On Wednesday evening, members of the community gathered in The Heights Room to watch the first and only debate between the three teams campaigning for UGBC President and Vice President before elections commence on March 20.
The three tickets are as follows:
Jack Adams and Chase Gibson, both MCAS ’26
Andrew Cimino, MCAS ’26, and Brody Whetzel, LSEHD ’26
Cami Kulbieda, LSEHD ’26, and Reagan Marino, MCAS ’26
Introductions
Candidates had forty seconds to respond to questions and the floor opened with three minute introductions per group.
Adams and Gibson went first – emphasizing their core values of transparency and accountability for the organization. “We intend to fight for your interest, not the administration’s interest,” Adams stated. His running mate, Gibson, said that their policies are built around frustrations that students have expressed to them.
Next, Andrew Cimino and Brody Whetzel introduced their platform.
“It’s a privilege to be up here,” Cimino said, giving his respect to his fellow candidates. “Brody and I are here because above all, we love this school.”
The Cimino-Whetzel ticket boasted diverse leadership experiences and shared that they have talked to current UGBC members in the process of campaigning. That being said, their first priority is to fix internal matters, stating that “you cannot have a successful organization externally when you’re not solid internally.”
The two also highlighted that their short term goals have tangible action plans that don’t necessarily require administrative approval, a concern that some students have expressed against the pragmatism that other platforms may have in comparison.
The only two candidates with UGBC experience, Cami Kulbieda and Reagan Marino, followed.
“When I notice something that I don’t like, I act on it,” Kulbieda said.
Kulbieda and Marino have been meeting with administration and the student body, even knocking on doors in the dorm buildings to talk to people face-to-face.
Marino, who is a Resident Assistant at Boston College’s Messina College, was able to meet with the students of the college on an individual basis. The pair’s slogan: Personalis, Purpose, Progress, is at the heart of their campaign.
What personal qualities, lived experiences, and leadership attributes make you the best candidates?
Kulbieda shared that she is the oldest of four sisters and has acted as the bridge between her parents and siblings. She sees the administration as her parents and the students as being like her sisters. Similarly, Marino spoke of his experience as an RA at Messina College and bridging the gap between the Messina students and BC community.
In contrast, Adams said that they want to be a different type of leader that UGBC has seen in the past by actively listening to the student body and ensuring their priorities are aligned. They plan on sending out a monthly Google Form for students to submit their concerns, as well as establishing office hours to be more accessible.
This past summer, Cimino participated in Ever to Excel, leading a week-long summer camp for high school students on a journey of Ignatian ideas and reflection rooted in Jesuit values. He mentioned how some of his students had a language barrier and how he invested more time in teaching them new methods of communication, an experience that shaped him to be a more well-rounded leader.
Differences in Leadership Experience
Adams and Gibson have been meeting with many student organizations such as the Black Student Forum, Chinese Student Association, and talking to leaders to gain better insight into the gaps in the system and where UGBC has fallen short in their outreach.
Throughout their campaign, Cimino and Whetzel have emphasized their leadership experience in various organizations across campus. When asked how they plan to adapt their leadership approach to UGBC, Whetzel said, “Over the last two months, [we] have taken a position of learning,” executed by attending senate meetings regularly and connecting with former members that have since stepped down.
Between Kulbieda and Marino, they have a collective three years of experience in UGBC, something they see as an advantage.
“We are not going to be playing a game of catch up, there’s nothing for us to learn foundationally,” Kulbieda said. “We plan on leveraging the foundations that we’ve been able to build over the last couple years.”
Her running mate said, “You have to know how to start small. The other tickets seem to have more grandiose plans– bigger policies that they claim are going to be completed in their term, which is not feasible.”
Many students struggle with course selection and major discernment. How do you think the academic advising system can improve to better support students of all majors and backgrounds?
Adams would like to extend the add-drop period to make sure students have enough time to determine what classes they want. Adding on, Gibson said that for science labs in particular, a lot of fees go undisclosed before a person even registers for a class, which has become a problem for some STEM majors. He called attention to a need for disclosures about hidden costs.
Kulbieda, who is the current Academic Affairs Committee Chair in the UGBC senate. She is actively meeting with the Dean of Academic Advising in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences (MCAS) to create an advising expectations sheet and an advisor match sheet, which would allow for more personal connections and transparency throughout the process.
On Mental Health Issues
Kulbieda has had the opportunity to work with faculty on the issue of mental health clauses in course syllabi, specifically with people at The Center of Teaching Excellence. She believes that the current mental health samples given on a BC syllabus are outdated, and has received feedback from students of better examples in her research to implement. Additionally, Marino will be advocating for emergency mental health policies and excused absences.
Gibson pointed out that an important aspect of mental health care is that it has to be specific to the person. Adams said that they should be utilizing UGBC’s large email list to share resources, pointing out that the administration has tried similar services to the newly announced Murray Center for Student Wellness, but they need to ensure that this system actually works.
While resources for mental health exist, many students are unaware of them or find them difficult to access. Kulbieda considers the promotion of these resources as integral, and wants to make sure that academic departments are holding their professors accountable as well.
Cimino emphasized the importance of being proactive with their outreach. “If you look at our platform, we want to streamline student involvement. We plan to create a database of clubs and their meeting times, we have a strict action plan lined up with senators,” he said.
