Thank you to everyone who has decided to run for one of our officer positions! Voting is open today until Tuesday, May 6th and the ballot is a google form accessed at the bottom of this post. Here are the candidates and their speeches for the upcoming year:
Neha Matthew - President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary
Hello! My name is Neha Mathew, and I am a freshman majoring in Ancient Studies, Anthropology, and Biochemistry. My interest in the ancient world started when I first learned about the Indus Valley Civilization, and since then I knew that I would like to pursue a career that involves studying ancient civilizations. One step to finding more peers with similar interests would be to be more involved with Ancient Studies Council. At UMBC, I have been involved in multiple projects. I am the events coordinator and social media manager of Anthropology Club, where I have organized biweekly meeting, including the viewing of ethnographic films and workshops about material anthropology. I am also part of the university's Model United Nations team, where, as a delegate, I have excelled in problem solving and collaboration. More recently, I had the opportunity to be a contributor to UMBC's first Book Fest. More specifically, I worked with different department at the university to host this year's One Maryland One Book author, Lawrence Burney. As a member of the Ancient Studies Council E-board, my expertise in strategic planning and emphasis on partnership can prove useful in facilitating engaging and education meetings in the upcoming semesters.
Rebecca Lee - Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary
I'm Rebecca Lee and I'm an Ancient Studies and Philosophy double major and Political Science minor. I am the current vice president and former treasurer of Ancient Studies Council. I am also the current vice president and former secretary of Philosophers Anonymous. During my time as part of the E-board, I’ve become very close with the ANCS department’s wonderful faculty and students, as well as the intricacies of running a student organization—from financial transactions, to advertising and hosting events, to communicating with other student organizations and resource centers at UMBC. I have loved my time with ANCS council, even at its most difficult moments, because being able to connect with others over shared passion for the ancient world—and to learn about it from our superb faculty—makes it all worthwhile to me. I hope our members will allow me the chance at another year to help make learning about antiquity fun and accessible for the UMBC student body.
Nicholas Mocko - Treasurer and Secretary
Salvete Omnes (Hello everyone). I am Nicholas Mocko, a current freshman Ancient Studies major, and I am running for Treasurer/Secretary. I have been a huge fan of the ancient world since a young kid, and that inspired me to take Latin in high school. This further cemented my love for the classics, and also introduced me to a club called the Junior Classical League. Long story short, I eventually became the head of the JCL, and went on numerous trips across Maryland and 3 week long conventions across America. While the JCL is for middle and high school, there is a college version called the Senior Classical League, which I am currently apart of. However, the Maryland SCL (MDSCL) is trying to reestablish itself as a unifying force of classics throughout colleges in Maryland. I plan to connect our club with the other clubs across Maryland colleges and to the nationwide NSCL. Not only will this allow opportunities for events/competitions with other colleges, but it will link us with the wider classics network that can provide us with connections and scholarships for Ancient Studies. Thank you all, and vote Nicholas for Treasurer/Secretary!
Madeline Ivester - Treasurer and Secretary
I really enjoy going to ancient studies council meetings, and I want to make sure all the positions get filled. I am willing to put in the work to help the club run smoothly.
Here is the link to the voting ballot: https://forms.gle/XHXSLZvD1x3VSYkKA
Thank you again to all that applied to this year's election! If you have any questions regarding voting, the election in general, or anything club related, reach out to sbraun1@umbc.edu.
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