Read about the students running for the 2019-2020 ASWU Senate.
Information and photos courtesy of ASWU Senate candidates.
Class of 2021
Mary Robicheaux
Hi everyone! My name is Mary Robicheaux and I am running for the position of one of the class of 2021 senators on ASWU. Although this is my first time being involved in student government, I have been a part of multiple student leadership projects that have equipped me with the abilities to be a responsive senator. Throughout high school, I helped organize many school events, ranging from potlucks to community-building retreats. During my senior year of high school, I was a main organizer of a week-long community service event. This role included contacting speakers, organizing the schedule and deciding where each speaker would present. My experience on this committee expanded my organizational skills and instilled a greater care for the well being of my school and community. Overall, I am diligent, fair and reliable. As a senator, I will listen to and advocate for the students of Willamette University. Vote Mary!
Kiki Drum Bento
Hey all, I’m Kiki Drum Bento and this year I’d like to represent the class of 2021 as an ASWU Senator. Throughout my time at Willamette I’ve been involved all over campus. From volunteering with the Office of Service Learning and leading a TAB trip, to dancing with Willamette Dance Company. But one thing became very clear last year as a result of my involvement with the Willamette Theatre. Communication between ASWU, University administration and the general student body is an issue. While steps are already being taken to further better communication, I hope to join the conversation and become involved in enacting changes, in order to support students’ rights and foster a better relationship between students and administration. As a politics, policy, law and ethics major, evaluating and creating policy that affects the wellbeing of constituents is something I’m very interested in and hope to learn more about through this opportunity. Thank you for your consideration.
Jesse Alexander Peone Lippold
No bio
Class of 2023
Emma McEvoy
Hey Bearcats! It’s Emma McEvoy here and I am running for the 2019 ASWU Senate. As someone who is passionate about student engagement, it would be my pleasure to represent all of you as your senator and ensure that your voices are heard. My experiences as a club board member, student representative, and event coordinator have taught me the vital skills necessary to satisfy a large, diverse group of people like our class. Furthermore, I am an easygoing and approachable person who loves to talk with other people, so any of your concerns or questions would be greatly appreciated and taken into account. Besides being dedicated to the success of the student body, I am dedicated to environmental sustainability and social justice, especially the rights of recent immigrants and asylum seekers. In my free time, I love to read under the star trees, pet the cat at Salem’s Book Bin and go thrifting. My goal is to make Willamette a place where everyone, no matter their background can thrive, succeed and have fun. We only have four years to make that a reality, so let’s start now by voting me, Emma McEvoy, as your class of 2023 ASWU Senate representative.
Quinna Sypher
Hi everyone! My name is Quinna Sypher and I’m running to be an ASWU Senator because I believe I can be a representative voice for the class of 2023. I’ve had a lot of experience working for student-run organizations like the Junior State of America, in which I ran both a high school chapter and a state department last year. I plan to advocate for students like myself who are in the LGBTQ+ community or receive significant aid from the University, as well as anyone else in the class who is able to express concerns to me. I want to work with my class as well as for my class and plan to be as open and communicative as possible. If elected, I’d like to bring a focus on sustainability and student wellness to ASWU by promoting increased accessibility for students to the recycling program and working with different mental health groups around campus to create a dedicated week-long program promoting different aspects of mental health and self-care to students. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about myself or my platform! My campaign Instagram is @ quinnaforaswu and my email is qasypher@willamette.edu.
Michael Burke
My name is Michael Burke and I am running for one of the class of 2023’s five ASWU senator seats. I’m from Portland, just an hour from Willamette and have lived in the pacific northwest all my life. In high school I put a lot of effort into making everyone feel welcome and ensuring everyone was inclusive and accepting of others. One of my primary goals as an ASWU senator is to continue in the spirit of this, ensuring everyone feels they have a voice and can comfortably share it. Since I won’t be working on campus this year, I intend to dedicate this free time I have to ASWU, ensuring the class of 2023 has strong representation in our student government. After being voted senator, I plan to be involved especially in the organization of school affiliated clubs at Willamette, ensuring our class gets equal opportunities for membership and a say in future club ideas.
Madeleine Chastain
Hello my name is Maddie Chastain. I am thrilled to be running in this year’s election as a Senator for the freshman class. During my attendance at Willamette University my main goal is to be a part of making a difference on campus, and I truly believe that by working with our student government I can most definitely accomplish this goal. Before I started at Willamette University, I was a part of a few clubs on my high school campus where I was treasurer and secretary; working in student government was one of the best choices I made during high school, I was given the opportunity to work with my peers on giving back to the community we lived in. If I was given this position, I would be given the same opportunity on a larger scale and in my new home. I look forward to working with all of you, and seeing everything we can accomplish.
Olivia Frenkel
What it dooo Class of ‘23! My name is Olivia Frenkel and I’m super excited to be running for a position on the A.S.W.U. Senate! I’ve been in many leadership classes and clubs, and I fulfilled my high school’s ASB Vice President position which required me to get to school at 6:45 a.m. every morning, so I’m hoping the requirements aren’t the same here. As we’ve gotten settled into our shiny, new lives, our many expectations about Willamette have either been graciously met or they may have unfortunately fallen short. These shortages are going to be my main focus if I am elected. We all chose to come to Willamette for our own reasons, preconceptions or hopes, but I want to make sure that you all have an expansive list of reasons to stay here. If you have any questions or ideas, my email is onfrenkel@willamette.edu and my instagram is @oliviuuhhhh. Voting starts on September 5th at 8:00 a.m. and ends on the 9th at 5:00 p.m., so don’t forget!
Bryleigh O'Neil
Hello! My name is Bryleigh O’Neil and I’m a first year student. I am the perfect addition to this years ASWU Senate for many reasons. I have prior experience in student government and I’m extremely passionate about my new journey here at Willamette University. Last year I was Senior Class Secretary for Springfield High School where I primarily worked on managing communication with outside organizations and increasing student involvement. As a part of the ASWU Senate I would vote on bills that allow students to have access to all the resources a successful college student needs. I want to make this campus a better place, and I will make choices in favor of you — the student. Now, some facts about me! I have a three year old dog named Samantha, I’m a first generation student and my favorite ice cream is salted caramel. I plan to join the Baking Club, Active Minds and the Bearcat Pantry. I currently have my sights on being a psychology major and I am specifically interested in child development. Check out my Facebook event and remember, vote Bryleigh for ASWU Senate!
Gus Gunter
I am running running for ASWU senate to implement the interests of the class of 2023 as fully as possible. I feel confident that I can provide you with the best possible representation. My past leadership experience includes being a voting member of my performing arts departments student board, in which we were responsible for the drafting and approval of the departments significant annual budget. I have also been a strong advocate for positive change within the student body including serving as president of my schools GSA. If elected I hope to provide the class of 2023 with strong and efficient representation.This would include prioritizing initiatives that would benefit student body the most and making sure that such initiatives were allowed to see fruition. With driven action we can guarantee a brighter, better future for the entire campus.