Alyssa “Lys” Taddei is a second-year interior architecture and design major who began her work with the Associated Students of Colorado State University last year, when she served as interim speaker of the senate.

Taddei believes that her experience as interim speaker, her own ongoing leadership education and her passion for creating a happier, more productive senate environment would make her highly effective in her role as this year’s speaker of the senate.

Taddei described the interim speaker as responsible for working directly with the speaker of the senate to ensure effective passing of legislation. As Taddei explained, her job as interim speaker was to “help the speaker be efficient” above all else and to create a smooth, productive workplace environment in the senate.

Taddei also said she was particularly proud of her time as interim speaker because, despite a shortened legislative season due to interruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, she was able to help lead the senate to passing numerous bills.

I can always find a smile, I can always make other people smile and inside of that office … (having) a person in the role of speaker who can make people smile, who can bring people together, is really important.” -Lys Taddei, speaker of the senate candidate

“I got to shadow what Blake (Alfred) did and work with him, see all the little things,” Taddei said. “I’ve been doing this role behind the scenes for over a year now.”

In hopes of supplementing this experience, Taddei began studying leadership and conflict mediation in preparation for the role, committing her time to reviewing parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order, both of which are tools she says would make her extremely effective in the role of speaker.

“I’ve been preparing myself a lot, mentally, for the role of speaker, educating myself a lot on leadership,” Taddei said. “It helps you moderate these meetings and bring that large group of people to a consensus. It keeps it organized, it keeps it civil and it keeps it professional.”

Taddei believes that, alongside her experience in ASCSU and ongoing leadership development, one of her strongest qualifications is her naturally mediating and joyful personality.

“I am a very positive human being,” Taddei said. “I can always find a smile; I can always make other people smile, and inside of that office, it can get a little hectic. It brings you down sometimes. Having a person in the role of speaker who can make people smile, who can bring people together, is really important.”

Taddei believes that if she is elected as the newest speaker of the senate, she’ll be able to widely educate students across CSU on the role ASCSU has on campus.

“One of the things I wanna do … is make sure that students know about ASCSU because we have such a big role, and so many students don’t know what we do,” Taddei said. “I think that that’s an issue that needs to be highlighted.”

Taddei said that as speaker of the senate, she’ll be able to more effectively introduce students from a wide variety of backgrounds to ASCSU and encourage students to get involved, advocate for their needs and work with the senate. 

“At the end of the day, we work for the students,” Taddei said.

Sam Moccia can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @SamuelMoccia.