Senate Holds Special Election

A special election is currently taking place to fill three vacant spots in Senate. Two spots are open due to mid-term vacancies, which will last until the end of this semester, and one normal two-semester seat, which will last through the spring. All candidates are running uncontested: Jenna Ong and Leila Mye are running for the two one-semester seats, and Alyssa Daggett is running for the two-semester seat. The ballot has been sent out to all Reed students by email, and voting will take place for at least a week or until the 25% quorum is reached. 

The election assembly for this special election took place on Thursday, October 17. Daggett was unable to attend the assembly due to a schedule conflict, so her speech was pre-recorded. The other two candidates spoke to a mostly empty room. Election Czar Ezra Frohlich opened the assembly by expressing the importance of the student senate for fostering connections between the Reed administration and the student body, as well as representing student interests. Each candidate was then given two minutes to present their platforms.

First up was Ong, who said that as she’s only running for a one-semester seat, she wants to run on smaller issues, which she thinks could greatly improve the quality of life. Her first goal is the creation of a smaller board plan, as she knows several people who live on campus and cook a lot, yet are required to pay for a board plan. She also wants to extend hours for Commons, saying, “People deserve food!”. Finally, she seeks to make more photos and videos of dorms available, both for prospective students who are unable to see Reed in person, like when she was considering Reed, and for current students who want to know what other dorms are like.

Mye is also running for a one-semester seat. They’re also advocating for more photos of dorms to be available online, as they came in as a transfer student and were unable to tour Reed. “When I got my dorm assignment,” they said, “there were two photos of my dorm online.” Because the only information online is for first-year dorms, they mentioned that it was really difficult to know where they were going. They also believe there need to be pictures of all the dorms in communities like the Cross Canyons, not just one. Additionally, Mye had an opportunity to do a lot of volunteer work in the year before they came to Reed and thinks everyone should participate in volunteer work within the community.

Daggett shared her platform in a recorded speech. First, she wants to increase mental health support by adding more free therapy sessions or bringing in an outside therapist, because it can be inaccessible to commute or go on Zoom after exhausting the free options. Additionally, she seeks transparency in tuition increases, as she states it’s unfair that Reed has been increasing tuition and not letting students know until after the transfer window closes. Finally, she aims to revamp the orientation modules because she believes they are ineffective and fail to engage students. She shared that she served in student government for five years and has extensive experience with advocacy.

The assembly then moved into a question-and-answer portion, where each candidate had one minute to respond to each question. As mentioned, Daggett was not able to attend, so her responses were sent to the Election Czar after the fact in writing and passed on to the Quest.

The first question was, “Many candidates and senate members strive to accomplish big goals. What qualities do you have that will ensure that you can achieve what you’ve set out to do in your platform?”

Ong described herself as caring a lot about the people around her, passionate about making a difference, and detail-oriented. She said, “I feel like even if it’s a small thing, it’s kind of beautiful, in a way, to see someone and to want to help what they’re going through, even if it’s the Commons dining hours.” Mye said they’re a dedicated person: when they set their mind to something, they get it done. Additionally, coming from a transfer environment where they felt like they couldn’t do anything about where they were, being somewhere with an active student body is wonderful and motivates them.

Daggett said, “What sets me apart is a combination of ambition, passion, and experience. My five years in student government, including time on the Board of Education as the only student representative, weren’t just roles—they were hands-on lessons in creating change. I worked hard to abolish the dress code, introduced mental health policies centered on student needs, and kept police presence off campus. Each of these goals required not only the drive and persistence to push boundaries but also the discipline to manage my time and stay focused. That experience shaped how I work: I know how to take on complex issues, break them down, and push them forward. With this background, I’m confident that I can make the goals in my platform more than just promises—they’re achievable steps toward real change.” 

The second question was, “Senate is a job which requires communication with staff and administration. How do you see yourself filling that specific senate role productively?”

Mye described their past experience working with administrative bodies, including lobbying the school and board, “I have a decent amount of experience dealing with admin already.”Ong said she thinks a lot of communicating is listening, being patient, and doing whatever you can to make what you want to happen work, “I would really do my best to just work with them, work with their limitations, but still trying to give the student body what they want. You kind of have to be strategic about it.”

Daggett said, “I will advocate firmly for student initiatives while keeping discussions respectful and productive. I know when to hold my ground on issues that matter to students without letting the conversation become combative. By prioritizing clear, respectful communication, I aim to make sure students' voices are heard and taken seriously. I’ve learned that the key is to listen actively to all perspectives, acknowledge the concerns of administrators, and then strategically push forward with solutions that stay true to student needs. This approach helps keep both sides engaged and collaborative, making it easier to work toward real, lasting changes.”

The third question was, “I opened this assembly by stating that the Reed Senate has the important job of representing student interests. How will you ensure that you hear from a diverse student body with a diverse set of opinions?”

Ong said she loves talking to people, and she’s pretty comfortable talking to anyone anywhere on campus, “I tend to have long conversations with people because I'm always asking questions to understand them, to know what they think, to see who they are as a person.” Mye said that, similarly, they enjoy talking to people and are very open to hearing other people’s opinions. They think everyone needs to share more out in the world, “I’m not running for Senate explicitly because I have any super big goals or plans outside of I want to help community engagement.”

Daggett said, “To genuinely represent the student body, I know it’s essential to actively seek out and listen to a broad range of voices. I’d make a point to connect with students from all backgrounds, including those who might not typically feel heard in Senate spaces. This means setting up open forums, casual drop-ins, and perhaps even partnering with clubs and cultural organizations to understand their perspectives directly.”

The final question asked was, “The Reed Senate is a space that draws in a lot of driven, opinionated people. How do you plan to manage disagreements and conflicting opinions when working in the Senate?”

Mye said, “I work with children. I feel like that really teaches you a lot of conflict management skills.” Their job has taught them how to understand where people are coming from even if you disagree with them. They said they’re not trying to equate senators to children, they said to some laughter, but it can be useful to go back to the basics. Ong said she will try her best to communicate, but doesn’t do it to the point that she creates conflict with other people, “If there’s someone I disagree with, I don’t demonize that person and I don’t do anything outside of whatever that disagreement is.”. She said that she doesn’t turn conflict into something bigger than it is.

Daggett said, “In a space like the Reed Senate, where passionate, driven people come together, disagreements are inevitable—and honestly, they’re often productive. I see managing conflicting opinions as an opportunity to find common ground and push ideas further. My approach is to listen actively, understanding the core concerns behind each perspective rather than focusing solely on points of disagreement. When things get tense, I aim to keep conversations grounded by redirecting the focus toward our shared goals and commitment to the student body.”