Vice President for Campus Life

Name: Alex Cedar 

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Party: Alliance

Bio: I’m Alex Cedar, a sophomore from London, UK, studying Film Studies and Political Science. I have served as an elected representative for CC’19 on CCSC for the past academic year, during which time I served as a member of the Campus Life committee under Nathan. I took a leading role in organizing events such as Homecoming, College Days and the Tree Lighting Ceremony and really hope I can build on this experience and bring some of my new ideas next year, to the role of VP Campus Life! Away from council, I have served as Co-Chair of Third Wheel Improv.

Platform: Designated undergraduate student space
Alliance will work to ensure undergraduates have more access to recreational spaces by repurposing the student center and residential lounges we already have. Currently, the most popular spaces in which students gather include JJ’s Place (which requires a meal swipe to access) and Butler Library (which only exacerbates stress culture). We hope to create more opportunities for undergraduates to enjoy student spaces that are accessible, free of charge and specifically designated for fun. These will involve arcade games, movie screenings and board games in Lerner Hall and residence buildings with large lounges such as John Jay, Broadway and East Campus. Alliance’s goal is that through facilitating centralized places to hang out and relax with friends, we will be building community and helping to counter stress culture.

Fall Concert at Baker after Homecoming
Alliance hopes to collaborate with the Bacchanal Committee, the three other undergraduate VPs for Campus Life/Student Life, JCCC and the Columbia administration to organize a fall concert for undergraduates at the Baker Athletics Complex to take place after the Homecoming football game. This will generate greater student interest in the Homecoming game, and will make the weekend a real occasion for the wider undergraduate population at Columbia, rather than just those interested in athletics.

Two Campus Life events each week
Alliance aims to hold at least two events each week in the 2017/18 academic year. While this will require more appointed representatives to the CCSC Campus Life Committee, this is a goal that remains attainable. Traditional, large scale events such as Homecoming, Glasshouse Rocks and College Days will be supplemented by new events designed to foster a greater sense of community, which will be held on a regular basis like water balloon fights, yoga on the lawns, and ping-pong competitions.


Name: Cindy Liu

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Party: Grassroots Columbia

Bio: Cindy Liu (CC ‘18) is pursuing a double major in English and Sociology. She enjoys emoting with the piano regularly. On campus, she is co-president of Columbia Classical Performers, student liaison for the Music Performance Program, co-founder of the Intercollegiate Chamber Music Festival, and co-leader of the formal petition for proprietary music performance space at Columbia. Cindy believes that Grassroots Columbia has the power to tackle Columbia’s most pressing issues of mental health, food services, disability services, space allocation, and creating a supportive campus culture because the team knows how to improve student life from the inside-out.

Platform: Grassroots Columbia is a team of student leaders with a vision and passion for empowering our CC peers. We believe Columbia’s most pressing issues can be most effectively tackled from the bottom-up, especially through the smallest unit of community–student groups. We plan to create tangible solutions for mental health, food services, disability services, first-generation students’ rights, and fair and effective space allocation for student groups. We also strive to create school spirit focused on a supportive campus culture by spearheading and promoting myriad student events, including innovative music concerts, science speaker events and inter-club community service.

We embrace our diverse backgrounds and experiences that allow us a deeper understanding of the issues facing our student body. Rui, as a first-generation student of color, was appalled by the lack of comprehensive and effective support available for first-generation students. He will fight against the stigma of the label, advocating for programs that understand what it truly means to be a student who has never been taught how college works. Through science clubs Richard found the community support he needed to combat Columbia’s stress culture. He plans to alleviate it by fostering closer, more socially-conscious student organizations. Cindy arrived at Columbia as an avid pianist, and was disheartened by the perpetual lack of space for practice, rehearsal, and concerts on-campus. To expose the issue, she rallied the support of the entire Columbia music community, past and present, and co-authored a petition that brought this thirty-year-long issue to the President and Provost of Columbia.


Name: Vik Kapur 

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Party: Low Beach Party

Bio: Hey, I’m Vikramaditya (Vik) Kapur from New Delhi, India. I’m a junior in Columbia College studying Economics and Psychology. I’ve served as appointed council for the Class of 2018 before and I plan to make a tangible change to campus life with the goal of making it fun and friendly. I was formally that-kid-you-met-at-cannons, and I know exactly what people need to see at a CCSC event to make them actually want to go to.

I’m super sociable so if you know me that’s great, if you don’t come find me at Mel’s!

Platform: Campus Life at Columbia needs to change. We are constantly voted most stressed out school in the states and I want to change this culture. I will redefine Campus Life as not only an event planning committee but a committee that looks after both the mental and physical welfare of the students. Change doesn’t have to be expensive— it has to be feasible. Below are some of the events and issues I will advocate for if I am elected:

Week long events before Fall Bacchanal (which Low Beach Party hopes to achieve) and Spring Bacchanal
• Spring Barbecue, food trucks on College Walk, public movie screening and lawn parties

Fridays at the Beach
• Every Friday the lawns are open in the Spring
• Music or student performances on the lawns
• Advocate for lawn hammocks and beach chairs

Senior lecture series
• Invite eminent guests and speakers to give lectures primarily to the senior class but open to all students. This will allow students to listen and learn about areas outside of their majors with professors they may not have been able to study under.

TEDx Columbia
• Many universities host TEDx ,and as a premier ivy league institution, Columbia should host the TEDx brand, allowing us to attract famous guest speakers as well as produce and disseminate content created at the Columbia campus.
• This will be a great forum for individuals on the campus to share their stories and learn from one another.

Late nights @ Lerner
• Utilizing the Party Space to have music playing late at night for students and to serve food and drinks

Increased Collaboration:
• Work with RA’s and TA’s to better organize and advertise events by having RA and TA representatives on the campus life committee
• Streamlining access to mental health resources for these students
Involve More Groups in Campus Life
• Designating one person on the Campus Life Committee to coordinate events with ESC, GSSC, and SGA
• Designating one person on the Campus Life Committee to coordinate events with Hall Councils

Appreciation Weeks
• Athlete Appreciation Week, Dining Hall Appreciation Week, Public Safety Appreciation Week

Unifying the Columbia Community
• Greater advertising of sports events to increase student engagement
• Fun Inclusive events during Bacchanal and Homecoming

Just because cannons shut down doesn’t mean we still can’t have fun. Vote for Low Beach Party to make campus happier, more inclusive, and more united.