An election to determine the Student Government Association’s (SGA) next Gender and Sexuality Senator will be held Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Two candidates, Jacob Boettcher ’22 and Sakura Honda ’21, are running for the office. The victor will replace former Gender and Sexuality Senator Maggie Upjohn ’20, who resigned Nov. 4 due to time constraints, Upjohn wrote in an email.
The Gender and Sexuality Senator serves as a liaison between campus gender and sexuality groups, relevant courses, Carleton College and the Northfield community, according to an email from SGA President Devon Nielsen ’20 and Vice President Ariel Mota Alves ’20 announcing the election.
Should Boettcher win, he aims to “increase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ staff and faculty on campus through events,” use “LGBTQIA+ aligned events” to bring St. Olaf College students and Carleton College students together, advocate that the city of Northfield and Carleton work with St. Olaf to craft events that connect LGBTQIA+ students with LGBTQIA+ mentors and continue the call for increased mental health support services on campus, according to the Oleville website.
Should Honda win, she is unsure what policies she aims to implement, though she has expressed interest in demarcating a floor of a Residence Hall or an entire Residence Hall in which “LGBTQIA+ people can feel safe and more [at] home instead of just a house for a couple people,” according to the Oleville website.
Voting begins Tuesday at 9 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m. The victor will be announced immediately following the election.
To find out more about the candidate’s platforms in their own words, watch the videos below!
