Hello everyone. Thanks for coming out tonight. This is your opportunity to hear, in person, the candidates who will represent your voice as a resident of The Summit for the next year. I wish I were able to join you, as I'd like the same opportunity myself. Unfortunately, I have a class scheduled at the same time as this event, so I am unable to be there.

But this is an important election. It is your opportunity to determine who you want representing you as you live here this year. The decisions you make this week will shape your relationship with your residence hall for the entire year—and the effects of this first Residence Hall Association will likely be felt from years to come.

This election is not about me—or any of the other candidates. This election is about you. Your voice. And the legacy you want to leave behind as the first generation of residential students at Queens College. I don't have the benefit of knowing what the other candidates have said tonight, but I do know one thing: The Queens College administration is as new to this as you are. They cannot predict how this new aspect of student life will unfold, or what effect it will have on the campus. It is as much a learning experience for them as it is for you.

As for me, I've spent the last two years living in a residence hall at the University of Vermont. I've seen what works and what doesn't work. I know that your needs are not being met to your satisfaction. I know that you want to be able to use the Reeves gate at night, so you don't have to walk all the way across campus, alone in the dark. I know that you want to be able to eat at the dining halls, even after all of the commuter students have gone home. I know that it's a hassle to flash your ID at a security guard who doesn't even really care to see it. I know that you want to have a say in what goes on around you. I know that you want to be treated like the adults that you've come here to become.

But I don't know everything. That's where you come in.

Yes, I know some of these things because I've experienced them myself. But most of what I know I've learned from listening to what others have experienced, and what their opinions are. My lines of communication are always open. I live in Room 232B. Feel free to drop by and speak your mind. Or visit my website, http://qc.gphemsley.org/rha/, and send me an e-mail. Or friend me on Facebook, where you can comment on my wall or find my cell phone number to text me. I'm easy to get a hold of, and even easier to talk to. I'm here for you.

Which is why I'm running for so many positions. It's not because I'm greedy. (You can't hold more than one position at a time, anyway.) It's because I want you to decide where I can best be of service to you. The responsibilities of each position I'm running for are on my website. If you think that I should preside over RHA meetings and serve as the liaison between RHA and ResLife, then elect me as President. If you think I should be in charge of all RHA subcommittees and events, then elect me as Vice President. And if you think it would be best if I focussed mainly on the needs of the residents of the 2nd Floor, then elect me as 2nd Floor Representative.

The bottom line is: This election is about you. RHA is about you. The Summit is about you.

You decide where I can best serve you, and I'll help to make sure that your voice is heard, loudly and clearly.