Campus sophomore Catherine Bauer is running for ASUC president as a member of the Student Action candidate slate.

Bauer said her platforms include an expansion of basic needs, such as housing and food for all students, an expansion of UC Berkeley’s alumni network and an increase in support and funding to campus clubs.

“This campus has a lot of growing to do,” Bauer said. “We were founded on free speech and dissent. I want to pull in every student of every background and make sure that they know that I’m in it with them, that I’m here to fight with and for them.”

As a political science and gender and women’s studies double major, Bauer’s experience with advocacy began when she was 14 years old as an advocate for menstrual health equity, according to Bauer. She added she first joined the ASUC in fall 2020 as an advocate intern for ASUC Senator Apoorva Prakash.

During her time as an advocate intern, Bauer successfully co-authored a $40,000 grant to provide free period products in campus bathrooms. In addition, Bauer was promoted to the position of chief of staff for current ASUC President Chaka Tellem after working as a staffer for his 2021 presidential campaign, she said.

If elected, Bauer would begin her presidency Aug. 26. If successful, she said she plans to use the transition period to plan and conduct research on initiatives she hopes to launch as soon as possible.

“When I started campaigning, I started reaching out to students who I know are passionate about certain issues,” Bauer said. “If you can create a project that can feasibly be accomplished in 30 weeks, I’d be more than willing to house it in the Office of the President.”

Among these initiatives is the establishment of a 24-hour library, increased provision of microscholarships and a master calendar for all student organization events, according to Bauer. Furthermore, she plans to launch a campaign to address the “Red Zone,” a period of heightened sexual assault and harassment cases that typically occurs within the first few weeks of each semester.

She said she also hopes to increase transparency and organization within the ASUC. Bauer said ASUC meeting notes should be publicly available and added she intends to restructure the ASUC Office of the President to ensure efficiency in meeting her goals.

“Coming off of being a chief of staff is such a unique role. A lot of people go from senate to president or executive to president while I come from the inside,” Bauer said. “I am young and tenacious, and having been on the inside gives me and my campaign team a really unique perspective on how to do this.”