CANDIDATENAME: Nora Diamond
SCHOOL/YEAR: Columbia College 2011
EMAIL/CONTACT#: nora.s.diamond@gmail.com;571-332-0599
***Youmust be able to commit to weekly ABC meetings starting at 8:30pm on Wednesdays,as well as additional weekly hour-long committee meetings for the entire2008-2009 academic year.
ABC Reps help groups navigate the Columbiabureaucracy, aid groups in event & financial planning and support thedevelopment of student life on campus. Reps are advocates for the groups theyoversee and are crucial in identifying areas in which ABC, the administration,and other student leaders can help improve students' experiences at Columbia.
The Rep sits on the Activities Board, whichconsists of 20 members. Throughout the year, the ABC votes on the allocation offunds, recognition of student groups, the granting of appeals and has a vitalrole in determining the agenda for the Activities Board. We are seeking 13highly motivated and passionate individuals to apply for these positions. Thisis a great place to learn more about student groups and funding, to gainleadership experience and to make an impact on campus.
CandidateStatement:
Allcandidate statements will be put up on the ABC website in the order they arereceived.It is to your advantage to submit early as your candidate statement willappear before the others are up. In your candidate statement, please explainyour interest/qualifications/ideas for the position of ABC rep, making sure toanswer the questions below. You may either give separate responses to each orjust address them all in one statement. Please also attach a photo
EachABC rep represents one of the following 13 general groups:
CulturalGroups (4)
SpecialInterest (i.e. Culinary Society) (2)
Competition(1)
Publications(1)
Scienceand Engineering (1)
Academicor Pre-Professional (1)
Performance:Dance (1)
Performance:Instrumental/Vocal (1)
Performance:Theater (1)
1)Why do you want to be an ABC rep? As an ABC Rep, which groups would you be mostinterested in representing? Explain your interest in those groups as well asany prior experience with those groups or other related qualifications.
Inmy time working on the film festival and with the debate team, IÕve experiencedthe full range of frustrations of financing campus activities. This year wasthe fifth annual CUNUFF (Columbia University National Undergraduate FilmFestival), but the first as a category B club, so I understand how much hardwork and creative thinking can go into hosting an event. In my participationin debate, IÕve also seen the trials and tribulations of year-long financialoperations. Given the diversity of my experience, I think I can understand thefinancial operations of many of the groups of campus quite quickly.
Infact, in addition to my activities at Columbia, my high school extracurricularsfill in the gaps of my experience here. In high school I was very active inband, theater, and honor societies, which is why I think I am speciallyqualified to represent the performance groups or pre-professional/academicgroups. I donÕt have a conflict of interest as I am no long active in theseareas at Columbia, but in high school participated in the executive operationsof a student-run theater troupe, jazz band, and academic society, so Iunderstand the fundamentals of how these organizations function. Not only do Ihave experience with them, but IÕm also an avid supporter of them – Ibelieve strongly in their purposes, but do not have personal connections whichwould prevent me from representing them fairly.
3) Namesome changes that you believe would positively impact ABC? Name 1-3 policyinitiatives that you think ABC should pursue next year.
Asa member of a young club (CUNUFF) and an established one (WKCR, Debate), Ithink ABC needs to focus more on the potential expansion of clubs, rather thanthe current status. For instance, CUNUFF is still far from the event it couldbe – we are beginning to gain a presence in the city and among theundergraduate film community, but we need to expand our operationssignificantly to do so. ABC should raise the stakes for this kind of clubactivity – that is, if a club can provide a persuasive plan for suchexpansion, which, understandably, is not within the club finances as theycurrently stand, ABC needs to support that effort. Clearly, any given clubwould need to prove that their plans are concrete and worth ABCÕs investment,but there should be the opportunity for them to do so – in presentationsto the ABC, or submitted proposals (not just of budgets, but of thoroughoutlines of these new projects). Although ABC does a good job of onlyrecognizing new clubs as is appropriate, they should also make more of aneffort in recognizing clubsÕ efforts at expansion and real growth.
Past& Current Activities at Columbia:
Pleasedetail your involvement at Columbia (you may attach a resume).
ColumbiaUniversity National Undergraduate Film Festival – Director of Judges andHosts (2007-2008, 2008-2009); VP, External Affairs (2009-2010)
ParliamentaryDebate – Member (2008-2009), Treasurer (2009-2010)
WKCR89.9 FM NY – Host, Daybreak Express (2008), Monday Morning in Mono (2009)
Commitments for 2009-2010:
Pleasedetail your commitment to other club positions, jobs, internships,responsibilities (i.e. RA) for 09-10.
CUNUFF, VP External Affairs
Parliamentary Debate, Treasurer
CUTTA Tutoring
Likely internship with citycouncil campaign and Progressive Strategies Group through municipal elections
Deadline:Sunday, April 26, 2009 by 11:59pm to