President of Geaux Vote and mass communication junior Mia LeJeune said Student Government was not an avenue she ever saw herself taking at LSU, opting to fight for change through other student organizations. Now, she’s running for SG president in the Spring 2021 election alongside the current SG Deputy Chief of Staff and English junior Angelina Cantelli.
The women-led ticket holds the largest number of students running for office with 114 candidates representing the 17 senior colleges on LSU’s campus.
“Once I saw SG navigate the events of 2020 and watched other tickets pop up, I knew SG needed a new face and new energy, something to reinspire and reignite SG for the better,” LeJeune said. “Students were tired of how they were being treated by administration and feeling unrepresented, so I decided it was now or never.”
She said she called her friend and mass communication junior Charlie Stephens one night to ask him about her “crazy idea” to run for office. He immediately agreed, telling LeJeune that the only way to make the campaign successful was to recruit Cantelli as her running mate.
“He told me Angelina is a powerhouse in SG,” LeJeune said. “If I was going to revolutionize SG, he knew I would need someone with a passion and experience in the organization to drive the movement.”
Cantelli said she considered running for office before LeJeune extended the invitation, but she felt like her chances of winning were slim because she is a woman. She said that feeling of defeat before pursuit is at the core of the culture her campaign is aiming to change within SG.
“It’s the perfect name because it really is time,” Cantelli said. “It’s time to put women in the best positions to make tangible differences. It’s time to remove the double standards. Even if we don’t win, it’s time to set an example for other women who want to lead on campus.”
LeJeune said that she sees her candidacy as laying a foundation for women to feel accepted, valued and integral to setting policy on campus.
“Now, more than ever, LSU students are craving female leadership,” LeJeune said. “I’m hopeful that we can pave the way for more women to run for office and make campus healthier for all students.”
After Husch-Blackwell released its investigation into LSU’s mishandling of sexual misconduct cases, the campaign called for the termination of any faculty members found guilty of covering up instances of sexual assault. LeJeune and Cantelli said that they can represent and bring to the table women like them who won’t feel safe until the University takes accountability.
As president of Geaux Vote, LeJeune said she is passionate about civic engagement, which is reflected in It’s Time’s voting initiative. It would require students to register to vote before being accepted into LSU if they turn 18 before enrolling.
“We come to this University to become better people and better citizens, and if any student graduates without knowing the importance of voting, it’s a failure on LSU’s part,” LeJeune said.
Stephens, who serves as It’s Time’s campaign manager, said that LeJeune and Cantelli don’t brainstorm their policies alone. He said that through meetings with state representatives, senators, the mayor’s office and LSU administration, the campaign hones its policies to reflect advice from professional lawmakers.
“These women are the real deal,” Stephens said. “I am so confident in their ability to assert themselves where they’re needed and to take criticism and advice if they miss the mark. They have connections that reach the governor’s office, and that’s a powerful force to have.”
LeJeune is the only presidential candidate who is a member of Greek Life as a member of Pi Beta Phi at LSU. The campaign’s policies relating to Greek like include removing failed policies from years past and separating fall recruitment from LSU’s Welcome Week events in August.
Cantelli said one of her focuses is on improving the availability of mental health services at the Student Health Center, both online and in-person.
“There are some seriously sad stories about people unable to get appointments with a mental health professional at LSU for weeks,” Cantelli said. “In a time where we’ve noticed decreasing mental health, there’s no reason that department should be understaffed.”
Cantelli said graduate students are often overlooked by undergraduate students running for SG. After meetings with SG’s former Grad Gold ticket, It’s Time secured the graduate students’ support, took the Grad Gold candidates into their ticket and drafted policies to reflect graduate-specific problems like lack of healthcare and adequate pay.
A local branch of the United Campus Workers of LA, a union comprised of LSU faculty, staff and graduate students endorsed the campaign on March 12, marking the first time the union has supported a ticket.
“This is a historic ticket on so many levels, and we’re ready to keep meeting the moment every step of the way,” LeJeune said.
