Stoneman ’16 seeks to 'be the change' in USG

Current Undergraduate Student Government vice president Molly Stoneman’16 is running for USG president because, she points out, she sees potential for change.

“Being vice president and also serving on the class council during my first year really gave me a holistic and deep understanding of USG as an entire organization, and I think I would be able to leverage the relationships on both sides of the USG collective,” Stoneman said.

She has made her self-declared passion for women's leadership a mainstay of her campaign and added that it was also part of what inspired her to run. While there are two female candidates this year, Stoneman's campaign has focused particular attention on gender.

The last time the USG presidency was held by a woman was in 2002.

Stoneman’s platform includes a proposal to host the first “Inter-Ivy Women’s Leadership Conference,” which she said is an opportunity for Princeton to be at the forefront of women’s issues. Stoneman said she hopes the conference would facilitate discussions about including men in the gender equality conversation as well as the experience of women at Ivy League universities, particularly those running for leadership positions.

“I think one of the biggest reasons why women aren’t seeking leadership positions on campus is that they don’t see a role model with a woman who is in a high position,” Stoneman said.“I hope to be somewhat of an inspiration to the next incoming class of Princeton.”

Stoneman explained that a smaller number of tangible projects, which would be executable within a one-year term, are what differentiate her platform from those of her opponents. She said she believes USG needs to move away from policy and instead focus more on events, programming and services geared toward the student body.

“Policy at Princeton takes anywhere from three months to three years to happen, and the effect is that it moves USG further away from students and closer to administrators," she said. "We need to be more accountable to students.”

Her platform also includes a revamp of Lawnparties.She said that she plans to put out a survey looking into whether the event should be broken into two smaller events or if money should be pooled to throw one large event, as well as whether it should include a charity component or external funding.

Stoneman said she also hopes to reboost the musical festival aspect of Lawnparties by coordinating with eating clubs to organize activities throughout the day.

In terms of housing, Stoneman said that she plans to introduce a survey to get additional feedback about students' room draw experiences and plans to look into reforming room draw. She said that she would also like to compare the New Jersey state fire code to the University’s fire safety regulations to make sure students are not being over-policed.

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Furthermore, she said she hopes to develop and pilot a freshman leadership initiative, modeled after similar programs at the University of Arizona and Harvard. The program would focus on personal development, engaging students with the community and aiding them in taking on leadership opportunities.

Her platform also includes introducing a joint initiative between Career Services and the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning to provide more career opportunities for undergraduates, a reevaluation of the University’s sexual misconduct policy and a new Academic Life Total Assessment report.

“The biggest difficulty that USG faces is a disconnect with the students,” Stoneman said.“We need to place a stronger focus on getting students excited about our ideas.”

Stoneman explained that, thus far, her role as vice president has enabled her to improve accountability and transparency within projects, introduce a new project management system and strengthen USG’s relationships with administrators as well as create her own relationship with administrators.

She said her time running the weekly USG senate meetings as well as serving on the USG's executive committee have given her deep insights into the institution of the University.

“I would urge my peers to support Molly, and I support her because I know she is actually passionate about what she does. She is dedicated, and if elected, she will make sure student voices are being heard,”Brandon McGhee ’18 said. McGhee is a member of the 2018 Class Council who has endorsed Stoneman’s campaign.

Stoneman noted that she originally was hesitant to run for such a large position, but after seeking advice from friends and other USG members, she said she felt compelled to “be the change” she sought within the organization.

“She’s really risen to the top of the organization because everyone recognizes the quality of her ideas and the strength of her leadership style,” said Duncan Hosie ’16, a close friend of Molly's who has also taken an active part in her campaign.“In Molly, I see someone who not only talks eloquently and puts forth a vision; I see someone who delivers.”

Hosie added that he knows few students on campus who have the same skill set as that of Stoneman and said that he thinks it would be an "injustice" if she does not win the election.

When she isn’t serving on the USG, Stoneman is also a Community Action leader and is involved in the Women's Mentorship Program, the English Language Program and the Pace Center's Breakout trips. She is also is the co-founder and vice president of the Princeton Committee on Bipartisanship.

“My vision for the USG is to engage and empower students, and that needs to be the mission of every initiative we take on,” Stoneman said. “I’m so in love with Princeton —I want to serve her students, her faculty and her community.”

Stoneman is a Wilson School major from Phoenix, Ariz., pursuing a certificate in the Program in American Studies.