Walking into the Berkeley College suite of Victoria Gilcrease-Garcia ’12, one particular feature stands out: a wall completely covered with her drawings, ranging from emotive portraits to a sketch of the facade of Sterling Memorial Library.

Gilcrease-Garcia said the details she applies to her drawings would translate well into the role of Yale College Council vice president. Her policy-heavy platform focus on various issues such as academic minors and the council’s internal affairs.

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“Coming to realize the potential YCC has to contribute to the undergraduate community, I want to be a part of that,” she said.

Gilcrease-Garcia’s campaign revolves around bolstering communication between undergraduates and the YCC, reaching out to student groups in order to discuss new issues or event ideas. She said there is a need to increase collaboration with school administrators to better coordinate YCC projects.

Highlighting the possibility of academic reform as the most pressing policy issue facing the council next year, Gilcrease-Garcia (who is a contributing illustrator for the News) stressed the importance of student input about academic minors and distributional requirements. Still, as a vice president, she recognized her most important duty would be to reorganize how the YCC handles its internal affairs in order to make sure affiliated organizations keep the council up to date about their projects, improving how the council makes recommendations and decisions about major issues.

A latecomer to the world of student government, Gilcrease-Garcia did not get involved until the end of her freshman year. Now, she is a member of the Sophomore Class Council and the Spring Fling Committee, as well as a Berkeley representative to YCC.

“I think a lot of people are in the same position I was: ‘What does the YCC do?’ ” she said. “That’s why I can relate to those who don’t understand what [the role of the council] is.”

Through her work in other student groups under the council’s umbrella, such as the Spring Fling Committee, she has learned how the YCC works alongside its associated bodies. Her friend, Ari Berkowitz ’12, spoke about Gilcrease-Garcia’s involvement in the YCC’s “creative” cell-phone sharing program.

“The variety of different styles of leadership I’ve encountered is what sets me apart,” Gilcrease-Garcia said.

Suitemate Sarah Rosen ’12 cited several times when other suitemates would return to their dorm and Gilcrease-Garcia would always be willing to lend an ear to any kind of problems, from scholarly to romantic. Berkowitz mentioned an instance when she decided to sneak into Gilcrease-Garcia’s suite by climbing through her first floor window.

“When I couldn’t get in, she came out and tried to prop me up. That’s the kind of support she would give as vice president of YCC,” she joked.