Dhruv Kapadia (CAS’24), Fight to BU president (from left), and Navya Kotturu (CAS’24), executive vice president, faced off against Saahithi Achanta (CGS’22), BeYOU executive vice president, and Katelyn Lee (CGS’22), vice president of finance, at Tuesday night’s Student Government debate. Photos by Cydney Scott

Campus Life

BU Student Government Candidate Debate: the Biggest Takeaways

Online voting open March 28 to 31

On Tuesday night, 2022-2023 Student Government hopefuls gathered at the Photonic Center to debate topics ranging from how next year’s executive board can better support survivors of sexual assault to how marginalized campus communities can receive a much-needed boost following a slowdown in sign-ups during the pandemic.

About 130 students packed into the center’s Colloquium Room to hear from executive board slates BeYOU and Fight to BU and four Senate-at-Large parties (which represent student interests to the administration): Impact BU, Unity & Social Quality Initiative, the Center for Gender, Sexuality, & Activism (CGSA), and the Community Action Party.

Voting, which will be held March 28 to 31, can be accessed using the Qualtrics section on the StudentLink. The results will be announced Friday, April 1. 

Following are some of the important takeaways and sign-ups from the debate; for the slates’ full summaries, find BU Today’s March 14 story here. 

Mental health advocacy

Saahithi Achanta (CGS’22), BeYOU slate executive vice president hopeful, said her team has observed how Student Health Services is burdened by the large number of students seeking mental health resources. “This is why we want to implement peer counseling as a way for students to have a more intimate conversation and get real-time advice that is more applicable to the lives of students and also more accessible to students who can’t fit Student Health Services into their busy schedules,” Achanta said. The BeYOU slate said they’d also like to bring more therapy dogs to campus during finals.

Navya Kotturu (CAS’24), executive vice president hopeful of Fight to BU, said her team wishes to support the existing Student Government Mental Health Committee’s efforts to combat the stigma around mental health and encourage students to seek treatment, as well as help connect students to on- and off-campus therapists.

Sexual assault prevention and response

Sexual assault advocacy and prevention is one of the “most important parts” of Fight to BU’s platform, Kotturu told the assembled crowd. The group plans to work with student organizations that are already doing what she called “amazing work” on this campus—such as 16K, Campus Survivors, and It’s On Us BU—to promote and educate survivors. In addition, she said Fight to BU “wants to partner with Greek Life and their sexual assault committee and create a cabinet position in the executive branch of Student Government that will focus on sexual assault advocacy.” 

Achanta followed up by saying that the BeYOU platform is dedicated to shifting the campus culture around sexual assault. “I’ve been at those parties, been at those events, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve heard real stories from my friends who have had to go through situations that no one should have to go through,” she said. To “change the culture,” the BeYOU slate vows to work with BU’s Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP), Campus Survivors, 16K, and Greek Life leaders. They also want to establish funding so Greek Life can buy wristbands or shirts to identify sober students at parties who are available to help should a problem arise.

Sustainability

BeYOU’s Achanta, who is the current Student Government director of environmental affairs, said she has heard from students living in StuVi and South Campus that there aren’t enough recycling and compost bins, and her slate will work to improve that. She also wants to work with Dining Services to make sure students have better access to plant-based foods and sustainable options. 

Dhruv Kapadia (CAS’24), running for president with Fight to BU, mentioned his platform’s planned partnership with Blue Bikes, saying that his team is dedicated to incentivizing sustainable travel on campus to make it more affordable for BU students. 

Academic life

BeYOU plans to push for professors to publish their syllabi before classes start (an idea already in progress thanks to the current Student Government, Achanta said), so that students can make a more informed decision about whether to drop or keep a course prior to the start of classes. They also hope to create virtual class support chats so students can more easily find a study buddy, and earmark more campus-wide study spaces to encourage more collaboration.

Fight to BU is dedicated to increasing the availability of affordable  textbooks and is working to join a textbook exchange network, Kotturu said. They plan to host giveaways during the stressful exam period, and want to work with Student Government’s mental health committee to find new ways to help students relax and have fun during exam periods. 

Marginalized communities

While the executive board slates mentioned their plans for supporting marginalized communities (Fight to BU’s plan is here and BeYOU’s here), more time seemed to be spent on this issue during the at-large debate, featuring the Unity & Social Quality Initiative, the Community Action Party, the Center for Gender, Sexualty, & Activism, and Impact BU.

Many cultural clubs and organizations were left struggling post-pandemic, said Unity & Social Quality Initiative leader Dakota Jackson (CAS’24). “A lot of the E-board members graduated, and because of the pandemic, people didn’t really understand what groups like Umoja [BU’s Black Student Union], the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Black Business Student Association actually were,” he said. “There was a lack of fulfillment in joining those groups and trying to get them back up on their feet. We want to assure those people that it’s possible and it’s doable and we’re here to help you.”

Impact BU party leader Ricky Nieto (CGS’21, CAS’23) said his platform is dedicated to various diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and that his group recently confirmed a new position chair in Student Government that makes sure marginalized communities are addressed and heard. “That way,” he said, “no matter the outcome of this election, we will have a group of people who are focused on how we can help marginalized communities get the attention and visibility that they deserve.”