From 8 p.m. on Monday to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, students will get the chance to select the NC State student body president and vice president. Emma Carter, a third-year studying sociology and international studies, and Alex Obiol, a third-year studying textile engineering, are the two candidates for the role of student body president.

Both Obiol and Carter have similar platforms addressing how they would like to see improvements in accessibility on campus and creating programs and initiatives that can be sustained for years after their session is complete. 

Obiol discussed her vision, which contains many broad ideas, emphasizing her goal of addressing a plethora of spots on campus. 

While she said that they may not be able to fully complete some projects, they will strive to make progress on different concerns on campus.

“We talked today with the Climate Reality Project and we talked about divestment, like definitely a project that we’ll have to spread over several terms in student government, but we have a lot of platform points that I think if they can’t be completed in one year, that significant progress can be made,” Obiol said.

Carter focused on collaboration, a large way in which her and her cabinet will work to achieve several goals throughout her term if elected. Collaborating with students and university administration is how she envisions the most effective work in Student Government.

“We like to say ‘This is about the Pack,’ so bringing Student Government back to the students, and actively engaging students,” Carter said. “Saying ‘Hey students, what do you want to change?’ Also making sure we’re able to be seen, so transparency and accessibility to Student Government as well. Getting out there and saying ‘We were elected to represent you; what can we do to help you? What resources can we give you? How can we connect with you with administration? Or how can we advocate for you at the university level or the state level?’”

Carter also discussed her experiences as a leader on campus, and how those experiences have prepared her to be a middleman between students and the individuals that run the university. 

“For me, this year I got the opportunity to become a chancellor’s aid, that’s something that specifically, looking from the outside looking in, we host events for the Chancellor, but we’re also in these spaces where we’re seeing these administrators interact,” Carter said. “As well as my experience within the Association of Student Governments; seeing how bringing all 17 UNC-System schools together can be a powerful voice and it’s not just one institution saying ‘Hey, Board of Governors, this needs to change’. It is 17 schools coming together and saying ‘Hey, this is an issue we’re experiencing across campus. We’ve been in these spaces, we’ve been exposed to these administrations.’”

Obiol also elaborated on her experiences in Student Government and her intent on collaborating with people she has already worked with, to push more projects that will help students.

“I’ve been put in a unique position in the past three years building relationships with the administration that fixes these certain issues,” Obiol said. “With me in Student Government I have a lot of experience not only solving these problems but building relationships with the people that can help me solve them and can help students in general solve these problems.”

In terms of putting forth specific initiatives, Obiol and her running mate, Lexie Malico, a third-year Ph.D. student studying chemistry, intend on creating a diversity outreach roundtable that include people from organizations such as Multicultural Student Affairs, the Muslim Student Association, GLBT Center and more organizations to recognize their concerns or thoughts about their experiences on campus.

Carter highlighted transparency and effective communication on important events or proceedings on campus as one of the focal points if elected student body president. Specifically, Carter said that transparency surrounding the student organization registration process is a goal she has. Carter said she intends to create workshops where Student Involvement staff as well as student body officers can help students understand what is necessary of them in order to register their groups efficiently.

Both candidates said that they will be advocates for all students on the university level, making sure that any changes made by administration are made aware to students and are beneficial to students.

Voting opens Monday night at 8 p.m. on getinvolved.ncsu.edu.