Chelsea Asibbey for SA secretary

By Thresher Editorial Board     2/20/24 9:38pm

In a rather rare contested election, the Student Association has two candidates on the upcoming ballot for secretary: Chelsea Asibbey and Calla Doh. Due to her fresh perspective outside of the Student Association, willingness to take initiative on her own ideas and emphasis on serving Rice communities, we, the Thresher Editorial Board, endorse Chelsea Asibbey for SA secretary. 

Both Asibbey and Doh are running on similar platforms of transparency, accessibility and bridging the gap between the SA and the students. Each cited the need for more interactive social media and working to increase dialogue on resolutions outside the SA. We feel, however, that Doh stakes her own campaign too heavily on presidential candidate Jae Kim’s platform, neglecting to form many secretarial goals of her own.

While we acknowledge that Doh has admirable goals for the SA, such as initiatives to support campus sustainability and Rice PRIDE, we feel she could be more successful pursuing these  goals through other positions. For the record, we think Doh would make an excellent college senator or committee chair. Asibbey, on the other hand, has made explicit her hopes to better connect SA with various clubs on campus, increase SA outreach through existing avenues and connect with Rice’s diverse communities. 

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Social media also plays a large part in the secretary’s platform, and Asibbey has solid plans for changing and improving the SA’s current social media strategy. Largely through Instagram, she plans to make the SA social media more interactive, with public surveys to garner student opinion and frequent updates on Senate meetings and resolutions. As a business management major, she says she has the social media savvy to do it. 

Asibbey’s dedication is evident. Despite lacking an official SA position, she said she regularly attends weekly Senate meetings of her own volition — a feat in and of itself. Despite having less experience within the SA, we believe her dedication and visions will serve her well in the role.

Throughout her campaign, Asibbey has consistently emphasized her goal of “leaving things better than she found it.” We’re confident that, for the SA, she will do just that.

Editor’s Note: Thresher editorials are collectively written by the members of the Thresher’s editorial board. Current members include Prayag Gordy, Riya Misra, Nayeli Shad, Brandon Chen, Sammy Baek, Sarah Knowlton, Hadley Medlock and Pavithr Goli. 

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