Why should students select you to represent them as ASG president and Vice President?
Our team is prepared to affect immediate change on the student experience by improving the day-to-day activities and concerns of Allegheny’s student body. As a ticket, we represent a transparent and holistic approach to involving students in sharing their voices. The combination of our separate experiences and skill sets provides us with the tools to grow and maintain an effective partnership between the College and the students we represent.
We share a strong ambition to support students in making the most of their time at Allegheny. Our combination of enthusiasm and legislative knowledge has allowed us to set realistic goals for our campaign that we know will be supported by our unique perspectives. By redefining ASG’s commitment to student engagement through an improved finance request process, accessible information, and a focus on the mental wellness of students, we hope to contribute to the success of our community. Ultimately, the DeRose-Colabawalla ticket represents positive, lasting change.
What experience do you have in ASG and other campus organizations?
DeRose: Throughout my time at Allegheny, I have been actively involved in campus life, serving as Class President for the Class of 2027 and currently holding the position of Director of Finance on the ASG Cabinet. In these roles, I have gained valuable experience in leadership, financial management, and fostering transparent communication between students and administration. Additionally, my involvement in campus organizations such as Orchesis, where I currently serve as Treasurer, and Delta Delta Delta has further honed my teamwork skills and deepened my commitment to serving others.
If elected, I am dedicated to promoting inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration within ASG, with a focus on improving financial management and amplifying student voices to enact meaningful change.
Colabawalla: At Allegheny College, I have been deeply involved in student governance and campus organizations. Within the Allegheny Student Government (ASG), I have served in various capacities, including as Class Vice President and Chief of Staff on the Cabinet. These roles have provided me with invaluable insights into student governance and campus dynamics, allowing me to advocate for the interests and concerns of my peers effectively. Beyond ASG, I have been an active member of campus organizations such as the South Asian Student Society (SASS), where I serve as Vice-President, and my fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, where I currently hold the position of House and Grounds Chair.
These experiences have not only honed my leadership skills but have also reinforced my dedication to serving the Allegheny community. Through my involvement in both ASG and other campus organizations, I have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to student advocacy and community engagement, preparing me to effectively serve as Vice President and continue fostering positive change within our vibrant campus community.
If elected, what would be your key priorities for next academic year? How would you achieve those goals?
Our first priorities for the upcoming year include a focus on access to information, financial transparency, and an ASG-supported mental health initiative to bring our community closer. To encourage greater access to information, we intend to live stream all general assemblies to accommodate for the involved schedules of the general student population. With this, we plan to build up the online presence of ASG to encourage contact between students and our governing body. To do so, we plan to make better use of our Engage platform by sharing manageable, concise, and consolidated information that truly reflects the decisions and mission of ASG.
As members of the ASG Finance Committee, we have dedicated considerable time to drafting updates to the finance request and club budget processes, and look forward to unifying these forms to improve access to funding. The events funded by ASG greatly impact the campus culture, and by streamlining this process, we intend to clarify expectations and maintain the vibrance of student organizations. One of our primary initiatives for the upcoming year will be to launch an ASG-funded, anonymous mental health support group. We understand the impact of many students’ involvements and how existing resources within our College can be used to advocate for mental health awareness. That is why it is a key priority of our ticket to recognize and bear the responsibility of supporting students directly through mental wellness.
As the college’s enrollment has shrunk, ASG has struggled to fill both Senate and cabinet positions for the last few years; last month, Attorney General Will Lowthert, ’24, recommended shrinking the Senate and merging some cabinet portfolios to compensate. Do you think ASG needs to get smaller? If elected, what would you do to ensure that ASG positions stay filled?
DeRose: I do not think we need to overhaul the system, I think we need leadership that is willing to take people interested in these positions and show them how exciting it can be to hold a student leadership position.
Colabawalla: I think it is important that the organization be led by people who are motivated to renew a sense of purpose on the ground and assure the student body that ASG exists for a reason.
For DeRose: The presidency engages with other elements of the college’s governance structure, representing the student body to Faculty Council, the college president and the Board of Trustees.What about your experience and skill set makes you best able to fill this role?
It is one of the key duties of the presidency to maintain a clear dialogue between the governing body and the members of Allegheny’s administration. With my experience as Class President and especially in my time as Director of Finance, I have greatly expanded my knowledge of the internal workings of the college. Likewise, I have formed positive relationships with members of the college’s governance. The foundation of honest and open communication I have built gives me a great sense of confidence in my ability to represent the student body to these higher structures. Never once have I felt out of place expressing my concerns to these authorities. More importantly, I feel that my roles within ASG and other student organizations have prepared me to bring forth the ideas of others with conviction and understanding. In prior leadership roles to my time at Allegheny, I collaborated with trustees and stakeholders of our institution to sanction changes within the student and member experiences. I believe that my interest in shared governance began long before my experience at Allegheny, having served for several years as an executive member of my school’s student government and as an advisory board member of Girl Scouts of Western New York. Those experiences grounded my passion for leadership in a continued effort toward impactful change within my communities. I trust these experiences to be the foundation for my ardent desire to make a lasting difference in the Allegheny College community.
