When my mother was sixteen, she took a chance. She fled poverty in Mexico in search of a better life in the United States. Because of that chance, I’m here.

Last week, I took a chance. I declared my solo campaign for Yale College Council President. Because of that chance, we’re here.

Now, I’m asking you to take a chance.

I am no stranger to my public image, an impassioned outsider who may lack the polish of a conventional candidate but candidly speaks his mind. For those already convinced, you’ve found your match. For those still skeptical, I’m asking you to hear me out.

My meal schedule has remained empty this past week. Why? Chances are you may have caught me wandering around Commons or your residential college dining hall. I might have even sat down with you and asked you the following question point-blank: what kind of change would you like to see at Yale? 

More tangerines? Got it. Increased budget transparency? Noted. Every answer is logged in my Yale History of Art notebook, origin unknown. Take a peek at my notes below (don’t mind the chicken scratch).

Why go through the trouble? I’ll tell you why: it’s because I care, and I care deeply.

I care about the Yale student community. It pains me to hear, time and again, that students feel voiceless in campus decision-making. Many don’t know what the YCC Senate does — let alone the President. They feel blindsided when major changes to quality of life are announced via email. I promise, if anything, to shake things up and do so with the utmost transparency.

I care about New Haven. On Sundays at the Link New Haven community resource desk, I’m exposed to suffering that’s hard to put into words. Clients might walk up to me with limbs discolored from frostbite, having slept outside in subfreezing temperatures on the New Haven Green. That this level of neglect mere steps away from one of the world’s wealthiest institutions is beyond comprehension.

I care about upholding freedom of expression. When hundreds of students come together thoughtfully to advocate for a cause they believe in — like they did the Sumud Coalition referendum — and are met with a hollow, bureaucratic reply from the University president, it feels like a betrayal of what a university should stand for. We’ll go back to the drawing board again and again until student voices actually shape the conversation.

So yes, I lack formal YCC experience, but that doesn’t worry me. I will ensure to surround myself with the best team possible, first and foremost. I’ve seen how long-term involvement in institutional structures can wear down urgency and disconnect you from those you represent. In the end, I’m the person next to you in lecture, the one across from you at Commons. I might bother you with a question, but I promise to not stop fighting for you.

I’m asking you to take a chance on me.

BRIAN MOORE is a junior in Silliman College running for YCC President. He can be reached at b.moore@yale.edu.