The KasamaRep position is one of the most important Executive Board positions as it serves as the gateway between the membership and E-Board. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and we’re all here to ride it. The KasamaReps serve as Executive Board members with an intention to lead and learn, hence the the reps are also called interns. All-in-all, a KasamaRep is a voice of the membership, a leader in training, and an Executive Board member. Below are your 2019-2020 KasamaReps!
First-Year KasamaReps
Frances Talino
Nursing Major
If you could be an animal/color/fruit what would you be and why?
If I could be an animal, I’d be a giraffe. I have always identified with giraffes because we’re both tall and lanky. They also carry themselves with a lot grace and elegance. I relate to them because I learned to be proud of my height.
Why are you interested in representing your class?
I am interested in representing my class because I want to be able to reach out to everyone. Some clubs can have cliques and sub-groups within the group, so I want to help create an environment where everyone can be comfortable with each other. I also want to work on the importance of inter-class bonding. I love being able to connect with other people on different levels, so I feel like some good bonding between classes would help the group become closer.
What does being your own culture mean to you? What are some ways you can share this meaning with the members of Kasamahan?
To me, my culture is my foundation. I grew up in America, but my parents made sure to keep the fire of the Filipino culture alive in us since we were babies. But when I was younger, it wasn’t always easy to stay in love with my culture. Sadly, many Asian-American kids can look back at a time when they were made fun of to the point of wanting to hide your culture. With church events, starting our school’s first Fil-Am Club, and performing with a tinikling group, I fell in love with my background and family history all over again. Being my own culture means owning your roots and having pride in where you and your family came from. I can share this meaning by not just preaching being active in the club, but also joining committees and going to events myself. I will strive to get myself and other members out of their comfort zone by joining and trying new things.
Lindsay Zweben
Kinesiology Major
If you could be an animal/color/fruit what would you be and why?
If I were an animal, I would want to be a dolphin because they spend their days playing in the ocean and socializing with other dolphins. Not only do dolphins get to soak up the sun and surf waves all day, but they are also a really intelligent species. They are capable of forming different types of relationships with different dolphins and they even have different dialects and types of sounds for different purposes.
Why are you interested in representing your class?
I’m interested in representing my class because I feel like it is a good way to put myself out there and to get in touch with more of the community. As a transfer student, I feel like I can understand and relate to both freshman (having already been one) and to the transfer students who might feel isolated from the rest of the community or too shy to reach out to new people.
What do you hope to gain by interning for Kasamahan’s Executive Board?
At my old school I interned with the Executive Board of their Filipino club and learned the ins and outs of each position. At USF I want to continue learning about the different roles and positions on E-board as well as how Kasamahan’s E-board compares to my old school’s. Although USF is a much smaller school than the school I went to before, Kasamahan is much bigger than the club I was in before and I want to learn about what it takes to get so many people involved and how Kasahaman so successfully fosters such a large yet tight-knit community.
Sophomore KasamaRep
Tyson Noquez-Epil
Data Science Major, Minor in Dance
If you could be an animal/color/fruit what would you be and why?
I would be a strawberry because they are my favorite fruit. They can be sweet or sour. They go well with waffles and taste delicious in a smoothie. They are also red, which represents passion and love, and that is exactly what I have for Kasamahan.
Why are you interested in representing your class?
Kasamahan gave me a family. The people of Kasamahan care endlessly which is one of the reasons why I got through my first year. I had the most fun whenever I was involved in a Kasamahan event. I want to continue creating this atmosphere where people can feel safe and have a good time by being more involved within this family. I believe that my voice matters and being apart of Kasamahan’s Executive Board allows the opinions of my class to be heard. With this position of power, I vow to speak up for what my class desires, to be the voice of reason during board meetings, and to enjoy my time with Kasamahan.
Do you have any experience in a leadership position?
In high school, I was the National Honors Society tutoring coordinator, on the LIFE (living in faith experience) team, homeroom senator, and a captain for basketball and track and field teams. One of my most recent leadership positions here at USF is as a street team member where I lead volunteers during CAB events. Through these leadership positions, I have learned that conflict is inevitable but it is how one deals with these situations that matter the most. As a KasamaRep, I promise to transfer what I have learned from these experiences by communicating with others and to be as transparent as possible.
Junior KasamaRep Candidate
Ria Angelica Laxa
Biology Major, Minor in Child & Youth Studies
If you could be an animal/color/fruit what would you be and why?
If I was an animal I’d be a rabbit because it is my and my 4-year-old nephew’s favorite animal (which he is currently insisting I put in my application right now :P) and because their hearts beat so fast because they’re so small so you can’t make sudden noises or else their hearts might explode. I think that’s a wild way to live!
What do you hope to gain by interning for Kasamahan’s Executive Board?
Typically, the KasamaREP position is a position used as a gateway into Eboard. As a KasamaREP you are interning for the executive board, however I think the position has evolved from that and has the capability to truly aid the Director of Membership in providing the input/voices of our growing membership. Serving as Publicity Director last year was an incredible opportunity that allowed me to grow immensely in my confidence as a student service leader. However, every leadership position brings about its own lessons and room for growth, and I view serving as KasamaREP as another journey of equal weight, but this one involves so much more interaction with the members. Publicity was a fairly private job, I didn’t need to interact with members that much to get the job done, not to mention I had no idea what other positions on EBoard did beyond those who reached out to me regularly for flyers. KasamaREP is a different story, and I hope to be able to get to know more members by name as well as get insight towards what exactly the other positions on Eboard do.
What does being your own culture mean to you? What are some ways you can share this meaning with the members of Kasamahan?
Being my own culture means embracing my identities as a first generation Filipinx-American, as a cisgendered woman, as a female in STEM, the list goes on. What makes culture so rich goes beyond the history of our ancestors and the practices and values that are passed down; it is the unique individuals that bring their own stories and experiences into the history and add to it, sometimes even challenging it. I can share this meaning with others by being unashamed of myself and encouraging others to do the same. Part of this means being mindful, respectful, and accepting of others’ identities, making an effort to understand and get to know them. Something powerful my friends do is not put up with when I put myself down. That’s something I want to do for others too.
Senior KasamaRep Candidates
Katherine Delfin
Nursing Major, Minor in Child & Youth Studies
If you could be an animal/color/fruit what would you be and why?
I would be a lemur because I like to move it move it.
What are some ways that you think you would be able to represent your class?
By being a senior rep, I would be a representative mentor. I believe the most important job for a senior outside of completing school work is guiding and helping others through college socially, academically, and mentally. Ultimately being a role model for others is the best way to represent the senior class. With the senior class, I would promote more senior participation by setting up more bonding events, creating new traditions with family lines, and more.
What does being your own culture mean to you? What are some ways you can share this meaning with the members of Kasamahan?
Being my own culture means embracing ALL aspects of yourself. Kasamahan prides itself on standing in unity and solidarity with one another – but that should also apply to within oneself. Every part of yourself – your history, your present actions, and your ambitions – should be embraced because all of these components manifest your unique culture. We are not just individuals belonging to specific categories – we are a blend of everything that has touched our hearts and we must demonstrate that.
To share this meaning I can encourage others to share their unique stories to showcase how their experiences have shaped the person they are today. I can create an open and welcoming space where members can feel unashamed to show off who they are.
