With the new school year comes a new round of 5C student body presidents. This year, the cohort of presidents look forward to effecting change throughout the consortium, and each president offers something new drawn from their diverse backgrounds and skill sets.
Henry Allen HM ’28 and Ria Haapala HM ’27 serve as the student body president and senate chair, respectively, of the Associated Students of Harvey Mudd College (ASHMC). During his first year, Allen served as a food committee representative and later as an executive assistant. Haapala joined ASHMC her junior year as a residence hall president to foster community among upper and lower classmen, and eventually became a senator to help facilitate budget transparency. As co-heads, Allen and Haapala are passionate about advocating for students who have expressed concerns about racism and other forms of discrimination. They plan to collaborate with the college’s administration to provide a safer and more inclusive space for all students.
“Last year there was great concern over anti-black racism on campus,”Allen said. “So this year, we’re working with the administration to try and change how the process is handled on their end, and network with the affinity groups to make sure their voices are heard in the decision-making of Harvey Mudd College.”
Haapala commented on the ASHMC executive board’s shared goal of revitalizing collective governance on campus as a response to concerns of reduced student engagement.
“We definitely want to work on increasing the engagement between the students and the student government,” Haapala said. “It’s our responsibility to collect concerns and praise from the students and take those to other forums where students might not always be able to be present.”
Madyson Chung-Lee SC ’27 serves as the student body president of Scripps Associated Students (SAS). Chung-Lee has served in a variety of roles in SAS — including faculty-staff relations chair and junior class president — and worked on projects including installing a wellness vending machine in the Scripps Student Union.
“I’ve always really loved SAS as a body at Scripps,” Chung-Lee said. “You get to meet some of the most devoted students on campus.”
By emulating former student body presidents, Chung-Lee plans to continue advocating for her peers, especially those who are underrepresented on campus.
“The student body president is a role that gets you into a lot of rooms to have really difficult conversations that oftentimes students can’t have themselves,” Chung-Lee said.
“The student body president is a role that gets you into a lot of rooms to have really difficult conversations that oftentimes students can’t have themselves,” Chung-Lee said.
Amirah Haque PZ ’27 serves as this year’s president of the Pitzer College student senate. Haque is a seasoned member of the senate, having been involved in campus advocacy work since her first year. Beyond her responsibilities as a student leader, she also regularly participates in social justice projects.
“[During] my first and second year, I was invited to volunteer and teach at the [California Rehabilitation Center],” Haque said. “That was a mindblowing experience that has heavily influenced what I want to do with my life.”
Echoing her counterparts around the 5Cs, one of Haque’s main goals is to increase engagement with students in order to better advocate for their needs in the senate.
“I really want to bridge a connection between the student body and the senate,” she said. “In past years, it has been really separate. I want students to feel like we’re here for the changes they want to make. It is our job to represent their wants and opinions.”
The college has experienced increased voting turnout and senate participation despite prior concerns of unfilled senate seats, according to Haque.
“This year, we’ve had such a great turnout with voting,” Haque said. “There are a lot of first-years [in the senate], and that is really great for sustaining the sentiment I hope to put into this year’s senate.”
Amrit Dhaliwal CM ’27 serves as the student body president of the associated students of Claremont McKenna College (ASCMC). Dhaliwal was student body vice president last academic year, before which she held the position of sophomore class president. During that tenure, she was also accused of misappropriating student funds, after which ASCMC voted to retain Dhaliwal in her position in a limited capacity.
As student body president, Dhaliwal is prioritizing community building by pushing for more student-led events and continued campus advocacy. She hopes to address waning student engagement on campus over the past few years.
“Since my [first] year I’ve seen a really big decline in our community on campus,” Dhaliwal said. “Job pressures build up every year. Other extraneous factors take away from their ability to participate in community events, so I really want to help build up our community.”
Malu Estoducto PO ’27 serves as the student body president of the Associated Students of Pomona (ASPC). Since the beginning of her tenure, Estoducto has been a pivotal voice in advocating for shared governance between the college’s administration and student leadership.
Estoducto presided over ASPC’s recent resolution to denounce Pomona College Dining Service’s unilateral decision-making with regards to new constraints on cross-campus meal swipes and the now retracted shutdown of Milk & Honey. In light of these recent interactions with the administration, she is striving to promote transparency by equipping students with knowledge of how college administration works.
“My hope is for every student to know what sorts of things they can do to drive meaningful change in this college,” Estoducto said. “As ASPC president, I want other students to feel they can be heard by us in ASPC and by the college.”
This sentiment was shared by other presidents, who each spoke to a push for shared governance and improved student engagement with the student leadership on their respective campuses.
Although they come from different places with unique experiences, in their own ways, each president is setting up a productive year of student leadership.
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