For DeRose: If elected, you would serve your presidency as a sophomore. Why should rising juniors and seniors vote for someone who’s only been on campus for two semesters? What do you have that a more experienced candidate does not bring to the table?
DeRose: While I believe it is important to consider my time at the College, I fully believe that my experience in ASG this year has prepared me for my approach to the presidency. After serving in the Senate and now standing as a member of the Cabinet as Director of Finance, I am confident in my ability to facilitate open dialogue and support the student voice as President of ASG. Through these positions, I have expanded upon my passion for transparent leadership and learned a great deal about the inner workings of our governing body, as well as, the practical communication required to serve the position.
Not only do I bring knowledge and experience, but I provide my sheer ambition to create lasting change to ASG’s presence on the Allegheny campus. Specifically in Finance, I have begun to draft changes to existing processes that will allow students to access funding more efficiently, while simultaneously referring to historical trends of the treasury and relying on the input of student leaders and members of the committee.
I believe that my view for the future of ASG Finance demonstrates an informed, driven enthusiasm for change that will shape our organization’s impact for years to come. I look forward to building new relationships with students and faculty alike to nurture fruitful discussions and progress.
For Colabawalla: The vice presidency handles a lot of the day-to-day of ASG — most visibly by leading weekly General Assemblies. What about your experience and skill set makes you best able to fill this role?
I have been a member of ASG since I first arrived on campus. This has allowed me to truly understand and immerse myself in the process and understand the day-to-day tasks as well as prepare for leading the GA. I have a history with Roberts Rules as I was a part of Model UN before I came to Allegheny. I was then able to spend close to 3 years now, honing and understanding the finer nuanced points that may be brought up during GA. Additionally, during my first year, in my time as class vice president, there were many instances where I had to run the class meeting. This involved organizing an agenda before the meeting began, going through it, discussing new business as well as readdressing any unfinished business from the previous meeting. As Chief of Staff, I had to organize several students into college committees as well as support senate and class presidents with their endeavors. Coordinating with various students as well as groups of students to help them plan and execute events, were all part of my duties.
Having a year to engage with clubs, classes, and cabinet members alike has allowed me to gain a well-rounded and diverse understanding of the potential issues that may arise. These skills and experiences, I believe, have prepared me completely to host GA and my other vice-presidential duties. I truly love the process and effort that goes into running ASG smoothly. Whether this is ensuring GA is run well, or whether it is helping new senators get a grasp of Roberts Rules and how ASG runs, I am looking forward to the opportunity.
Part of your campaign platform is improving financial management and transparency within ASG. However, when a treasury candidate was put forward to fill the empty seat in November, both of you abstained from the vote, with Colabawalla opting instead to put forward an amendment to split the treasurer’s position into two seats. It took another three months for those two seats to be filled. What would you say to students who think that it would have been financial management to just approve the first treasury candidate? What further financial reforms do you plan to enact?
When enacting the changes to the ASG Constitution and voting to restructure the finance position into a co-directorship, great consideration was taken toward supporting a long-term solution that would enable ASG to continue to fund student organizations effectively. The general decision to take a pause on approving a single candidate for an incredibly heavy position was made carefully, recognizing that the responsibility of communicating with the wide variety of organizations on our campus would not be sustainable for a single person. By opting to inform ourselves of the historical and current trends of the treasury’s efficiency, the Senate made an informed decision to accept an empty seat in the Cabinet until a structure of delegation and communication was created.
With these changes now instituted, we hope to extend this consideration to the entire student body by enacting a restructuring of current finance and budget request practices. It is our goal to unify existing finance forms into a manageable and clear process that ensures timely allocation of ASG funding and lively campus events. The intent is to sustain these positions in the government that reflect an understanding of students’ access to information and interpersonal communication.
Although the initial process of amending the structure of ASG Finance came with its challenges, the committee never ceased to fund events and clubs. Our commitment to the future of Allegheny Student Government can be seen in these difficult decisions because the solution could not have been a rushed decision. Instead, we relied on the intentions of students and senators to come to an agreement that reflected the needs of the current Allegheny community and our hope for continued success.
Is there anything else you would like students to know about you and your candidacy?
As students consider the possibilities for the upcoming year, we would like to reiterate our commitment to realistic and concrete goals for the advancement of our students. Our leadership as President and Vice President of ASG would strive to enact immediate reforms to the existing processes that the organization holds. We are dedicated to furthering the personal and professional relationships invested in student leadership. With these goals in mind, we feel that our collective experience as active members of student government and the campus community will provide the student body with strong leadership.
The diversity of students at Allegheny is the cornerstone of our inspiration to lead and we deeply believe that promoting access to decision-making opportunities is the key to representing the collective voices of the College. We are excited to further these opportunities for students to be heard. Together, we know that our dedication to serving the community through authenticity is the path toward a brighter future for Allegheny. With your backing, we are confident that we can enact meaningful change, empower diverse voices, and foster a campus environment where every student feels valued and heard. Together, let us embark on this journey towards a brighter future for our beloved institution. Thank you for considering us as your leaders, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve you.
