Treasurer/Trustee candidate: Brendan Caluneo

Treasurer/Trustee Candidate: Brendan Caluneo
Party: Freedom Party
Hometown: Oyster Bay, N.Y.
High School Ichabod Crane Central School District
Major: Criminal Justice
Age: 19
Clubs/Organizations: Student Senate

Why did you decide to attend Hudson Valley?

“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, and I’ve heard great things about Hudson Valley. I believe that community college is what you make of it. So, I figured that it would be a great starting place. It’s really beginning to feel like home here.”

Why did you decide to run for this position?

“I decided to run for trustee because last year I ran and did not receive the position. But, I don’t want to give up. I feel like I can fulfill the duties of that office. The trustee position is very important. They are the voice of the students to the board that oversees the budget of approximately $100 million. To have student representation and oversight at that level is imperative. To make sure my fellow students are represented, I decided to run for that position.”

“As for the position of treasurer, I want to bring better fiscal oversight to the budgets that we have on campus. Currently, the Student Activities budget is approximately $900,000. So, I want to look at how we are distributing funds, make sure that everyone is receiving a piece of what they are paying into and that some students aren’t just paying and not receiving any benefits.”

What are your qualifications?

“I’m driven to lead, and I like [to] help others. I have spent a lot of time going through different positions, and I find I work very well with positions where I have direct contact with constituencies and take their concerns and the concerns of the masses and funnel it into one point that can actually get change to happen. So, the main thing is to motivate change and to not give up if I’m not successful. I will keep trying until the goal that we set has been completed.”

Name three adjectives to describe your ability to lead:

“Unwavering, determined and unstoppable. I feel that my opinion on positions that come from others elect me to do and to represent their positions. It doesn’t get persuaded by others. If I set forth on a task, I will see it through till the end. I feel all of those adjectives I said relate to that core theme of getting things done in a timely fashion and not giving up when things get tough.”
Can you name five initiatives to focus on?

“The first would be a committee of all clubs on campus. Currently I am not aware of any organization or affiliation in between all of the clubs so that they can discuss amongst themselves, share resources and collaborate. That would be the number one thing that I would like to work on.”

“On top of that, I would like to work for better fiscal equity. That means ensuring that when we are paying for something that we are providing resources for as many students as possible, not just a select few.”

“The third initiative would be to look at the potential of becoming an independent entity. Currently the student government falls under the FSA which is an independent entity. So, anything we do has oversight by the FSA Board and the Board of Trustees, potentially laying the foundation to become an independent organization.”

“If I become trustee, I’d like to make sure the new manufacturing building that is being built is very student-focused and that there is space there that will greatly benefit students for academic and non-academic purposes and to make sure tuition does not get wasted.”

What have been your greatest experiences running so far?

“I enjoyed petitioning, going out and meeting people, asking them what their concerns are and having that dialog with people who don’t even know we have a Student Senate on campus. Who are interested in getting more involved and it takes that extra step of you reaching out and asking the question that no one else is.”

What is the biggest problem with student life at Hudson Valley?

“There is a lack of community. Marginally in the name, community colleges are the center of the community, and I don’t really think that exists here. If it does, it is a very small population.”

How would you fix these problems?

“A potential to remedy that would be to create an additional common hour. Currently, there is only one common hour — Mondays at 2:00 p.m. So, potentially adding one at Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. where students have more access [is] at a more convenient time so that they can actually participate in a club that we have and not have to stay till 4 or 5 in the afternoon.”

Previous leadership experience:

Freshmen Senator position
Senior Class Senator
Service member of Academic Senate’s Student Life Committee (last year)
Community Colleges representative for SUNY Student Assembly (two years)