Lindsey hoping to give back to UNC as student body president

Will Lindsey decided to run for student body president because of his two biggest passions — the University and public service.

“Both my parents went here, and I’ve been going to basketball games here since I was two,” he said. “It’s part of my being and part of my culture, and something I’ve always loved.”

Lindsey said he will unite these passions to make a difference at UNC.

Maddy Merrill, chairwoman of the Peer Advising Program, said Lindsey sees the role as a position of service.

“He has both the experience and the good intentions to be the best person to fill this role,” she said.

Lindsey is a student government peer advisor and chairman of the Greek Judicial Board, among other leadership roles.

He said he will use his experiences to enact his three main platform points, which will focus on student organizations, the state legislature and academic foundations.

He said he wants to help student organizations implement their agendas and to incorporate the groups into the executive cabinet.

“Student organizations have more specialized knowledge and are more passionate about individual issues, so they’re best suited for coming up with policy,” he said.

“The executive branch should be a community space for all leaders on campus,” he added.

He said he will also reach out to the state legislature and advocate on behalf of the University.

“We’re facing uncertain economic times, and tuition is a major issue,” Lindsey said.

“The only way to make a difference in tuition is to advocate to the leaders who set the budget,” he said.

Lindsey said his work as chairman of the Carolina Advocacy Committee and with the N.C. legislature will help him represent UNC’s interests to state legislators. He was a policy intern last spring for N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, R-Guilford.

“The student body president should be an ambassador for the University, and I’m willing and able to work with people on every level, especially people who fund the University,” he added.

Lindsey said he also wants to establish department-based advising networks and improve faculty retention.

Anna Dietrich, Lindsey’s campaign manager, said Lindsey has experience in these areas.

“He worked on the faculty retention committee, and he’s expressed a few different ways to help with funding,” she said. “He’s the perfect person for this job because of the networks and contacts he has made.”

Lindsey’s father, Marty Lindsey, said his son would be a good leader because he wants the best for his school.

“He has grown up around the University, and he thinks of the University first and himself second,” he said.

Lindsey said that at the heart of his campaign, he is a student hoping to give back to the University that has shaped him since childhood.

“Forget student body president. First and foremost, I’m a student hoping to make the University a better place,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.