Reese Faust ’10 — managing editor of Rumpus Magazine, member of the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, martial artist and cheerleader — is running to replace Jasper Wang ’10 as Yale College Council secretary.
Championing a no-nonsense attitude, Faust promises to bring an outsider’s perspective to the YCC board. Faust said that as a “hardened cynic,” he will challenge the views of other board members in order to create a more balanced student government.
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“I think that the YCC has a reputation for being its own kind of inner circle,” Faust said. “I think it’s good that people know that I’m the closest you can get to an outsider.”
The Silliman College junior, however, has no previous secretarial experience or understanding of the inner workings of the YCC, but he said he is interested in learning about the council and the way it functions. His enthusiasm about running for the board comes from his hope that the position will be, above all, fun, though he added this remark was not meant to discredit the student council in any way.
Faust said his ability to “write things down” provides him with the skills required to be YCC secretary.
“I’m a secretary,” Faust said. “I write things down. No more. No less.”
But Wang said, as secretary, that he is in charge of communications, outreach and, in some ways, public relations. He added that all four of the executive board members make decisions and set the agenda for what the council does each year. Asked whether he was taking the campaign seriously, Faust said he was “very offended” by those who doubt his commitment.
Benjamin Brody ’10, one of Faust’s suitemates this year, said Faust is not afraid to try new things and he has always been successful in his endeavors to make an impact.
He also pointed to Faust’s philosophy major and his involvement with DKE as examples of his varied interests. Faust is always committed to the activities he takes on, Brody added.
“He doesn’t do things half way,” he said. “He has this incredible enthusiasm for everything he does.”
Noah Gentele ’10, another one of Faust’s suitemates, said that Faust was one of the “most surprising characters” he has met at Yale. After Gentele said Faust has the perfect personality to serve on the YCC, he boasted of Faust’s love of comic books.
“Who doesn’t want a YCC secretary who reads comic books and has studied the philosophy of Batman?” Gentele said.
Faust is from Kentucky and owns a poodle.