said he ran again because he enjoyed working alongside LUCC to address student needs. He hopes to continue his work on the finance committee.
Sophomores Fariah Jannat, Giacomo Bocanegra, Hayden Young and Nathaniel Laprade were elected as representatives of the Class of 2025.
Jannat said she ran because she feels that communication between students and student government is strained and believes she can help bridge the gap between the two parties. As a representative, she hopes to increase transparency between LUCC and students.
Bocanegra said he ran with a desire to serve his peers at an elevated level. He plans to project the voices of his fellow students to student government and administration more fully.
Young was re-elected to his position of class representative this year. He said he had been able to affect positive change via LUCC legislation and wants to continue, specifically highlighting a resolution on student privacy rights that he introduced in response to unannounced and late-night walkthroughs of group housing. Going forward, he wants to utilize referenda and legislation more often.
Laprade said he ran with diverse student needs at the forefront of his campaign, citing that he was a member of both the newly established Lawrence University chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and the Student Alliance Against Sexual Harassment and Assault (SAASHA). He plans to defend the financial security of groups that promote dialogue about student wellbeing and to create a personable image for students to trust.
“Above all else, I wish to be a representative that anyone can come and talk to,” Laprade said. “I want to hear what matters to you and how you want things done.”
First-years Ella Dorsey, Gilliana Hope, Emma DeGroot and Emmett Bowman-Grubbs all ran uncontested and were elected. Bowman-Grubbs ran on a slate with first-year Nolan Madrigrano, who will serve as a proxy while Bowman-Grubbs studies abroad.
Dorsey said they ran because they wished to see more transparency with how administration addresses student grievances and wanted to use the position of class representative to advocate for that idea. Now elected, Dorsey hopes that they can strengthen communication between Lawrence and its students to realize more transparency between parties.
Like Dorsey, Hope imagines that finding solutions that benefit both parties will improve the Lawrentian experience. She plans to use her voice for her class and the whole student body to address administrative issues as they arise.
Bowman-Grubbs ran with the changes befalling Lawrence in the coming year – such as the transition to first-year only dormitories – in mind. He plans to use his voice as a representative to ensure that such changes will affect the student body positively.
Elections for the Class of 2027 are set for Fall Term 2023.