Hello! My name is Camryn Jones. I am a senior at the college studying Applied Mathematics with a focus in Government and earning a Spanish language citation. As one may be able to tell from my degree alone, I have a broad array of interests, and have had the pleasure of exploring many of them through extracurricular activities here at Harvard. Not only have I had the opportunity to explore several passions through student organizations on campus, but I have also had the opportunity to further develop myself as a leader through being an involved member as well as serving in a variety of board positions throughout my four years. Some of the organizations I have come to find community in include Harvard Model Congress, the Crimson Dance Team, Harvard Radcliffe Modern Dance Company, CityStep, and the Undergraduate Council Election Commission. While I phased out of many official leadership positions prior to the commencement of Sociology 1130 I remained heavily involved in a couple of organizations, including serving as Chair of the Election Commission during the course. 


Prior to Sociology 1130, I seldom found myself in situations where I had the ability to converse with other student leaders about the ups and downs of our organizations, and how we can workshop some of the issues we face. Likewise, I was unaware of the robust amounts of literature grounded in sociological theory regarding leadership practices, involvement in student organizations in higher education, and more, before taking this course. The principles and recommendations that I have learned through this course will be pieces of information that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life, as I transition away from student leadership and into the workforce. On the note of transitions, I recognize that in the next year, when the vast majority of students on campus have never experienced a school year pre-COVID, it is going to be crucial that student leaders rely on institutional memory to upkeep the trademarks of these student organizations. For some, this will be a breeze because the organizations are tens of years old and highly institutionalized, while others lack the organizations and structures to do so. One organization that was certainly part of the latter category was the Harvard Undergraduate Council Election Commission.
 

After running a few less than smooth Undergraduate Council Elections in the fall of the 2021-2022 academic year, I quickly realized that the Commission needed to pivot a few times if there was going to be a chance of a more smooth election in the future. As a result, I have had the great honor of spending the spring semester of the 2021-2022 academic year thinking critically about ways to better the Commission applying the lessons learned through Sociology 1130 as well as feedback from a variety of sources. As I leave this institution, I wish to leave it better than I found it, especially in a concrete manner. Thus, beyond my conversations and efforts to guide and mentor those who are younger than I at this institution, I too will leave behind a blueprint of action for the future iterations of the student government election commission. Afterall, student government is an integral part of the student organization ecosystem at Harvard, without it, most student organizations would not have the funding needed to prosper, and many student voices would be left unheard. A democratic student government cannot exist without some form of an election commission, which is why I’ve dedicated my time to figuring out how the Undergraduate Council Election Commission can restructure its current framework to enhance credibility and instill trust within the student body, to ensure the elections of the future run smoothly.