SPE CANDIDATES

My name is Afi Alexandra (it/its) and I am pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing with a Dual concentration in non-fiction and poetry. I am a research fellow at the SexTech Lab studying the ethics of AI and human relationships as well as post-colonial approaches to studying sex and gender. I love asking questions. I originally come from Jakarta, Indonesia and my creative writing focuses mostly on environmentalism, labor, national identity, and cultural criticism.

As I’ve watched fellow organizers join the Student Senate and enacted real change, I feel inspired to apply myself to become a Candidate/Senator. One of the reasons I chose the New School for my Master’s was the student’s incredible access to advocacy. Whether it be funding or responding to real political climates shifting, I’ve learnt to really value these resources with my first year completed. After spending much time organizing on campus, I feel inspired to be an advocate for my peers and represent their interest in these rooms where larger decisions about what our school stands for.

I am both an academic and non-academic student worker as well as an international student. Many of the students issues of tuition hikes, contract re-negotiation, budget cuts, administrative response to current immigrant student policies, restrictions on academic freedom, transgender healthcare, all affect me personally. And those which don't affect me personally, I fundamentally understand as necessary to consider and bring into rooms where these decisions are made. If an issue is brought to the Senate that will require deep scrutiny and consideration, I will always consider the material realities of these decisions and open myself up to learning the ways this will change/adapt. I don't intend to be a politician.

I am a Public Engagement Fellow at the SexTech lab and an editor at the Inquisitive Eater. I am an active member of the SENS-NewSWU Organizing Committee and an official union student representative. I am also a part of our chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. I formerly contributed to the New School Free Press.

I am a strong advocate for financial transparency and full student agency. I think it is important for us to acknowledge and materially respond to the many things affecting our current student body, including but not limited to, pushing for our campus to be a sanctuary for undocumented and precarious international students, supporting the financial needs of working class students, protecting the working conditions of everyone who truly make this campus run, facilitating accessible communications between administration, faculty, and students, as well as continuing to protect our right to speak on issues which deeply concern us.

I am an educator! I come from an immigrant background and have spent my life building bridges — between cultures, between people, and between systems that don’t always speak to each other. I'm fluent in Russian and in sarcasm (but don't worry, I never punch down). I’ve taught everywhere from nonprofits, to Montessori classrooms to public high schools, building programs for children, women in recovery, and youth facing systemic economic and social barriers. I’m now studying international relations at The New School with a focus on child protection, education, conflict and security. I’m passionate about mental health and community resilience — and I believe we often heal by helping others. My platform focuses on creating hands-on service opportunities where students can build connection and purpose while giving back. I care deeply about making institutions more humane. If elected, I’ll bring compassion, structure, and a relentless belief in what we can build together.

I’m interested in serving as a Senator because I believe in education as a tool for empowerment — and I want every student to feel they have a voice in shaping this university. As a grad student in international relations with a background in education, literacy programs, and grassroots initiatives, I’m passionate about making sure systems work for people, not just policy. I want to contribute to a Senate that’s transparent, community-centered, and unafraid to hold institutions accountable while building something better.

I will listen deeply, advocate boldly, and work collaboratively. With experience in both grassroots and institutional spaces, I know how to translate lived experience into actionable change. I will ensure student concerns — whether related to academics, equity, or quality of life — are heard and addressed with care and follow-through. My goal is to be a bridge between students and administration, amplifying your voices and protecting your interests.

High School Teacher, NY Unified, LA Unified – taught in public schools serving diverse student populations, integrating trauma-informed practices and culturally responsive pedagogy

Montessori Teacher – taught in early childhood classrooms with a focus on student-centered learning and positive discipline (10 years)

Founder, Russian Club at UC Santa Cruz – built a cultural exchange community from the ground up (1 year)

Literacy Program Coordinator, Long Beach BLAST – managed literacy programs across 5 sites; mentored at-risk youth (2 years)

Saturday Night Lights Literacy Program – launched youth literacy & enrichment project serving 30+ students (3 months)

GED Tutor, Shawl House Women’s Recovery – supported women in recovery with academic achievement