Question for VP Candidates: College students often face social pressures related to academics, extra curricular involvement, and social life which can impact their overall well being. How would you work to create a campus culture that supports student wellness, encourages balance, and reduces harmful pressures?
In Marino’s response, he referenced a Google Form survey created for students to voice any concerns or feedback for UGBC in a proposed biannual “Outreach Day.”
Gibson considered physical harm reduction in his answer, referencing the out of order Blue Light Call Boxes on campus, which he plans to fix.
Whetzel wants to revamp the student involvement process. Through his work with first-year experience jobs on campus, he has had conversations with students who are struggling with forming connections on campus and wants to amend that by creating a centralized online system to find club information, as well as rollout their “BC Bonds” program.
If elected, how do you plan to support and amplify the voices of minority groups on campus, particularly AHANA+ students?
“Having only a few AHANA representatives is a travesty,” Adams said. He and Gibson have been meeting with different affinity groups, some of which they claim have not worked with UGBC candidates before.
He added, “Budgets are statements of values, we need to be investing in these groups.”
Gibson wants to create a “culture of demonstrations” where people can express political opinions, referring to BC’s infamous low ranking on freedom of speech. “If UGBC is not taking a role in making sure we can voice our opinions, then it is failing at its job.”
In his answer, Cimino said their slogan “For students, not status quo,” reaffirmed their commitment to students regardless of their background.
“We won’t always be the smartest ones in the room on these issues,” he said. However, they have people on their team who are members of the AHANA+ and LGBTQ community that are able to help them on relevant issues.
Kulbieda said that the AHANA+ Leadership Council in UGBC is a great space for student advocacy, but she does want to expand collaborations with student organizations. In particular, Marino has been working with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) to help expand dining options for religious diets and address cross contamination concerns.
How do you perceive the current landscape of LGBTQ+ programming, resources, and support on campus. What is your vision to continue to support this community?
“We understand that there has been a big push for an LGBTQ resource center… and [that] unfortunately did not work,” Cimino said. Their campaign instead proposed hosting an IgnatianQ conference for queer students on campus as an intermediate step.
Kulbieda said, “The university unfortunately takes our Jesuit identity and weaponizes that against progress.” She pointed out that the establishment of an LGBTQ center has been in the conversation for over 20 years, and agrees that students in the community need a better space.
Though there is a lot of doubt about Adams and Gibson’s goal of creating an LGBTQ resource center, they are adamant about advocating for it. “We intend to spend part of our budget on hiring peer counselors and social work graduate assistants to actually assist LGBTQ+ students,” Adams said. To prove their commitment, they have even suggested turning the UGBC Office into the resource center itself.
Do you believe that UGBC is effectively filling its role? If so, in what ways? If not, what are specific areas that you think need improvement?
Kulbieda said that though UGBC is doing a good job, they can do better to “foster an environment of care and inclusivity.” One of their platform’s goals is to rebrand the DEI division to “Inclusive Excellence Policy Coordinators” to protect that mission in light of the tumultuous political landscape in the country. To her, the biggest place UGBC is lacking is in expanding outreach efforts.
She said, “As we know, BC’s motto is ‘ever to excel,’ we recognize that we should also be excelling in inclusivity.”
What do you see as the core function of UGBC and what role does it take on in the student body? How do you see yourself improving upon it?
“Quite simply, advocacy,” Adams said. He has been giving out his phone number and encouraging students to reach out to him directly.
His running mate added, “We’re representatives of [the students], not the administration.”
Can you describe a time you experienced an obstacle to your advocacy work? How did you overcome the challenge to better improve the student experience at Boston College?
Adams shared that during the L.A. wildfires, his family’s house burned down, which got in the way of his studies and advocacy. However, it was this hardship that inspired him to run for president so he could be a voice for those at BC who are struggling in similar ways.
On the other hand, Kulbieda and Marino talked about perseverance in their previous advocacy work and not taking “no” for an answer.
As for Whetzel, he discussed how BC is an expensive school, and how he works as an RA and has two on-campus jobs so he can support his education. Due to his personal experience, he wants to prioritize helping the Montserrat community.
As President and VP, you are responsible for motivating, empowering, and supporting the UGBC leadership team. How would you foster trust and cultivate a collaborative environment?
It is important for Kulbieda to have a team that she not only trusts, but will trust her as well. It is one of her main priorities to make sure that every person is heard.
Cimino and Whetzel are heavily focused on creating real, tangible solutions through monthly anonymous feedback forms so that they can address problems right away. Additionally, they want to improve the internal culture of UGBC.
“You can’t lead people if you don’t know people,” Whetzel said.
What do you admire about the other tickets?
All candidates stressed the importance of transparency, community connection, and leadership in their platforms.
“For both [other teams], they fight extremely hard for what they believe in, and I really admire that. They have a lot of passion for what they believe in,” Cimino said at the end of the debate.
And while Kulbieda has underlined her platform’s experience in UGBC, she expressed admiration for the risk that her opponents are taking. “It is a big deal to put yourself out there and to show your passion,” she said. “I think that it just goes to show that even though we are second semester juniors now, it’s never too late to get involved and get your voice heard.”
Aspiring haunted house owner, ex-barista, and NYT mini crossword player.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.