Carolyn Fisk ‘24 

Guest Contributor

Of the many people I have had the pleasure of meeting on campus this spring, Maggie and Connor are, without a doubt, among the most welcoming, driven, and encompassing of what it means to be a Holy Cross student. Having worked together in SGA since they were clerks their first year on the Hill, Maggie and Connor are a dynamic and motivated team. With a combined six years of experience working with SGA, as well as their individual campus involvements in clubs, academic organizations, and athletics, they both are excellent representatives of the Holy Cross student body, and top-tier candidates for SGA co-presidency. Together, Maggie and Connor are passionate about making positive change at Holy Cross that will benefit all students. Their campaign policies are backed by tangible solutions to real problems on campus, and include new initiatives that will ultimately improve campus life and academic experience. I cannot think of a more deserving and qualified pair to take on this role, and am fully confident in their ability to represent Holy Cross as co-presidents. 

On my third day on the Hill, I met Connor through the ‘24 Connect first-year orientation program, for which he and I were co-facilitators of two groups. From this program, not only was I grateful to finally meet some of my classmates, but I also gained an invaluable role model and friend in Connor. Throughout the week of ‘24 Connect, he consistently put in the extra effort to make everyone in our groups feel comfortable and welcomed to campus. He gave his full attention to each group member when they shared their stories, and made an effort to form connections with each individual whenever possible. On the last day of the program, I remember Connor offering to both of our groups that anyone could reach out to him with questions or concerns as they transitioned to life on campus. As a new student who has asked for his help multiple times, to which he has consistently gone above and beyond in response, I can personally attest to this offer being genuine. Now at Holy Cross, for the first time in my life, I am at a new school without my older brother there to look out for me. Though this made me nervous during my first few weeks on the hill, those worries quickly wore out the better I got to know Connor. Even for something as small as learning how to use the printers in Dinand, it has made my transition to campus living so much easier knowing I have him there to look out for me along the way. Connor also has a great sense for the various components of our campus community thanks to his additional involvement in athletics, clubs, and academic programs. His well rounded involvement in almost every corner of campus life is a testament to his ability to connect and relate to everyone he meets, a quality that I believe makes Connor an outstanding candidate for co-presidency. 

Though I only recently met Maggie on Zoom, it quickly became clear to me why she is an excellent candidate for co-presidency. As someone who has worked extensively with SGA throughout her college career, Maggie has valuable insight on how to create and implement tangible solutions to important issues on campus. With this, she loves how SGA gives her the ability to advocate for and improve the campus experience of her peers. In my recent conversation with Maggie, I learned about her ideas to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion through SGA, such as bringing back the Engage Summit from her freshman year. The Engage Summit was a day-long campus event during which conversations about social justice issues were held to help foster a more inclusive atmosphere within the Holy Cross community. With this, Maggie sees great value in having as much diversity as possible in SGA, as well as within Holy Cross administration. Her personal involvement in fundraising for Working for Worcester and in SPUD makes Maggie a true leader by example in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is also especially important to have a woman as co-president of SGA because it will allow for greater recognition to be given to issues that disproportionately affect women on campus. This recognition can already be seen in one of Maggie and Connor’s campaign policies, which calls for a Title IX liaison position in the SGA cabinet to better connect students with the information and resources offered by the office. As someone who is aware of these issues as both a student leader and as a woman herself, Maggie will be instrumental in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our female classmates at Holy Cross. 

Their combined variety of campus activities and involvements show that Maggie and Connor have a well rounded, inclusive understanding of the student body at Holy Cross. It is clear that they both have a genuine passion for advocating for their fellow classmates, and are excited for the opportunity to make a lasting impact on our campus community. That being said, they are not the type of people who would let this opportunity go to waste. I believe that if they are elected, they will be working from day one to fulfil the initiatives they are presenting through their campaign. I have seen first hand how passionate they are about making Holy Cross a better place for students who are here now and yet to come. Maggie and Connor’s personal integrity and experience will make them excellent co-presidents of SGA, and I cannot think of two people better equipped to take on this role and make change.