Obaid Syed ’14 said that he is running for Yale College Council secretary so that instead of napping or watching TV, students will use their free time to try something new — like salsa classes.

Syed said he has two main goals on his platform for YCC secretary: mental health and dining hall reforms, he said.

“I want to fix the information flow at Yale, which I feel is broken and decentralized,” Syed said.

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In this regard, he said he aims to streamline and improve the YCC’s weekly email to include more content and a better layout. He added that he hopes to implement unconventional measures to relieve mental stress. Syed’s plan? A study buddy system, pairing up students in the same class, and scattering plush toys around Bass library. He also promised to distribute flowers and blast music on Old Campus and Cross Campus to make the walk between classes more relaxing and enjoyable.

“I’m a Romanticist,” Syed said.

Regarding his dining platform, Syed said he will advocate for later hours, better labeling, and an added formal “fine dining” night every week, he said.

“We can have fine dining if we just have the mindset for it,” Syed said, explaining his desire for dressed-up dinners.

Syed has considerable experience in leadership on a large scale, being a member of the Freshman Class Council and a member of student government in high school.

“He’s very responsible and is willing to invest a lot of his time and go the extra mile,” said Will Qiang ’14, a member of the FCC. “He’s able to effectively communicate on a personal level to people.”