My journey to running for vice president doesn’t start at Yale. 

It started four years ago when a 17-year-old me met Nyché Andrew, your presidential candidate and my best friend. As juniors in high school, despite living 4,000 miles apart, we found strength, community and shared hope within each other. Entering our junior year of college, I couldn’t imagine serving you with anyone else but her. We’ve built a rock-solid bridge between each other.

Together, we’ve navigated high school classes, college transitions, ice cream study breaks and most importantly, the experience of being Native American women and community leaders at Yale. Transitioning the YCC into a body that efficiently serves all communities is the natural next step in our lives, sure, but also in our friendship. 

The Yale College Council makes up a very small number of the thousands of students affected by their decisions. The YCC doesn’t need another vice president who has already been on the inside. We deserve a vice president who is a part of the broader student body and knows our needs. I’m ready to enact that the second I step into the YCC. 

For Nyché and I, transparency isn’t enough. You deserve transparency and a voice. That’s why we are making sweeping changes to the structure of the YCC that allow communities across campus to participate in decisions that affect them. We will create “delegate representatives” — students from organizations across campus who will serve as the link between YCC and their community’s needs. We will also hold monthly town halls that allow students from all over Yale to answer questions and give feedback on what they need. Not only will you know what’s going on, but you’ll be able to make decisions with us that help your community. 

My own communities at Yale include being a STEM major, being Indigenous, being South Asian, being queer, having accommodations, dance and more. No matter what community you’re from — whether you’re an international student, a transfer student, a student-athlete, in STEM, or anything else — you will find a home in our campaign. 

Check out our more than 100 policies here. Our vision is not only expansive and thorough, but feasible. Rather than abstract ideas or sentiments, we have tangible, action-based policies that we will be able to complete in our administration. Supporting our community is supporting communities campus-wide. 

It’s in your hands now. If you want a voice in YCC, you have to vote. 

For Yale. For Community. For Nyché and Madeline. 

MADELINE GUPTA is a sophomore in Morse College. She is a Vice Presidential Candidate for the Yale College Council. She can be reached at madeline.gupta@yale.edu.