The Vassar Student Association (VSA) recently held its first elections after passing a sweeping administrative restructuring bill last fall. The VSA’s new structure is for the next year, in the new 155th Session of the VSA in Fall of 2023. The elections ran from Sunday, March 26, to Tuesday, March 28, for all campus-wide and constituent-based positions on the VSA, seeing the highest voter turnout since a switchover to a new, more competitive election system. The Strategic Plan in 2022 also recommended a reduction in the size of the VSA.
Five Executive Officers, 16 full-term or part-session Class Senators, five Judicial Council and nine House Events Officer seats were open for election. Positions with no filed candidates are set to be filled by the Board of Elections and Appointments (BoEA) with applications due this summer.
According to the VSA, “The Cabinet, composed of ten officers and led by the President, serves as the VSA leadership, overseeing the work necessary to execute the will of the College and collaborating with faculty, administrators, alumnae/I, and the trustees. In chairing their respective Senate committees, the Cabinet supports senators in moving resolutions that strengthen the Association and improve the student experience.”
There are also five Executive Officers that, rather than being elected, are nominated by the President-elect, Olivia Gross ’24 and the Cabinet-elect. Filings for these positions were closed after elections ended. The first duty of these newly elected officials is to elect a new Board of Elections and Appointments (BoEA). As the Spring 2023 elections came to a close, and election results were emailed on Wednesday, March 29, and the VSA expressed gratitude to the current BoEA for making the process possible.
This semester, The Miscellany News hosted a Candidate’s Debate sponsored by the VSA as an opportunity for candidates to answer questions, engage in conversation and highlight key tenants of their platforms.
Transparency and accessibility were forefront in many candidates’ filing statements, as were equity and student labor concerns and the role of the VSA at the College.
The Miscellany News reached out to the newly-elected Executive Board members for the 2023-2024 academic year. They shared reflections on the election process itself, and also specified some of their goals for the coming year.
Olivia Gross ’24, President
I am the recently elected VSA President for the 2023-24 school year, and I am so thrilled to start. It was a long, arduous campaign process that really showed how we have so many driven, talented student leaders looking to make Vassar a better place. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a rising senior American Studies major and Prison Studies correlate from New Haven, CT, and I have been elected senator every year I’ve been here. I am beginning to brainstorm my Advocacy Agenda, which lays out all of the goals I want the VSA to accomplish next year, and I urge students to reach out to me with any frustrations, concerns or confusions they have experienced at Vassar—telling us is the only way we can fix them. My largest goals are increasing mental health resources, advocating for a student vote on the Board of Trustees, decoupling student financial aid and work study (so that having a job is a choice, not a necessity) and creating a streamlined method of transparency between the VSA and students, like a column of our weekly updates in The Misc. I am looking forward to taking on the role as an unwavering advocate for the students here at Vassar. Thank you for the opportunity, and let’s have a great year.
Emily Doucet ’25, Vice President
Hello, everyone! My name is Emily Doucet, and I am very excited to be serving as your next VSA Vice President alongside an excellent Cabinet team. Over this past year I have had the opportunity to act as your Chair of Academics, and in that role I have been able to accomplish many of my goals regarding more fair academic policies that were cognizant of student concerns and mental health. In my tenure as Vice President, I am excited to continue my work in the VSA and to further promote a culture that is focused on the effectiveness of student advocacy and the well-being of students on this campus.
Traci Francis ’25, Equity Executive
I am very grateful to be reelected for the ’23/’24 school year as Equity Executive. With this being my first year in VSA, I had no idea what to expect, but I’m truly proud of the work that I accomplished this year and am so excited to continue those initiatives for the next school year. I believe it is my identity that provides my passion for this position. I am a low-income student of color, part of the LGBTQ+ community and also struggle with a learning disability. My intersecting identities really help create an intersectional perspective on issues I tackle on campus. Vassar has a very long way to go in terms of accessibility, but we are making strong strides. This past year, I have worked extremely hard with the AEO and our VSA Academics Committee to implement an attendance modification accommodation. Grades of students are being harmed when their disability prevents them from making it to attendance-mandatory classes, and they shouldn’t have to disclose sensitive disability-related information in order to not be reprimanded. Next year, I hope to continue equitable policy work around Title IX within athletics and organizations on campus, as well as within VSA itself. I have learned so much about my role in the VSA and thank our current President Julián Aguilar and Vice President Joe Mangan for providing me with guidance that undoubtedly prepares me to make an even bigger impact next year. I would be happy to have a conversation with anyone about any equity and inclusion-related initiatives or problems on campus that you would like to see addressed!
Demetri Sedita ’26, Sustainability Executive
Hi everyone! My name is Demetri Sedita (he/him) and I am a rising sophomore from Jewett. I currently work as a sustainability intern here on campus and I am excited to represent you as the VSA’s Sustainability Executive for the 2023-2024 school year. I have substantial experience working on sustainability issues in my hometown of Tampa, FL, including serving on the City’s Sustainability and Resiliency Advisory Team, during which I helped shape sustainability policy for the over 300,000 people who call Tampa home. This experience allowed me to learn about sustainable planning for a large organization such as a city government and how different community stakeholders exert influence over the process. During my term, I will work to lift up the voices of all Vassar students and especially work with our sustainability-focused organizations, such as the Greens, while advising the other Executive Officials and the Senate on environmental matters. My prior experiences have taught me about the necessity of bringing in many different voices to create effective sustainability policy, and I will prioritize listening to the desires of the student body in guiding my conduct as your Sustainability Executive. I plan to be as transparent and accessible as possible, so please feel free to email me at dsedita@vassar.edu!
Abigail Wang ’24, Wellness Executive
Wang did not respond in time to a request for comment.