INSIDE THE SGA The Presidential Hopefuls

Author: Dan Stevens

Alina Levina, Class of 2009

Alina Levina is running for SGA President because she envisions a "5 Step platform of concrete actions that [she hopes] to achieve by the end of 2007." These include reforms concerning "transportation, lighting, Sunday Dunch, a Book Fair and Performances."

Levina is a first-year, born in the Soviet Union, raised in Brooklyn and is part of the Posse Scholar program. Since her arrival in the fall, Levina has been involved with the Diversity Committee and as a cabinet member of the SGA. She believes that her work through Posse has proved to be a "testament to her commitment to leadership and scholastic commitment."

Levina has outlined specific actions that she would like to see accomplished during her tenure as SGA president. First she envisions an expanded transportation network consisting of additional service to Burlington, Boston, Montreal and New York. Levina also wants to address security at Middlebury: "I hope to work with [Public Safety] in an attempt to increase lighting on campus, and I want to place more blue lights throughout campus in strategic locations."

Levina would like to dramatically change Sunday food service by initiating a meal between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m. that she calls "Sunday dunch." Levina also believes that SGA can organize a book fair to resell used textbooks and increase sponsorship of social events. Through these five goals Levina hopes to use the role of SGA President as a "vehicle for improving the overall quality of life on campus."

Alex Stanton, Class of 2007

Alex Stanton is running for SGA President because he loves Middlebury: "This school is a place I love and I want to do all that I can to make it better for those who come after me." Stanton hopes to do this through a specific agenda of goals as well as an overall vision of the College.

Stanton hails from Sudbury, Mass., and is a junior political science major. Stanton has been involved with numerous activities from intramural sports to serving this year as Speaker of the SGA Senate and a member of President Leibowitz's Task Force on Planning Communications during the long-range planning process that began last year.

Serving as Speaker of the Senate, Stanton has grown to appreciate "the power the student body can wield when it acts as a cohesive body." Because of this appreciation, Stanton sees his role as SGA president is to act as a "conduit to express [student] power to the appropriate officials."

Stanton also envisions a few specific reforms: transparency of governance bodies, increased use of alternative energy, implementing an off-campus safe-rides program and an interim room draw system. Stanton sees each of these measures as a way to "serve the diverse academic, social, environmental and cultural interests of Middlebury College."

In his campaign, Stanton looks to stress his seniority. "I plan to emphasize the fact that I have far more experience than my opponent and that I have created valuable contacts with the Administration that are necessary if an SGA President is to get anything accomplished."