Caitlyn Morris, President
Former newcomer chair last spring
Competition chair this semester
Organized, super passionate
Joined in fall of sophomore year
During tenure as newcomer chair, felt incredible joy during first shoe shopping trip of year, awesome to see that several newcomers she oversaw are still in the club
Anxiety about leaving CU Ballroom fam for a semester in London, but returned to club this semester and still felt like home
Wants to further expand club by actively recruiting Columbia students
Open communication thru feedback forms and mid-semester town hall
Looking to further build NYC area community - want to take team to Rutgers instead of Harvard comp
Will give 150% as president, no one more qualified
Samantha Gonzalez, Vice President
Current mentorship chair
Welcoming, helpful, approachable - perfect fit for VP role
Can leverage her experience interacting with club members as mentorship chair to help her be an approachable VP who is tuned into every club member - wants to be bridge between board and club members
Can also leverage mentorship chair's relationships with open mentors in VP role
Also focused on maintaining relationships with other teams in NYC area and beyond
Will work with treasurer and board to make ballroom more accessible
Want to make ballroom feel more accessible, esp in alignment with goal to boost affiliate membership
Michaelle DiMaggio-Potter, Treasurer and Secretary
Just joined this semester, has been very involved in dancing and comps, will be great for treasurer
Struggled to find a welcoming club, finally found it in CU Ballroom
Very detailed oriented and organized, effective communicator - all necessary qualities for treasurer and secretary
Very comfortable with handling numbers - would be perfect for treasurer
Would like to do more fundraising for this club, product or events related
Also very passionate about making ballroom more accessible to first-gen students
Joelle Santiago, Secretary
Joined the team this fall, has been a fantastic events chair, very experienced with logistics and outreach (skills important for secretary!)
Organized ValGal, Leads and Follows, Uptown/Downtown Mixer
Can leverage logistics and outreach experiences in logistics/outreach-heavy secretary role
Passionate about securing spaces for club members, and spaces accessible to non-affiliates as well in order to help foster mentorship and club diversity
Has private access to dance studio space in Barnard, can secure this space for the club as secretary
Managing club email account requires enthusiasm, diplomacy, and good judgment, all qualities that she possesses
Q&A Session
How will we increase undergraduate numbers and cultivate new leaders?
Precedence for people to continue assisting the board after they leave or graduate
Dedication is more important than class year!
We have a guidebook and constitution to maintain continuity
Goal is to cultivate a culture where people are dedicated to ballroom long after the expiration date of their term
How will we create stability in the spaces we have?
Financial accessibility: how can we get more money to support undergraduates?
Pending conversations with past treasurers
More communication and visibility about people who struggle to keep up with ballroom expenses in our community
If we can’t offer a situation financially right away, we should at least be open about this and support each other
You don’t need to have costumes or lessons to be successful in ballroom or belong to this team
Expanding the social dance program?
Making salsa a priority next semester because so many people are interested
Reduced rates for that track?
Having a salsa chair in the fall when more people are joining
Collaborations with other social dance groups on campus (Barnard Argentine tango, CU Swing)
Designating an eboard member as a liaison for members with financial troubles?
Creating supportive atmosphere for non-competing members?
Having events like Val Gala, Leads and Follows Night, NYU/CU Mixer, FNF, and on-campus socials that don’t require having partners
More places to meet people outside of classes
Joelle: challenging the way we talk about ballroom and introduce it to newcomers (i.e. talking about what levels people dance at all the time)
“Speaking of changing dialogue…” What can we do to address or challenge discrimination against same-sex dancing?
Creating a collegiate network, committing to grassroots organizing, having an ongoing dialogue with other teams
Realistically we can’t change everyone’s minds, but we can at least be engaging in these conversations with competitors, judges, instructors
This conversation has to start with newcomers!
We want people to grow up within an environment that’s supportive of same-sex dancing
Encouraging people to both lead and follow
Harvard brings in considerable income when they attend BADC -- what issues might arise if we stop going to their competition?
Not the most newcomer-friendly competition
Finesse in handling our relationship with Harvard
Rutgers will be if anything a trial period
Nothing is set in stone, we will be realistic about logistics and budget
There will be active dialogue about this before a decision is made!
Travel/registration cost-benefit is much better for newcomers attending Rutgers
Building northeastern collegiate network with more conversation about how we can all improve our competitions and policies
