Caroline Sandleitner is a senior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself — any clubs, hobbies or major plans for the future?

“I’m originally from Windham, New York. I’m currently in [Binghamton University’s] accelerated master of public administration (MPA) program and will receive my MPA degree next year. On campus, I’m involved with the Student Association (SA) Congress and have primarily sat on the Financial Committee for the past two years. I’m also director of advocacy within the SA President’s Office, where we have worked on sexual assault awareness and easing students’ transition to online learning. Outside of the SA, I’m a senior member of the Student Conduct Hearing Board and treasurer of [the club skiing team]. In my free time, I love to ski with my friends and volunteer in the community to meet new people. I hope to attend law school within the next few years so that I can further explore my passions for public service and legal representations.”

2. What is your platform?

“My platform is three-pronged in order to better represent students while on the [BU] Council: communicate transparently, address inequities on campus and strengthen advocacy efforts. Transparent communication is essential and something the BU Council position currently lacks, so I plan to create a user-friendly medium where students can reach out and voice their concerns. I also want to establish a social media presence so that students can know who is representing their interests and what they are accomplishing throughout the school year. The second prong — addressing inequities on campus — consists of effectively dealing with pervasive issues to both graduates and undergraduates. I want to prioritize adding new or amended policy, perhaps through [the Office of Student Conduct], to combat discrimination on campus. In the past year, students have seen an uptick in racial discrimination, yet there have been few substantial responses by the University. Similarly, as BU Council representative, I want to focus on sexual assault awareness, which will be even more essential if transitioning back to in-person classes. These issues, left unsolved, are deeply divisive to our campus culture and need to be remedied as soon as possible. Lastly, my platform relies on strengthening advocacy efforts. I plan to coordinate more closely with the SA and Graduate Student organization (GSO), which would unify and strengthen student opinions on campus and at the state level. Also, I want to include more diverse opinions, outside of student government, and regularly meet with student union leaders throughout the school year. Student leaders at all levels need to listen to each other, and I will facilitate that action.”

3. Why did you decide to run for an SA E-Board position?

“I decided to run for BU Council representative because I’ve seen the shortcomings of student government if student leaders do not work together. From my years in the SA, I know that the BU Council representative needs to work closely with the SA, the GSO and student leaders to successfully inform the Council of students’ needs. I hope to increase the coordination and effectiveness between our student bodies to amplify student voices because I care deeply for [BU] and the people I’ve met here.”

4. Why should students vote for you?

“Students should vote for me because I am honest and passionate, especially about speaking up for what is right. I know what it’s like to go unheard by the student government or be uncertain about how the University will address pressing issues that affect our educational experiences. Those are feelings I want to alleviate from the campus community during my tenure. Professionally speaking, I’m efficient, effective and work creatively to achieve the best outcome in any situation. I’m young, but my educational background allows me to understand what first- and second-year students are looking for in their transition to college. As an MPA student, I currently relate to my classmates who live off campus and might be in graduate programs or teaching as a graduate student. I am empathetic to the needs of all [BU] students, which I think is unique in the BU Council race.”