Photo Courtesy of Ben Olsen
Name: Benjamin Olsen
Major: Government & International Politics
Year: Junior
Position: Student Body President
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for the position of Student Body President because I have served in the Student Government for the past three years, gaining valuable experience in both the Senate as a Senator and Chair of the Government & Community Relations Committee, as well as on the Executive Branch as Undersecretary for Federal Government Affairs. I have dedicated very much of my time to volunteering at Student Government events and helping other committees with executing their plans for initiatives and events. I have had enough experience to understand what the organization has been doing well and everything that needs to be improved or changed. If elected, I hope to be able to address the aspects that need to be improved or changed to better SG as a representative entity.
What do you hope to accomplish if you win?
What I hope to accomplish along with my running mate is to help make Student Government as transparent of an organization as we can possible make it. We want to work with other RSOs on campus to help make George Mason University a more empowered and inclusive campus. We want to work towards promoting organizations and university programs that do not normally get much attention. We also want to work with the University Administration to find ways to address the prominent issues that students have with very specific services on campus such as food, WI-FI and Housing. In essence, we want to find new and innovative ways to ensure that ALL of our students’ voices are being heard effectively.
What’s one thing voters might not know about you, your life, or your interests that was not mentioned in the first two answers?
One thing people do not know about me is how diverse my family background is. My mother’s family immigrated to this country from Cuba, while my father’s family immigrated from Norway. On my mother’s side, I have an Uncle and cousin embrace their Jewish heritage, as well as an uncle who was born and raised in a Muslim household. On my father’s side, I have two cousins who were born and raised in Japan, as well as relatives who have Canadian heritage. Finally, I have relatives on both sides who are Italian.
Photo Courtesy of Sara Babcock
Name: Sara Babcock
Major: Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Year: Sophomore
Position for candidacy: Vice President
Why are you running for this position?
In high school, I was always the behind the scenes leader. As my second year here at mason nears the end, I am ready to take on the responsibilities as a name-recognized leader. I want people to be able to come up to me and talk freely about changes they’d like to see at mason, things they like that we’re doing, or really anything at all. I want to be a resource for people to voice their opinions through. Since mason is the largest, public university in Virginia and has a large population of commuter students, it is easy to feel invisible and unable to spark change. I felt like that last year. I want every student to be heard, appreciated, and empowered. Mason is an extremely diverse campus and the time is now to use that to our advantage to improve and show pride in our institution.
What do you hope to accomplish if you win?
Our campaign slogan is to “Empower Mason” and that best summarizes what we want to accomplish. There is a disconnect between student government and the students. We aim to bring these groups to communication while promoting transparency and an ease to say what one is feeling without fear of repercussion. Students are the backbone of this university and deserve the opportunity to give feedback about what the university is doing for them. We have many initiatives, which you can find detailed in our official campaign platform on our Facebook page Olsen/Babcock Empower Mason 2018, that we want to work tirelessly to enact such as fixing the Wi-Fi on campus, working on finding a new food provider, making mason more sustainable, and giving voices to the organizations on campus that are lesser known.
What’s one thing voters might not know about you, your life, or your interests that was not mentioned in the first two answers?
I don’t like bragging about myself so this is a little out of my comfort zone but here goes. My selflessness and belief that all people are inherently good allows me to be a loyal friend and a genuine person. Although I’m not very good, I enjoy painting, photography, and crafting. One of my main passions is advocating for the environment, which can be seen through my major and the organizations I’m involved in. This passion also drives a lot of my other interests: hiking, adventuring, and just being outside.