Homeless Outreach Organizer, UCSC – independently ran meal & shelter services from dorm housing

Sunday School Teacher, Mariner’s Church – developed weekly educational programming (6 months)

Graduate Student, The New School – currently pursuing M.A. in International Relations with a focus on child protection & community resilience

Mental Health Through Meaningful Action – Establish volunteer-based opportunities for students to connect, decompress, and build self-worth through service. Examples include activities like making sandwiches at a senior center, story-time & reading books to kids at a library, and organizing student-led skill-sharing circles (e.g., yoga, cooking, knitting) where students teach and learn from each other.

Community Building – Strengthen student networks across programs and create more opportunities for cross-disciplinary connection. By fostering a sense of community and collaboration, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students.

Transparency & Accountability – Advocate for clear, accessible, and student-informed budgets and policies. Ensure that students are not only aware of how resources are allocated but are also actively involved in the decision-making process.

Equity & Representation – Champion the elevation of marginalized voices and protect spaces for underrepresented communities. This commitment will ensure that all students have a platform to share their experiences and advocate for their needs.

Administrative Access – Serve as a bridge between students and university leadership, ensuring that communication is transparent, effective, and action-oriented. Act as a reliable advocate for students’ needs and concerns, pushing for timely responses and changes that benefit the broader student body.

I have been a student at this university since 2021. I am in my senior year at Lang and planning to continue at SPE in the International Affairs program. I am interested in governance, specifically disarmament, which is the reduction of weapons and violence in the interests of security and stability of society. I also am an advocate for art as a medium to build empathy and imagining a better world.

I am interested in filling the gap between administration, students, and professors by providing them all with the ability to have dialogue about their needs. Especially with the GPIA program being absorbed into NSSR and the Global Studies majors at Lang, I envision better utilizing our faculty's strengths to build a stronger programs to fit student needs in real world application of our degrees.

When I originally applied to this university I spoke about wanting to create safe spaces where people can be themselves. Creating spaces for people from different backgrounds, ages, and interests to interact with each other and learn from each other is my goal. 

I want to provide transparency and represent  student's needs, especially for international perspectives which make the GPIA program so valuable. I wish to uphold values of academic freedom in the classroom and throughout our community.

I can be a good negotiator between different groups and individuals on campus as well as administration to explore the capabilities of the university to fill the student's needs.

Student Officer of Women and Non-Binary Basketball Team. 

Inclusivity of international perspectives. 

Academic integrity and strengthening communication between faculty and administrators. 

Making space for mental health and social interaction in public spaces on campus.

I earned my BFA in English from Randolph College in May of 2024 and am a current graduate student of creative writing at the School for Public Engagement. In addition to my on-campus student leadership efforts, I have volunteered at numerous mutual aid networks throughout Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and organized as a volunteer for City Council District 2 Candidate Sarah Batchu. While completing the second year of my creative writing degree, I will simultaneously be pursuing a Masters of Arts in Teaching at NYU Steinhardt. My residency will be an unpaid half-day internship in the English content area through the NYC Department of Education because I am committed to promoting quality public education for the city's most underserved and marginalized communities.

I joined the student senate right after the funding halt ended and learned that individual senators had violated the funding halt and continued to dump student senate fee money into internal, senate-based projects. Matters were further complicated when it was revealed that SLI had seized funds and distributed them to projects the student senate finance committee had not approved. On top of that, our student senate still has not been able to successfully push for divestment from weapons manufacturers, and guaranteed protections for international students from administration have been scarce at best.

Student organizations and their leaders are rightly outraged with the student senate's handling of the funding halt and our lack of transparency surrounding it. I want to push for all registered student organizations that went unfunded for the 24-25 AY to be top priority for funding in the fall semester. President Towers' decision to increase tuition by 4% for the next academic year also represents a significant financial burden to current students, and more must be done in regards to budget transparency and justifying how increased tuition costs actually benefit the students, faculty, and staff that make The New School what it is. With the Trump administration's recent measures against international students, I also want to advocate for increased protections for the most vulnerable members of our school community.

