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Ben Capeloto uses his position on CU student government to create a more inclusive and diverse culture.

    Engineers are problem solvers. Ideally, the well-trained engineer possesses both technical expertise and the ability to think openly and critically. An engineer’s critical thinking skills can help them to excel in other fields, which is exactly what Ben Capeloto has shown by winning one of the executive seats in the new Tri-Executive model set up for the University of Colorado Boulder Student Government (CUSG). The three student chairs of the Tri-Executive are Ben Capeloto, Kavya Kannan, and Taylor Weinsz. The promise of the new CUSG Tri-Executive includes potential collaborations, efficiency, and progressive leadership, all of which, together, can make a significant difference for the university and the community.

    Ben, a Senior in Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences with a minor in Computer Science, believes the representation of engineering students in the university will foster a more inclusive, diverse, and solution-driven culture. Ben spoke about his journey at ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ as not only an aerospace engineering student, but as a student leader. Ben came to ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ by way of Carnegie Mellon University in order to pursue his love of and fascination with space. His initial introduction to Aerospace, however, was a matter of coincidence. During a family holiday at Disney World, Ben was able to witness the very last space shuttle launch, which he found deeply impressive and inspiring. From that moment on, Ben was hooked on the dream of studying and pursuing a career in the vast and magnificent field of space. To help him realize his dream, Ben transferred to ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ mainly because of its more direct and hands-on approach to engineering education.

    Last year, Ben was introduced to the importance of student government on campus by his friends. When he found out that CUSG is responsible for utilizing many resources for the student community, he knew he wanted to become involved as a representative. He felt moved by certain issues like the mental health crisis and lack of diversity on campus. The mental health crisis is an epidemic plaguing college campuses across the country. It was one of the main focal points of Ben’s campaign and has remained a focal point during his administration. According to Ben, “A lot of us on campus do not feel supported, but we are taking steps to make students’ lives better and help fight the mental health crisis. As student leaders we are trying to improve the situation.” Regarding possible solutions for better serving the student community, Ben emphasized that the structure of the Tri-Executives not only introduced more democratic decision making at the top of the organization, it also left them with ample space to focus on a broader range of projects which may result in a more efficient distribution of services for CU students.

    In an attempt to tackle social issues regarding diversity, equity, and inclusivity of minorities at ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ, CUSG has continued working with the CU Police department. Kavya (one of the chairpersons of Tri-Executives) is working on the Police Oversight Board in tandem with other projects. Ben is currently working on reviving the Colorado Creed. The Colorado Creed is a collective set of guidelines, codes of conduct, and values that students of ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ are expected to uphold. It is not a mandated bylaw, nor is it enforced by any governing body of the college; it is rather a set of rules that encourage students to be accountable, responsible, and upstanding members of the ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ community. Because concerns were raised by several students on campus that the current bylaws are not inclusive enough, Ben began to work on reviewing it.

    In addition to their array of projects, the Tri-Executive structure allows the new CUSG leaders to represent wider varieties of students; 3 chairs currently represent 3 different majors, 2 minors, 2 different schools, and various states. This allows for new policies to cover an overarching segment of the ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ student population.

    Regarding the matter of student governance and representation generally, many professors and partners in industry recommend that CEAS students try to take on leadership roles that go beyond their coursework and projects. More student involvement can help generate more collaborative student leadership on campus. On an individual level, involvement similar to CUSG prepares engineering students for their post-graduation career either in industry or academia.

A Rapid Fire Q&A With Ben 

Do you have any hobbies?
    Programming, hiking, camping and fly fishing.
What book are you reading?
    One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us To The Moon by Charles Fishman
If you could have dinner with three people living or dead, who would you invite?
    Nikola Tesla, Ernest Hemingway and Leonardo Da VInci.
What areas of aerospace interest you the most?
    Space domain, planetary explorations, and space situational awareness.
Would you consider running for office?
    I can’t plan that far out in the future. If anything happens in that regard, I’d like it to go in
    a similar way then what happened to astronaut, and now senator, Mark Kelly.
Is there anything you would like to say anything to the students?
    Thanks for coming back to the semester in person after a difficult year. It’s great to see
    students back on campus, and if anyone has ideas or a passionate disposition to make an
    impact, come and talk to me.

Photo Courtesy of Ben Capeloto (From Left to Right: Taylor Weinsz, Kavya Kennan, Ben Capeloto)