Chloe Edwards, Photography Editor

The Yale College Council is composed of 28 senators who advocate for their respective colleges by proposing policies and sponsoring events. Yet some students say that they do not know what YCC senators do.

Throughout the school year, the senators are entrusted with funds to host mixers and engagement activities. The News talked to eight first-year constituents about their interactions with YCC representatives. 

“I think I receive emails here and there, but I don’t know who they are or what’s really going on,” Irene Nam ’28, a Morsel, said. 

This year, Morse College Senators David Fleming ’26 and Bendegúz Dörnyei ’26 hosted events such as Insomnia Cookies in the Courtyard and Chick-fil-A in the Common Room to answer questions and share the policies they have advocated for recently. Despite this, though, some first years are unaware of the happenings of their YCC representatives.

Nam, who tries to stay on top of Morse College happenings, told the News that she is unsure who her Council representatives are. She believes that most people in her college, as well as most students on campus, would likely not be able to name their respective senators.

Isaac Moskowitz ’25, a senator from Timothy Dwight, says that one way that he tries to engage with the students he represents is through what he calls “Monthly Buttery Buyouts.”

“We use our outreach funds to provide free buttery food for TDers,” Moskowitz said. “I believe these events create a space for students to ask questions about Senate affairs and give us a better sense of the most pressing student issues to address.”

He also tries to have frequent conversations with students in his dining hall to help them stay informed. Since a large part of his campaign was ‘[to create] a transparent YCC that works for students,’ Moskowitz said, he has made it a big part of his mission as a senator to improve communication between students, the Senate and Yale administrators.

Carim Jalloh ’28, a first year in Timothy Dwight College, says that he knows just one of his two senators. Jolloh believes that more work needs to be done to build relationships with the student body.

Jalen Bradley ’27, another senator from Timothy Dwight, says that face-to-face interactions and social media outreach are paramount in engagement.

“I use these vehicles to keep my peers updated on YCC initiatives,” Bradley wrote to the News. “It allows us to share ideas, concerns, and fellowship with others in our community.”

Ignacio Somoza ’28 says that the phenomenon of students now knowing thier senators is no different for residents of Berkeley College.

When asked who his senators are, he replied simply, “I have no idea.” Somoza believes that direct and engaging communication with incoming students is imperative to develop a relationship where students feel the issues pertinent to campus are actually being advocated.

“I think just the fact that I don’t know who they are speaks for itself,” Somoza said. “I think communication and establishing an actual relationship is important, just having your constituents know that you are there.”

Kyan Ramsay ’26, a Berkeley College senator, said that he is working toward building bonds with his college’s residents. 

One of his favorite ways is through outreach events. This past week, Ramsay and another Berkeley senator ordered Chick-fil-A breakfast for the college and talked with students about their pressing concerns. 

Ramsay believes that “bribing” students with food is “always” the most successful strategy to engage with the student body. He does, however, agree that most students on campus are unaware of who their senators are.

“I would make an optimistic guess that about half of students even know who one of their senators is,” Ramsay said. “But that’s why I think the more outreach we do, the more effective we can be at our jobs. By tapping into the pulse of the student body, we can see what issues we need to make our priority.”

Speaker of the Senate and Pierson Senator Emily Hettinger ’26 says that to engage with her constituents, she sends emails on a semi-regular basis, hosts office hours and posts about Council initiatives on her personal Instagram story.

By using various mediums of communication, she hopes to minimize a “communication gap” she has noticed between the YCC and the larger student body.

“Though I am proud of the efforts of the YCC this year to change that, through the student engagement chairs, fall survey, and our senator office hours, I know we have a long way to go,” Hettinger said. “The biggest task of both this administration and future YCC administrations will be to envision creative solutions for including more student voices in our advocacy.”

Each of the 14 residential colleges on Yale’s campus has two representatives in the Yale College Council.