Elijah Sonntag

I would like the opportunity to serve as one of your First-Year Class Representatives in order to bring your ideas and concerns before the senate. I believe that government should serve the people that elect it. We live in a world that primarily pays attention to the majority, but that is not the job of a representative. The job of a representative is to be open to what all people have to say. Regardless of a representative's personal beliefs, it is their responsibility and privilege to listen to their constituents. As a society, we are starting to make progress toward this goal of fair representation, but we still have a long way to go. Underrepresented communities need to be heard, and we must continue to strive for equality. That is the true job of a representative, to put their own interests aside and give voice to those who need to be heard. I want to serve you in this exact way, as a true representative, not a delegate. I want to have these conversations with you, meet with you, talk with you about whatever you want to talk about (even if it is as simple as “Why are they serving orange chicken for the 4th day in a row?”). In fact, I believe that without your voice, we will never be able to achieve the goal of equal representation. I would love to know all of the problems and have all of the solutions, but the fact is that I can’t. It takes everyone’s ideas and opinions to make the world and campus a better place to live. I believe that I can fulfill this obligation to serve you, the class of 2025. I am willing to put in the hours, listen and respond to your ideas. This should allow me to properly serve you as one of your First-Year Class Representatives.