Bradley Spahn ’11, candidate for WSA President writes in about the Student Leadership Stipend he’s proposing:
As you may know, I’m running for WSA President because I want to protect everyone’s opportunity to participate in Wesleyan student life. In my work as President of Students for Barack Obama and the WesDems, I came to appreciate how much time it takes to be a student group president. I realized then the WSA could make being a student group leader a little easier for students on work-study.
That’s why I’m proposing a Student Leadership Stipend, so that student finances don’t force someone to choose between being a student and being a student leader. The stipend would use some of the surplus from the WSA budget to provide 30 student leaders, chosen by a panel of students, with a stipend equivalent to a 10-hour per week work-study job. The stipend would only be available to financial aid students that have already established themselves as a leader of a student group.
Wesleyan is the vibrant place it is because of our strong commitments to one another. As students, we give up large chunks of time every week to serve our community through student groups. Unfortunately, because of the demands of their work-study jobs, many students are unable to fully participate in student life, forced instead to take work-study job.
No student should be forced to choose between having enough money for books and taking a more active role in student life, but that’s precisely what is happening to many of our student leaders on financial aid.
The stipend won’t resolve all the challenges that financial aid students face, but it will make things fairer, helping remove one burden for these students and make Wesleyan’s student life even more vital and diverse.
Elections for WSA President and VP, as well as for senior class officers, are now open. This Wesleying post will eventually have the link for elections…
Pingback: WSA Presidental Debate: Spahn vs. Feiring vs. Wood – Wesleying
Hey maybe we should think of all the student body statistics that the administration holds close to their chest, plus some more and do a quick student-organized Wesleyan census. er, survey. hm.
Hey maybe we should think of all the student body statistics that the administration holds close to their chest, plus some more and do a quick student-organized Wesleyan census. er, survey. hm.
I’m curious about the student body’s financial details, in aggregate (although I doubt anyone would release them). But I get the sense that students without financial aid may be graduating with more debt than students who do have financial aid, incidentally. My mother doesn’t have any money so I’m getting great finaid and graduating with about 20k in loans, but I know people who are graduating with significantly more debt than that… maybe it balances because their parents own a house or something but I just think that’s an interesting and overlooked fact. Also can we talk more about class and wealth? kthx.
My advice to anyone who wants to take a leadership role in something but doesn’t have time is this: cut back on other stuff. If you wanna go hard in one activity, you can’t do six others, get over it, and try taking fewer classes sometime too, it’s balanced and educational and good.
okay. n signing off w/ love.
I’m curious about the student body’s financial details, in aggregate (although I doubt anyone would release them). But I get the sense that students without financial aid may be graduating with more debt than students who do have financial aid, incidentally. My mother doesn’t have any money so I’m getting great finaid and graduating with about 20k in loans, but I know people who are graduating with significantly more debt than that… maybe it balances because their parents own a house or something but I just think that’s an interesting and overlooked fact. Also can we talk more about class and wealth? kthx.
My advice to anyone who wants to take a leadership role in something but doesn’t have time is this: cut back on other stuff. If you wanna go hard in one activity, you can’t do six others, get over it, and try taking fewer classes sometime too, it’s balanced and educational and good.
okay. n signing off w/ love.
From my post on the acb regarding this utterly fucktardy idea:
I understand why he’s doing what he’s doing…
Lets say that I’m on financial aid. I am.
Lets say that I really need money to fund my education and expenses at college. I do.
Lets say I’m interested in student gov. I’m not, but lets say I am.
If I need to spend 10-20 hrs a week working in my elected role, then that’s 10-20 hrs I could have spent working instead…
So, I wouldn’t do student gov shit because, well, I’d be broke if I did.
I think the idea is a good one for people who are interested in student gov and such, but couldn’t afford to do it.
On the flip side, I’m a senior, I work 2 jobs, am a double major, I’ve helped to run a club team and trained/practiced year round in addition to everything else I do, and have a job lined up for post graduation so I think I did okay.
If I did all that and didn’t get compensated for the sport leadership role, why the fuck should anyone get compensated for a role you choose to run for. The experience is the compensation. You shouldn’t get paid for holding leadership positions in college!
That’s fucking bullshit…
Bradley, I bet you read this. There are far better things that money can go for. I fucking hope that no one votes for this stupid dick move.
Man, if you want a job, get one. Or just manage your time better and do both!
Recaptcha: cases naivest
and yes, it is ironic that I’m writing about time management at 3 am on a sunday night. Huzzah afternoon classes!
From my post on the acb regarding this utterly fucktardy idea:
I understand why he’s doing what he’s doing…
Lets say that I’m on financial aid. I am.
Lets say that I really need money to fund my education and expenses at college. I do.
Lets say I’m interested in student gov. I’m not, but lets say I am.
If I need to spend 10-20 hrs a week working in my elected role, then that’s 10-20 hrs I could have spent working instead…
So, I wouldn’t do student gov shit because, well, I’d be broke if I did.
I think the idea is a good one for people who are interested in student gov and such, but couldn’t afford to do it.
On the flip side, I’m a senior, I work 2 jobs, am a double major, I’ve helped to run a club team and trained/practiced year round in addition to everything else I do, and have a job lined up for post graduation so I think I did okay.
