UGBC’s Senate discussed new approaches to communicating with the Boston College community at its meeting on Tuesday night.
“This is a huge goal for UGBC this year—constituent engagement,” said Jonah Kotzen, UGBC president and MCAS ’24.
One potential mode of connecting with students is an interview video series, similar to the one featured on the BC Instagram account, said Max Winkler, chair of the community relations committee and MCAS ’24.
“We can come up with ideas we want to do, what kind of videos we want to make to engage with people on the quad,” Winkler said.
According to Winkler, UGBC’s Community Relations Committee is aiming to film its first video this week to ask students what Welles Crowther’s story means to them in the lead up to the Red Bandanna football game.
“We’re gonna be shooting for that as a way to get started out on a social media presence and put some faces to the organization that previously we had kind of lacked,” Winkler said.
Senator Benedita Zalabantu, MCAS ’25, added that UGBC members could better engage with the community by participating in UGBC-planned events more consistently.
Zalabantu recalled events that UGBC helped organize for first-generation students at which only she and one other colleague from UGBC were present.
“A lot of those events were [largely attended by] people of color, so being a first-gen student and also a person of color, it didn’t look too good,” she said.
Zalabantu said if UGBC is going to make an effort to increase its presence on campus, its members need to support every aspect of UGBC by attending the various events the organization holds.
“We put so much time into this, and I don’t wanna be the only person to show up to the things we’re working on,” she said.
Meghan Heckelman, UGBC vice president and LSEHD ’25, added that Zalabantu’s point was an important reminder for the Senate to consider everyone it represents on campus.
“It’s important to step back and think about, ‘Wait, who are we not thinking about right now? Who’s not represented at this table today?’” Heckelman said.
The Senate also unanimously confirmed three more members to its legislative positions, including Angana Saha, MCAS ’24, as AHANA+ Leadership Council policy coordinator, H Edwards, MCAS ’26, as GLBTIQIA+ Leadership Council policy coordinator, and Lydia Nkrumah, MCAS ’25, as Council for Students with Disabilities policy coordinator.
Heckelman also appointed Cami Kulbieda, LSEHD ’26, to serve as a second secretary to UGBC, alongside Cristina Gregory, MCAS ’26.
As the meeting adjourned, Kotzen commended the senators for the ideas and discussions they raised at the second session of the year.
“That’s exactly how these meetings should go,” he said.
