Class of: 2015

Major: Political Science, Gender & Sexuality Studies

Anyone who knows Speegz would tell you that she truly lives out the Audre Lorde quote that she selected below, “Your silence will not protect you.” Speegz is never afraid to speak up when she feels inclined, which is probably how she became involved in the new USG Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee. Keep reading to find out more about the new Committee and feel free to reach out to Speegz if you want to find out more or to get involved!

What venture are you currently working on and how did it get started?

The USG Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee. It got started by the efforts of Fernando Ramos, Charisse Poston, Sam Campbell, Cutter Uhlhorn, and other hardworking USG senators that felt that an institutionalized presence within the student government would be the best method of ensuring that diverse voices were heard and incorporated into the policy decisions made by USG.

What does the committee do?

We focus on improving the multicultural competency of USG as a body, and we focus on increasing the representation of diverse communities within the student government. So internally, we are facilitating trainings and workshops with every senator and council chair who composes the student government, and looking at legislation that comes out to ensure that it keeps in mind the perspectives of all students who might be affected by it. Externally, we are benchmarking the campus climate for marginalized groups of students, working with the Office for Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Disability Services, the International Students office, and the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity to find points in which the student government can lend a helpful hand to initiatives and concerns from students across campus. Finally, we are working to get underrepresented students excited about student government, participating in elections and legislation and thinking about ways in which they can get their voices heard.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced since starting the committee?

​The toughest thing has been trying to assemble a representative committee, and just getting the word out. USG has not had a history of perfect communication with all different demographics on campus. Trying to build relationships where those previously have not existed can be a slow process.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to any college student thinking of becoming a “changemaker”?

Start talking to people about your idea! Talk to as many people as you can about what you’d like to see happen. Talk to your friends, talk to people in your classes, talk to your professors, talk to the incredible staff in any of the departments on campus like CELT, the OMA, OGSD, NCI, CPS, student affairs, the list goes on. The more conversations you have, the more you’ll be able to hone in on some practical first steps, and the more connections you’ll make with other people who want to work together with you. The first step is to share your idea with another person. From there, you’ve got a movement.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since starting the committee?

​I’ve really come to understand the value and importance of personal relationships, especially in terms of a representative government. I’m one individual, and I can never try to fix other people’s problems if I just draw from my own knowledge and opinions. This whole “democracy” thing works way better if we listen and learn from one another, and let people decide what solutions are best for their specific problems. So, we have to listen and trust one another in order to move forward at all.

What is your personal mission statement?

Be yourself and have fun.

What quote do you live by?

“Your silence will not protect you.” —Audre Lorde, “The Transformation of Silence Into Language and Action”

What’s one surprising fact people might not know about you?

I have a lot of different little toy lions, plastic, wood, metal, porcelain. ​​I pretty much always am carrying some kind of tiny lion figurine on my person. I almost never leave the house without one. They’re like good luck charms.