In an on-going series, The Brandeis Hoot will interview two Student Union members each week.
Elijah Sinclair, the East Quad senator, attributed his interest in joining the Student Union to his dedication to improving campus sustainability and the belief that he could make campus life better for students.
Sinclair is co-head of the Senate Sustainability Committee now and hopes to make sustainability something that isn’t “a pain in the neck.” The committee has been working on a reusable mug campaign, introduced by Students for Environmental Action, which aims to reduce waste by providing some students with reusable mugs. Individuals who bring reusable mugs to on-campus dining locations to use instead of paper cups receive coffee at a reduced price. Einstein Bros. Bagels, Starbucks and the C-Store on campus have all taken up this initiative, said Sinclair, and they have reduced prices for medium coffees from $2.19 to $1.09 for individuals who fill their own reusable mugs.
Sinclair is also part of the Campus Operations Working Group (COW-G). His involvement correlates with several of his goals, such as increasing hand-driers on campus, preventing dorm room doors from slamming and introducing outdoor power outlets.
“As a senator, I have the power to make a difference in the everyday life of people,” Sinclair said. “If more people saw how we affected their lives tangibly, then more people would come out to vote.” Raising awareness was important in getting students to vote, Sinclair said, but it can be hard to do, especially when candidates are restricted to a “paperless campaign,” making social media their primary source of outreach to the student body. The paperless campaign restrictions are in place to create an equal ground for candidates, since printing costs money and uses paper.
122 votes were cast in the election of East Quad Senator, with Sinclair receiving 49 votes. East has approximately 375 eligible voters.
Also see: Massell Quad Senator Aaron Finkel, Class of 2019 Senator Hannah Brown and Village Quad Senator Charlotte Lang
