Sina Fayaz Monfared

Biography

My name is Sina Fayaz Monfared and I am a rising sophomore in Columbia College majoring in History. I spend my free time reading novels in Riverside Park, working out in Dodge, and hanging out in Butler Café. If elected as your VP Campus Life, I will work diligently with the Race and Ethnicity Representative and multicultural clubs to embrace the diversity of Columbia’s student body. My personal experiences as a first-generation, immigrant, student of color will inform my vision on CCSC to create a warm and inclusive environment. I hope to help implement meaningful changes to improve Columbia!

Platform

Enhancing Columbia Spirit through School-wide Events:

I am deeply committed to furthering our sense of community by increasing the number of student-run events throughout the semester. This would include events such as a large concert after homecoming, campus-wide Super Smash Brothers and chess tournaments, and a week long school-wide scavenger hunt, hosting games on the Butler lawns and putting more board games and video games in student lounges. 

Highlighting student student body’s diversity through organizing school-wide celebration of ethnic and international events:

As both an international student and immigrant, I feel that Columbia can do a much better job at appreciating the diversity of its student body. As your VP Campus Life, I will work with cultural clubs to facilitate commemoration of cultural and religious events such as Ramadan, the Lunar New Year, International Women's Day, and Kwanzaa.

Subsidizing graduate school application fees and standardized testing:

I believe that no one should be held back from achieving their full academic potential for financial reasons. Like many other low-income students at Columbia College, I constantly worry about being able to finance my education at Columbia. Aside from that, students face expensive  test fees, which gives them unnecessary anxiety. I hope to reduce the pressure on financially vulnerable students who are pursuing graduate studies by lowering these expenses. 

Assistance over breaks: 

It is simply impossible for many of us to return home over break. I believe that Columbia needs to do more to care for students who must stay on campus for the entire school year. Columbia College must do everything in its power to accommodate students who depend on the university for assistance during times of vulnerability. These accommodations must go beyond providing food; they should also include gatherings to celebrate the New Year as well as other holidays.