This article is part of the Review’s Student Senate column. In an effort to increase communication and transparency, student senators will provide personal perspectives on recent events on campus and in the community. 

In an effort to raise awareness for what Student Senate is, each senator has written a statement explaining who we are as students on campus, what our goals are on Senate, and what you can find us doing beyond being student senators. This is the final installation of a two-part series profiling student senators.

Emma Edney: My name is Emma Edney. I use she/her pronouns and am a third-year Politics and History major. When not on campus I love to visit friends at other schools and work at my old summer camp. This year on Senate I would like to continue my work around advocating for improved mental and physical health services for students. I hope to organize a Mental Health 101 workshop to help equip students with important skills regarding dealing with a variety of issues as well as improve administrative policy to better support students. 

Wenling Li: My name is Wenling Li and I use she/her pronouns. I am a third-year student majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics. In my spare time, I often clean up my room, especially my wardrobe and my desk. Putting things in order is of healing power for me. To aid relaxation, I also cook Chinese food with my friends and I do yoga. It’s an honor for me to work for Senate this year. My big-picture goal this year is to help international students thrive on this campus. Specifically, I want more international student involvement on campus and more bonding among cultural organizations. Hopefully, that would culminate in a summit discussing our status quo and our needs. On top of that, a more diverse and inclusive environment could be created. I invite everyone who feels such responsibilities to join the working group or tell me your thoughts.

Austin Ward: Hi Oberlin! My name is Austin Ward, I use he/him pronouns, and I’m a third-year Environmental Studies and Anthropology major. In my spare time, I like to eat barbecue chips, watch ASMR, and sleep — in that order. This year I will be serving again as a Student Senate Sustainability Liaison. Some of my main goals this semester focus on the informational and physical inaccessibility of sustainable practices on this campus regarding composting, recycling, and using reusable materials. I’m excited to work with the administration, Campus Dining Services, Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, and the Green EDGE Fund to make change. If you have any ideas, please reach out at [email protected]. 

Emarie Rose De La Nuez: My name is Emarie Rose De La Nuez, I use she/her pronouns, and I am a third-year Africana Studies and Economics major at Oberlin. In my free time, I enjoy taking naps and watching TikToks on my phone. My goal for Senate this year is to make campus dining more accessible for students with dietary restrictions. I am excited to represent the Oberlin student body this upcoming year!

Cait Kelley: I’m Cait, I use she/her pronouns. I’m a a fourth-year Politics major and a new senator from Northfield, Minnesota. When I’m not working as a senator, I’m working at Catrina’s — come say “hi!” — and watching all of the movies at the Apollo Theatre, even the really bad ones. As a senator I’m excited to continue my work with campus dining and I will focus on issues of transparency and institutional memory. Before I was a senator I didn’t really understand what Senate was and wasn’t capable of. I had no idea how to bring questions I had to Senate, or how they could help me address my concerns. As a senator I want to reach out more to the student body, especially to first-years, and explain Senate’s history and its future potential. As the post-Academic and Administrative Program Review, One Oberlin plan comes into effect, I hope to keep the student body as up-to-date as possible and to empower students to bring any questions, concerns, or ideas to Senate. If you see me around, don’t hesitate to ask me questions or chat. Thanks!

David Mathisson: Hi! I’m David — if you don’t know me yet you may have seen the 300 flyers from my Senate campaign around campus! I’m a second-year, and I use he/him/his pronouns. I’m currently working on a double major with a triple minor. The majors are Politics and an individual major called Professional and Creative Writing, and minoring in Economics, Rhetoric and Composition, and Law and Society. When not doing policy work, writing, or studying, I play Magic: The Gathering at a semi-competitive level. As I said during my campaign, my main goals as a senator are to raise the standards of our dining, improve transparency in the administration, especially in Residential Education, and push my multifaceted policy package to change the course selection process. Beyond that, I’d like to improve the relationships between Senate, community activists, and the administration — and advocate for environmental sustainability using policies that benefit the whole community. I’m excited to work for all of you this year as part of Senate!

Lena Golia: My name is Lena Golia, I use she/hers, and I’m a first-year. This year I’m hoping Senate can become less of a mystery to the student body, as well as hoping to increase communication and transparency between the administration and the school. I can’t wait to learn more about Oberlin and help out in any way I can by serving on various committees and working groups. I take courses in religion, Arabic, dance, theatre, and a first-year seminar. I’m also on the club rugby team — go Rhinos! — and currently in the student-run production of The Wolves.

Joshua Rhodes: Hello! My name is Joshua Rhodes, I use he/him pronouns, and I am a fourth-year student studying Classical Double Bass Performance in the Conservatory. My goals this year on Senate are to create a bigger presence from Senate throughout the campus with special emphasis on the Conservatory, and to build relationships among students from different backgrounds, classes, groups, and identifications. As Communications Director, I am very intent on keeping everyone up to date with what is going on in the Senate, and encouraging peers to provide input for and be a part of the direction that our campus is taking— in any and all ways. When not doing the whole student thing, I can be found swimming, having deep conversations that go on for hours, or reading classic American literature.