If I did all that and didn’t get compensated for the sport leadership role, why the fuck should anyone get compensated for a role you choose to run for. The experience is the compensation. You shouldn’t get paid for holding leadership positions in college!
That’s fucking bullshit…
Bradley, I bet you read this. There are far better things that money can go for. I fucking hope that no one votes for this stupid dick move.
Man, if you want a job, get one. Or just manage your time better and do both!
Recaptcha: cases naivest
and yes, it is ironic that I’m writing about time management at 3 am on a sunday night. Huzzah afternoon classes!
this proposal was discussed in the WSA last year and was overwhelmingly defeated. whether bradley is elected president or not, should this proposal come before the WSA it will be sounded rejected because it’s stupid (for all the reasons mentioned in the comments above) and the WSA knows that.
this proposal was discussed in the WSA last year and was overwhelmingly defeated. whether bradley is elected president or not, should this proposal come before the WSA it will be sounded rejected because it’s stupid (for all the reasons mentioned in the comments above) and the WSA knows that.
ohh nice. let’s once again widen the division between students on financial aid and those who are not.
ohh nice. let’s once again widen the division between students on financial aid and those who are not.
Well,
as a student on financial aid who leads a student group, and who also has a job on campus that’s about 10 hours a week, I really think this is an awful idea. It just counteracts the whole reason I lead a student group.
Well,
as a student on financial aid who leads a student group, and who also has a job on campus that’s about 10 hours a week, I really think this is an awful idea. It just counteracts the whole reason I lead a student group.
yeah, I mean it’s good that he’s working to address those problems, but I don’t think this is the way to do it. this will cost like 1,000 per person and only help like 30 people. it’s just no efficient
yeah, I mean it’s good that he’s working to address those problems, but I don’t think this is the way to do it. this will cost like 1,000 per person and only help like 30 people. it’s just no efficient
You know, I’m not sure how I feel about the proposal but I do think it is a commendable attempt to address a problem in student activities on campus that is usually overlooked. Unfortunately, a lot of work-study students do not have the time to get involved in student government (or other activities) because their paying jobs take up the majority of their free time. A lot of work-study students are also racial/ethnic minorities which can be a contributing factor to skewed demographics in important campus institutions, like the WSA. (I don’t actually know the demographic data for WSA membership, but this definitely COULD contribute to underrepresentation of minorities.)
Who knows if this is what Spahn was thinking about when he came up with the proposal, but I would hate for everyone to just dismiss this as completely unnecessary and a waste of time and energy.
You know, I’m not sure how I feel about the proposal but I do think it is a commendable attempt to address a problem in student activities on campus that is usually overlooked. Unfortunately, a lot of work-study students do not have the time to get involved in student government (or other activities) because their paying jobs take up the majority of their free time. A lot of work-study students are also racial/ethnic minorities which can be a contributing factor to skewed demographics in important campus institutions, like the WSA. (I don’t actually know the demographic data for WSA membership, but this definitely COULD contribute to underrepresentation of minorities.)
Who knows if this is what Spahn was thinking about when he came up with the proposal, but I would hate for everyone to just dismiss this as completely unnecessary and a waste of time and energy.
I thought Lowell Wood was the joke candidate.
lost my vote as well
I thought Lowell Wood was the joke candidate.
lost my vote as well
I mean, it’s not a terrible idea. It’s definitely well-intentioned and all. But it would never fucking fly.
I mean, it’s not a terrible idea. It’s definitely well-intentioned and all. But it would never fucking fly.
I don’t know, guys. He is both the president and the sole member of the Student for Barack Obama Club. That’s actually pretty cool.
I don’t know, guys. He is both the president and the sole member of the Student for Barack Obama Club. That’s actually pretty cool.
Lost my vote
Lost my vote
I agree with anon 2. I came to say the same thing.
I agree with anon 2. I came to say the same thing.
only thirty people are you a fucking moron
this is like what my teacher said about fucking candy in 3rd grade––only bring it to school if you’ve got enough for everyone
*minus one vote*
I’m on financial aid, and even I think this is a dumb idea.
only thirty people are you a fucking moron
this is like what my teacher said about fucking candy in 3rd grade––only bring it to school if you’ve got enough for everyone
*minus one vote*
I’m on financial aid, and even I think this is a dumb idea.
It’s surplus money, I’d much rather it go to financial aid students than for it to sit around and do nothing.
It’s surplus money, I’d much rather it go to financial aid students than for it to sit around and do nothing.
yeah this is just a hornet’s nest
people will be fighting over the $$ and shit
yeah this is just a hornet’s nest
people will be fighting over the $$ and shit
yeah…the administration would never go for this. Dumb idea
yeah…the administration would never go for this. Dumb idea
I’d love to get this $$ but I know this will never happen.
I’d love to get this $$ but I know this will never happen.
Surely that money could go somewhere better than to create perverse incentives for psi u brothers to further pad their resume, no?
Surely that money could go somewhere better than to create perverse incentives for psi u brothers to further pad their resume, no?
This is one of the stupidest fucking ideas I’ve ever heard.
This is one of the stupidest fucking ideas I’ve ever heard.