President and VP Candidates

Danell Francis and Brian Morgan

untitled

Bios

Danell Francis (President)

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Hello, my name is Danell Francis. I am a third-year student studying Global Business Management at the Saunders College of Business. I was born and raised in Harlem, New York with family roots in Jamaica. I am one of five children and enjoy singing, crocheting, and doing hair. During my time here at RIT, I’ve served as a freshman representative for the Caribbean Student Association (CSA), Vice President of CSA, the President of the Black Awareness Coordinating Committee (BACC), and now, I serve as the President of the ALANA Collegiate Association. My time here at RIT has consisted of my participation in various clubs and organizations within the ALANA organization.

Brian Morgan (VP)

Pronouns: He/Him/His

I'm Brian Morgan, a third-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology studying Computer Engineering Technology. Although I have Caribbean ancestry from Jamaica and Montserrat, I was born and raised in the Bronx in New York. Together with a sister who is a fraternal twin, I have a total of 22 siblings. I currently serve as Secretary of the CSA (The Caribbean Student Association) and Vice President of NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) elective boards, respectively, and am actively involved with the ALANA (African, Latin, Native, and Asian American) community on campus. I also serve as a general body member and mentor with organizations like Unity House, The Black Awareness Coordinating Committee, The Higher Education Opportunity Program, and The Black Thought Collective.

Platform

We are taking an MCAS approach to aid our student body. What is MCAS? M - Mental Health, C - Community Service, A - Accessibility, and S - Student Body Connectivity. Mental health is something that we cannot ignore. It is essential that we recognize that not everyone is okay, and that’s okay! We want to create adequate resources that will benefit all students here at RIT. Community service is often overlooked unless it is a requirement for a professional organization. Giving back to your community helps in building character. It allows people to be selfless and be cognizant of what is happening around them. We want to bring that same energy and drive back that a lot of students may have had in high school when it was a requirement. Accessibility is something that we cannot ignore. We want to ensure that all spaces on campus are accessible for students with noticeable and unnoticeable disabilities. Whether you get frequent migraines and need dimmer lights when you are in class, or something as simple as getting the automatic door opener fixed in time. It is essential that all of our student's needs are catered to. Lastly, we want to promote student connectivity throughout the entire campus. That means RIT, NTID, and cross-registered students. The divide is evident, and even though it may not look so from the outside looking in, students feel left out. We share the same classes, the same dining halls, and even the same sleeping quarters. Yet, why is there so much division? In creating events that highlight what it is like to be a student overall, we could bridge that gap and make everyone feel welcomed.