I have been a student senator for The New School since my election in November of 2024, working as a member of the finance and advocacy committees. For the last year, I have worked in the New School's Center for Military-Affiliated Students, ensuring dependent and veteran learners have access to the vital programs and services that allow them to pay for their education. Since December of 2024, I have also acted as co-chair of Students for Justice in Palestine.

As a newly elected member of the finance committee, I have been working to establish clear internal funding guidelines to prevent individual senators from being able to unilaterally approve costly projects without approval from the broader body. In a second senate term, I will advocate on behalf of RSOs that were not included in our student senate fee budget this academic year to ensure they are adequately funded. Additionally, I will enact austerity measures to reduce bloated internal administrative costs, which were a significant contributing factor to the funding crisis. I have applied for the position of graduate student trustee to act as a direct liaison between the Board of Trustees and the University Student Senate, and if selected for this role, I will continue to advocate for divestment from weapons manufacturers that are currently involved in ethnic cleansing campaigns across the globe. When it comes to protections for international students, I want to push for President Towers and his administration to expunge disciplinary records, commit to a noncompliance strategy with law enforcement officials, and establish a campus-wide emergency hotline to notify all students, faculty, and staff when ICE agents arrive on campus, among other demands.

My name is Nitya—I’m an artist, comic, filmmaker, and lifelong learner originally from India. I moved to New York City from Singapore this January, along with my two dogs who’ve been my constant companions through life’s adventures. I’ll be entering my senior year in Fall 2025, majoring in Media Studies.

My academic interests lie in media ethics—specifically how ethical frameworks can be meaningfully integrated into filmmaking and media production. I began my university journey in Paris, later stepping away to work in the film industry in Mumbai. Returning to school was a personal decision—I wanted to finish what I started and continue learning with intention and purpose.

That’s a bit about me, and I’m excited to be part of a community that values both creativity and conscience.

I’m passionate about amplifying student voices, especially those who feel unseen or underrepresented. Running for University Student Senate is a chance for me to bring compassion, creativity, and clear action to the table—values I hold close. I believe student governance should be approachable, inclusive, and effective.

I plan to actively engage with students across disciplines, holding regular informal check-ins (online and in person), and creating a feedback loop where concerns lead to solutions. I want to be a bridge between students and administration—ensuring policies reflect what students truly need.

Volunteer, Teach for India — Completed 60+ hours supporting under-resourced classrooms and helping students build confidence and literacy. 

Writer, Paris-Based Print Publication — Authored and published a feature article on the Me Too movement, for the magazine “peacock Plume” 

Film Industry (India) — Assistant Director on several projects. learned to manage people, pressure, and creative collaboration.

Stand-Up Comedy — Performed in Singapore for 1.5 years, developed communication, confidence, and crowd engagement skills.

Member, Red Cross Singapore — Engaged in community initiatives

I’m always involved in conversations around gender, culture, art, mental health, and activism.

I’m a strong advocate for building support systems and wellness spaces that actually serve students’ real needs. I’m especially passionate about creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary connection—through more collaborative events and student showcases that bring together creatives, thinkers, and makers from all divisions.

Inclusion is at the heart of everything I want to work toward. That means prioritizing and uplifting LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, international, and non-traditional students—many of whom, like me, come to New York feeling a little like outsiders. I want campus to feel like home.

Some initiatives and ideas that I’d love to bring to life are— regular open mics, book clubs, knitting and art circles, a dedicated writers’ room for screenwriters and content creators, and a public directory where student artists can connect and collaborate on creative projects. I also hope to advocate for more peer-led support groups on campus—including spaces for survivors of sexual assault, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), grief support, and other community-based mental health resources.

 I’d like to gather student feedback on the university’s meal plans,  and build a shared resource hub listing trusted brokers, vets, storage options, and LGBTQIA+ friendly services—especially helpful for international students. Oh, and yes—pizza nights and trivia nights, because we all need a little fun in the mix.

I want to help and make this campus feel more like a community—one that’s kind, creative, and connected