While student government members say the newly elected freshmen have increased their groups’ diversity, many also say that race shouldn’t be a factor.
Three out of nine newly elected representatives to the Undergraduate Assembly and two out of 10 Class Board representatives are women, and both groups also include Asian, black and Latino representation.
“This is the most diverse group that has ever run for UA,” said Vice Chairman for External Affairs and College junior Matt Amalfitano.
Amalfitano also said the recent addition of a University Council seat for a freshman UA member could be an opportunity for someone from an underrepresented minority group to gain additional prominence.
UA Executive Vice Chairwoman and College senior Lucia Liu agreed that the newly elected freshmen increase the UA’s diversity.
“Last year we had a lot of Caucasians, and a lot of people from the same organizations,” she said, explaining that many of them were in the same fraternities. “The UA was largely male, although this year we have a really good mix of women.”
She added that this year’s UA has more LGBT representation.
Since her freshman year, the UA has had at most eight female representatives, she said, but this year 12 out of 33 representatives are women.
Nominations and Elections Committee Vice Chairwoman for Elections and Wharton senior Patricia Liu agreed that men are overrepresented in the UA and Class Boards.
“The NEC is very happy with the diverse turnout this year during freshman elections, both shown in the original group of 54 candidates and also in those that won their position races,” she said. But she added that the male predominance “is an issue we may explore in future election cycles.”
After freshman elections, Lucia said, “every aspect of Penn is really well represented.”
Amalfitano cited recruitment efforts by Nursing and Wharton junior G.J. Melendez-Torres, the UA’s director of academic affairs, as well as by minority groups.
Patricia also said the six branches of Penn Student Government have worked with the 5B — the five minority student coalitions — to encourage participation.
However, newly elected Freshman Class Board Nursing representative Spencer Stubbs, who is black, believes this outreach isn’t necessary.
“During the election, race never really came up,” he wrote in an e-mail. “We’ve definitely moved past the fact race shouldn’t be an issue in determining who can do a better job.”
He added that his new position “can be [his] way of shattering ignorant stereotypes.”
While College freshman and newly elected UA representative Chris Cruz, who is Latino, is glad to represent others of his ethnicity, he doesn’t believe Latinos “are different enough from other races that they need someone to represent them, especially here at Penn,” he wrote in an e-mail.
“We are slowly seeing changes in the national government that are showing a shift in which ethnic groups are taking part in government,” he said. “My position in the UA could just be a smaller symbol of what is taking place on the grand scale in America.”
