The “m&m Party” is proud to announce the 2003-2004 candidacies of Matthew B. Wilhelm for Student Body President and Maya I. Blanchette for Student Body Vice-President. These two self-proclaimed “people’s people” are excited to have the opportunity to work together in an official capacity next year as representatives to several important constituency groups. As Plymouth State prepares to undergo a historic name change that will put them in the same ranks as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, the privilege demands student leadership of university caliber!
Closing out his third (of five) years as a Communication Studies major, Matt Wilhelm currently serves as the Speaker of Student Senate at Plymouth State College and is looking to make a run for Student Body President. Matt has been involved in Student Government since his days in Nashua, where he was elected Senior Class President by his classmates at Bishop Guertin High School. A staff member with the Department of Residential Life, he has made Blair Hall his “home away from home” for the last year-and-a-half and looks forward to continued employment in the White Mountain Apartment Complex (WMAC) this fall. When not in Plymouth, Matt can be found on the shores of Lake Ossipee working at Camp Calumet Lutheran or at urban day camp programs in New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut. Matt is proud of his professional relationship with faculty, staff, and college administration and hopes that the Student Body will continue allowing him to continue making a difference for students at Plymouth State.
Running unopposed for Student Body Vice-President is Maya Blanchette, a 19-year-old second year Political Science major with a Women’s Studies Minor. Maya is the proud founder and President of the Alliance for Women’s Awareness, Rights, and Equality (also known as AWARE). She also sits on the Women’s Studies Council as voting student member and is anticipating her role on a developing advisory committee for the Women’s Services and Gender Resource Center. Maya enjoys interacting with students as a tutor in Politics and Government at the PASS office, and the front desk in Smith Hall but she anxiously awaits meeting incoming first year students as an Orientation Leader for Fall 2003. Promoting women’s issues on campus is Maya’s #1 priority and she looks forward to her position next year as a great opportunity to bring them the attention they deserve.
The “m&m Party” has identified issues affecting students for which, if elected, Maya and Matt will work diligently to lobby on campus, in the community, and in Concord. Exploration of the current Student Government structure at Plymouth State will be a key focus of the duo’s administration, as will the day-to-day motivation of Student Senators. With the right “can-do”, positive attitude, Maya and Matt believe they can effectively and efficiently achieve their following goals next year:
Student Government Communication with the Student Body, Create an All-Student Issues Group on my.plymouth; Publish Senate Press Releases to The Clock (students), other campus constituency groups; and Plymouth State’s Office of Public Relations; Hold informal “Town Meetings” in various convenient locations; General Education Committee, Create half-semester Social Justice Discussion Classes as three one-credit alternatives to the I-Perspective. Several might focus on Women’s Issues; Clubs and Organizations; Facilitate monthly Club Council with representatives from all groups; Create a Social Justice Council, bringing together delegates from ALSO, Common Ground, the Multi-Cultural Society, AWARE, and others; Shuttle Service; Increase service in the evenings and on weekends for safety concerns; Student Services; Solidify the liaison between The Women Services and Gender Resource Center and off campus organizations such as Voices Against Violence for a safer and more educated campus; To enhance the services offered at the Women’s Services and Gender Resource and make it more accessible to students.
The race for Student Body President pits Matt Wilhelm against another qualified candidate, Student Senate Secretary Tricia Gaul. He believes that he has honed in on several additional issues that will set himself apart from his competition. Among these include:
Student Government Communication with the Student Body; Regulate Student Senators organizing required constituency meetings; Clubs and Organizations; Utilize my.plymouth calendars to promote all organizations’ activities; Parking Issues & Shuttle Service; Explore extension of service out to Tenney Mountain Highway (Wal-Mart and/or Hannaford) to assist students in getting off-campus; Continue diligence in efforts to secure newly-created parking spaces available in the Fall; Silver Cultural Arts Center; Assist on-campus promotion of Silver Series events to continue increasing the number of students taking in professional music and theatre; Ensure student discounts for all student and professional performances; Student Activities & Other Fees; Publish Allocations Proposal and make readily available for students and organizations to view before Senate’s approval, perhaps in The Clock; Further analyze how fees are listed by the Bursar’s Office (such as Athletics) or work to better educate students on where their money is going; Student Services; Promote mental health issues affecting students through the Counseling & Human Relations Center and Peer Educators.
The Committee to Elect Matthew B. Wilhelm and Maya I. Blanchette encourage all students to attend the Student Government Debate on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00 PM in the Hartman Union Building’s Fireplace Lounge to better educate themselves about each candidate seeking election on Tuesday, April 15th. The press is encouraged to contact Maya (x5624) and Matt (x5692) with any questions, comments, and/or concerns.
“University Caliber Leadership for a New Era at Plymouth State!”