1) Increase Awareness of Mental Health Services

With a large university setting, it is common for students to feel lost and overwhelmed by schoolwork and other stressors. Several of my friends here have psychological problems and depression and do not know where to turn for help. At a time when over 10% of college students have been diagnosed with depression, and suicide is the number 2 killer in universities nationwide, this is too important of an issue to take lightly. Students should know where to turn for help when they need it and be able to have their problems addressed immediately and effectively. I will work to increase awareness of the mental health services that exist on campus, especially towards freshmen who have to deal with the added difficulty of adjusting to a new environment.

2) Campus-Wide Reliable Security E-mails

With crimes around campus such as robbery and sexual assault on the rise this year, students have a right to be aware of such events so they can take appropriate reactive measures. The current text message system that is being put in place this month is a great first step, but we need to expand this to other forms of communications. Since every student does not have text messaging capabilities, I would like to create a more efficient e-mail system. I have only found out about several recent crimes through word-of-mouth and emails from friends, which is unacceptable. Why aren’t all students at this university informed of crimes occurring on campus? Why is this information often relayed to us by friends and peers rather than through an official e-mail? It is imperative that the university establishes numerous ways to inform students of such incidents and advise them on how they can go about protecting themselves.

3) Improve Campus Gyms

Are you frustrated with limited hours, crowds, and outdated equipment at the gyms? Exercise plays a vital role in any healthy lifestyle and students should be encouraged to make it a part of theirs as well. Currently I feel that our campus gyms could be much improved to suit the needs and desires of students. Want more elliptical machines? A gym that is open 24 hours? Vending machines by the locker rooms? I will listen to your complaints and actively try to change our gyms so they better accommodate you.

4) Better Food Quality in the Dorms

Let’s face it: one of the worst parts of living in the dorms is the food: bland, repetitive, and mass-produced. Most freshmen complain endlessly about the meals and cite it as one of the reasons for not living in the dorms as sophomores. I believe the cafeterias should incorporate local and organic produce and students should be able to submit special recipes and requests—after all you are spending money on your meal plan and have a right to be enjoying what you eat. By continuously working with members of the dining hall services, I plan to address the current student complaints regarding the food selection. I will try to implement more effective surveying methods in order to reach out to more students and hear their concerns.