Yale College Council reports record high interest in fall elections
The Yale College Council reported an 18 percent increase in interest in running for Senate and seven percent increase in interest in running for First Year Class Council.
Jessie Cheung, Staff Photographer
The Yale College Council, or YCC, reported a record number of students running for representative positions during its fall election, which was held between Sept. 23 and 25. To YCC executives, this shift suggests heightened interest in student government and affirms the success of the Council’s recruitment efforts over the summer.
According to YCC Vice President Zoe Hsu ’24, the 18 percent increase in interest for the 11 open Senate positions and the seven percent increase for the 14 First Year Class Council, or FCC, positions were calculated based on percent change in comparison to previous years. The YCC announced this increased interest via social media on Sept. 21.
“It was great to see so many students eager to get involved with the YCC,” YCC President Bayan Galal ’23 said. “It’s particularly exciting to see first years put themselves out there and run for a position, despite having only been on campus for a few weeks. It’s also very surreal to now be on the other side of the election process, and I’m grateful to be able to lead a new cohort of members in the YCC.”
Galal and Hsu attributed the increased interest to initiatives the YCC took on over the summer in an attempt to recruit more candidates. They worked with the Executive Board to hold blue booking events for the Class of 2025 over Zoom, which hosted over 300 students, and developed the first-ever YCC welcome video to encourage students to get involved.
Hsu highlighted student response to these efforts.
“The response to these efforts was extremely positive and allowed students, and particularly first-years, to know early on that we are dedicated to bettering the Yale experience,” Hsu wrote in an email to the News.
The YCC also hosted a booth at the Sept. 5 extracurricular bazaar, which Galal said was focused on encouraging students to join the YCC in different capacities, emphasizing to students that “regardless of their interests, they will find their place in the YCC.”
Galal noted that interest in running usually fluctuates from year to year; she credits increased interest in YCC to the importance of programming and marketing between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years.
“I was inspired to run for YCC because as I chose where I wanted to spend my next four years, Yale was constantly reaffirmed through the kindness, guidance and leadership of Yalies,” Katia George ’25, who was elected as a YCC Senate representative from Trumbull this week, told the News. “I think running for Senator is a really cool way to give that gift back.”
George added that she was excited to learn more about New Haven and Yale — particularly the University’s relationship with its students during her time in the YCC.
Akua Agyemang ’24, a newly-elected Senator for Pauli Murray College, said her interest in the YCC was sparked by her experience as a transfer student. Agyemang told the News that she hoped she could represent not only her own residential college, but all transfer students through her advocacy in the YCC Senate.
“I also hope that while I work with other students to identify and solve issues here on campus, I’ll be able to meet new people and overall become more integrated into the student body,” Agyemang said. “I think that YCC is really serious about making things happen, so I’m excited to bring a new perspective and help implement changes that will make Yale a truly more inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.”
Michael Ndubisi ’25 and Abe Baker-Butler ’25, who were elected as the Senate representatives from Saybrook College and Ezra Stiles College, respectively, both emphasized their interest in being involved in the decision-making process for the issues that most directly affect Yale students.
Baker-Butler also decided to run to uplift student perspectives, which he said were often overlooked in the process of Yale’s policymaking.
“Now that elections are complete, our teams are starting up and will be in full gear,” Galal said. “I’m particularly looking forward to the work of our policy teams, which have been and are continuing to work on policy proposals that have a tangible impact on students.”
The new YCC representatives took office on Sunday, Sept. 26.
