Student Body Candidate Platforms Spring 2023
Senate Candidates
Andee Gude (Senator)
Hi! I’m Andee, a freshman Art History major and CRES minor. I have wanted to run for senate for awhile, and have waited until I felt that I have truly experienced Reed; the good and bad, and seen the flaws from within. Something extremely important for me to consider in this position is creating opportunities for us to connect with the greater community of Portland; especially for BIPOC students.
I’ve consistently worked with organizations in Portland and currently intern at the Black Fund of Oregon. I also did an 8 week program with APANO, learning about sexual and reproductive health. I’ve noticed that there are very few opportunities for students to connect to Portland outside of Reed, and I want to work to change this. Since being here, the hardest adjustment I’ve had to make is acclimating to class divides, and I want to work to bridge this gap by providing more resources for low-ses students. I also know that when I felt alienated or misrepresented at Reed, for my race or socioeconomic status, it was in Portland where I found extended community and sanctity. It’s important to see what works here at Reed and to consider how we can grow from there. I’ve paid attention to the ways I’ve felt supported, and how I have not. Within my year at Reed, I’ve worked in the Visual Resource Center distributing digital resources to students and faculty, and have recently begun serving on the Student Committee for Diversity. Additionally, as a 2023 recipient of the President’s Fellowship award, I am working to build community with an exhibit at Reed, highlighting Black artists. I’m dedicated to bringing my diverse experiences to this position, and creating more community integration, equity and accessibility to underrepresented students here.
Lily Garvey (Senator)
Hi everyone! My name is Lily Garvey, and I am very excited to have to opportunity [sic] to run for Student Body Senate.
As a member of Senate, I would aim to reduce feelings of isolation and extreme academic stress, and to address the disconnect between administrative understanding and actual student experience.
There are a lot of ways in which the administration provides support, but one of the ultimate failings of the Reed administration is the school's retention rate. Academic pressure, isolation, financial barriers, lack of diversity and lack of support for BIPOC students all make it incredibly difficult to both remain and thrive at Reed. I mainly hope to address these issues through a platform of academic support and community engagement.
- Attempt to analyze and address why Reed students have taken leave or transferred out in order to create a more balanced and supportive college experience
- Work on addressing registration issues, creating a more comprehensive and proactive advising system, and increasing seats for Group 3 classes for non-STEM majors in order to reduce academic stress and limitations
- Create a section on IRIS for student study groups in order to help students build academic connections outside the classroom
- Implement an annual collaboration with CLBR and faculty to host graduate school information sessions
Additionally, I would like to expand upon resources for off-campus housing. As incoming Reed class sizes grow larger while the amount of on-campus housing available for upperclassmen remains the same, I believe there should be some sort of database available for students looking for additional roommates or for someone to take over their lease.
Quest Editor Candidates
Henry Kendrick
Hello all!
My name is Henry! I am a Junior English major & (ideally) film minor, and I'm asking for your support for me to be and editor for The Reed College Quest!
I've been consistently writing for the Quest for four semesters now, and have a comprehensive understanding of the Quest publication process, as well as strong pre-established connections with current editors, Reed staff, and frequent writers alike.
Because the Quest is the only journalism program on campus, I see it as the best opportunity to allow students the ability to stretch their writings skills beyond our typical academic papers and personal fiction. As an editor, I will make certain that the Quest not only provides valuable information to the Reed community, but that our assignments provide valuable writing experiences for our amazing contributors. This will include and effort to make sure that writers are paid for their work, because you all deserve it.
Expanding the Quest's presence in the nationwide college media space will also be a priority. This will result in a higher quality paper for Reed students, and more expansive opportunities for writers and editors to pursue journalistic endeavors. The Quest may be a student organization, but it should be more than just a club. It needs to be a viable path for passionate writers to engage in meaningful journalism that will take them closer to their passions and careers.
I will be an editor that makes certain that any conceivable campus community member, be they a student, a professor, an administration representative, or campus employee, is assured that their perspective, opinion, or message on any given subject we report is fairly and accurately presented. The Quest sometimes deals with complex and contentious campus issues, and ensuring that no relevant party goes without their voice being heard will be my number one job as your next editor.
My sincere thanks for your taking time to read and vote. You may contact me with any questions about my platform at hwkendrick@reed.edu
Thanks again,
Henry Kendrick
Lindsey Babcock
I am a Freshman Biology major running for the Quest Editorial Board. This semester, I have been creating weekly charts and horoscope columns for the Quest. I also have a background in writing hard news stories for my high school newspaper, producing a live news broadcast, and running social media accounts for school news.
I plan to focus on bringing new writers to the team to broaden and diversify the Quest's content. I'd also like to see more highlights on students' lives (Reedies are really cool) and more high quality photojournalism.
L Urena
My name is L Urena (yes, it’s just the letter) and I'm running to be a Quest Editor!
I've worked extensively with the Quest this semester — from keeping Senate accountable to the student body as this semester’s Senate Beat columnist, to working as an investigative reporter on the recent staff pay revelations, I’ve worked directly on some of the Quest’s biggest stories.
I’ve spent more than a few late editing nights in the Quest office (the Quoffice, if you will) working with the editors on important stories, and I’ve learned a few things along the way.
I attended the Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Conference with the Quest in San Francisco, where I learned from panels and talks given by professional journalists and ultimately received a national award for our news website. As a computer science major, I also helped maintain the website this semester, and worked with the editors on our iOS and Android apps, which launched on the app store last week. I hope to add more features to the site next semester, such as refining the search engine and adding filters that will allow readers to search by category, date, or other metadata. Additionally, I plan to work with Senate and the other editors on a three step plan to create paid staff writer positions, as well as help organize another journalism conference trip. As a latine non-binary student, I hope to add my voice to the Quest staff, and to help uplift minority voices in the Quest. If you have any questions, you can contact me at lurena@reed.edu.