Q&A with new Penn Dems president Andrew Brown

Last Saturday, Penn Dems announced that College junior Andrew Silverstein resigned from his position as president. College sophomore Andrew Brown will assume the position, effective immediately, in leading the student group for the next year.

According to a Penn Dems press statement, “academic stresses” prompted Silverstein to resign from his position.

“Silverstein’s early departure is surprising to the board. We wish him all the best in the future and look forward to working with him as he continues his work on the Obama campaign,” the statement read.

College sophomore and former membership director Dylan Hewitt will become the new vice president. Wharton freshman Amiyr Jackson, former Treasurer, will become the membership director. College freshman Alexandria Lee will join the executive board as the treasurer.

“This new leadership is a reshuffling of the deck that best uses the resources we have on our board,” Brown said. “We’re also excited about our new treasurer Alexandria Lee, who will be helping us create an apparel line that will not only be sold on our website but at events as well.”

Brown sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian to chat about his upcoming plans for Penn Dems as well as his own political aspirations.

The Daily Pennsylvanian: What initiatives do you plan on continuing? What changes will you be making?
Andrew Brown: We’re still going to be very devoted to a political strategy that’ll reelect Barack Obama this November, with a slightly heavier focus on membership. The same emphasis that we placed on our political strategy will remain a core part of our agenda this year.

DP: Tell us about some of Penn Dems new initiatives.
AB: We’ve got a big activism agenda that we’ll move forward. Our legislative committee will head that up. We had a petition to protect access to birth control that was promoted on Locust Walk by our Legislative Director Nathalie Figueroa. In addition, we have a new regimen of social events that will be put into place by [Membership Director ] Amiyr Jackson.

DP: What is the vision for Penn Dems this semester?
AB: The vision is to continue to grow our membership and build momentum towards the election this November. We plan to improve the social agenda to get volunteers to make that plan happen. In the process, we’ll have some big events with great speakers.

DP: How did you get involved with Penn Dems?
AB: I was already a fervent Democrat. I campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, and switched to Obama when she didn’t win the nomination. I was also a part of Joe Sestak’s campaign before coming to Penn. When I came to Penn, then-Penn Dems president Emma Ellman-Golan was a fellow member of the Shabbatones and one of the first people I met at Penn. She plugged me into a group that was perfect for my interests. I got involved in the legislative committee with Isabel Friedman, and last year served as communications director.

DP: What else are you involved with on campus?
AB: I’m a member of the Shabbatones, Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and I’m a community development intern at the Netter Center. I work in the Community Resource Center to provide social, health and financial services to parents in the building to help them develop the skills and ability to be more involved in students’ academic lives.

DP: Do you plan on running for political office in the future?
AB: It’s not part of the plan right now. This is something I care about because I care about the issues. I hope I demonstrate for Penn students that you can be part of something without aspiring to be an elected official, being a poli-sci major or having law school aspirations.

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