Student Government Association candidate profiles

By Evan Mellon, News Reporter
March 27, 2023

DeKALB – The Student Government Association is the organization of representatives elected by the student body, who are responsible for funding and supporting student events and organizations on campus.

The following candidates are running for student government positions. Students can vote once for each executive position, and multiple people for each legislative position. Voting opens at 12 a.m. Tuesday and closes at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and is accessible via a QR code on Huskie Hub. Winners will be announced by the end of Friday.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH CANDIDATES

Candidate for president: Olivia Newman

Year/Major

Junior/Public health administration

Why are you running?

Answer: “I am running because it’ll be my fourth year at NIU and I know the way that NIU operates. I don’t think that students really realize the power they have, the student voice, and how much of an impact it can have on the administration. I want to encourage students to utilize that and support the minority groups on campus. I feel like they are really underserved and don’t have all the same privileges as other groups on campus.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “I feel like, sometimes, the student government doesn’t really engage with the students. The student government is just there, and a lot of students don’t really know who is in charge or what they’re doing, so I want to make it a point to engage with the student body, engage with them and see what they need from the student government since we all pay money to be here.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “I’ll be running under the NIU United ticket. For treasurer, it’ll be Landon Larkin, Vice-President Kailyn Lee, Trustee Tim Moore and for President Olivia Newman.”

Candidate for vice president: Kaylin Lee

Year/Major

Junior/Music education

Why are you running?

Answer: “I am running for SGA to continue my term as vice president and help to serve the students and fulfill their wishes in bettering this university. I wish to help continue to serve this university and all of its organizations to the best of my ability.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “If I get elected, I will make it my goal to create an environment where every organization feels accepted and can utilize a dedicated space to host meetings and gatherings. I will also make it my goal to help (make) the organization approval process easier and faster for those creating new organizations.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “I feel like I have learned a lot in my first term as vice president and can continue to grow from my success in this role if elected.”

Candidate for treasurer: Landon Larkin

Year/Major

Junior/Finance

Why are you running?

Answer: “Basically, I’ve been deputy treasurer for the past year and I think to make it more accessible for students to get funding, to know the process, to make it more equitable. Those are my main goals.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “I definitely plan to hold informational sessions to expand outreach to students. Also I definitely want to make it more accessible for them. I feel like some student organizations don’t know the process, and making it easier for them to be aware of what they have to do to receive funding is my biggest thing.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “No.”

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH CANDIDATES

Candidate for College of Engineering: Chris English

Year/Major

Junior/Mechanical engineering

Why are you running?

Answer: “This year I’m running because I had a good experience in the position during the 2022-2023 year, and I want to continue that and to continue helping students. I originally ran because I did not feel there were voices from the college of engineering and engineering technologies to the general student bodies. We were kind of in our own little corner, so that’s why I originally ran. But I’m continuing because I’ve enjoyed it and I genuinely feel that I’ve been beneficial.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “Probably a lot of continuing of what I’ve been doing, so continue making sure various clubs and organizations have better connections within themselves within the college of engineering, as well as the college of engineering having better connections to the SGA. Making sure they’re educated on how you get funding requests and when you start a new club, how to get officially recognized. That’s probably my main thing as senator that I’m going to work on.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “I think SGA is a great opportunity. If you think your voice is not being heard, or major, or something that’s important to you is not getting enough ears or voices on it, either apply to senate or fill out an intent to speak form. We are not the most powerful body on campus, but we are visible voice of the student, so if you have something that you want to say, SGA’s not a bad place to go. ”

Candidate for College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Eddie Guerrero

Year/Major

First-year/History

Why are you running?

Answer: “SGA’s main goal and purpose is to listen to the students on campus, and as a first-year student who the pandemic affected my academic and social life I feel like I’m a capable leader of listening to new and future huskies and help them become better after what the pandemic has done.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “What I plan to do is help those student organizations around campus that are looking to improve the wellbeing of huskies, social and academic, but are not able to do it due to inadequate funding.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “My last position was captain of a boy’s varsity tennis team, where I created a welcoming and supportive environment for new and returning students to succeed in the sport, as well as secretary of the student athlete society, in which I created a robust system to take attendance and look at fundraising and how much we earned. Being a part of those, what was really important was communication, where if you had problems you talk it out, which I think is really important as a possible senator. Not all of us are going to agree on everything, and we just need to talk it out to move SGA in a common direction.”

Candidate for Underserved Communities: Maria Sofia

Year/Major

Graduate student/Digital marketing

Why are you running?

Answer: “I’m running for office for SGA to bring more awareness to problems that underrepresented communities go through at NIU and work towards solving those problems. I would also like to effectively promote SGA to more students so they can have more fulfilling experiences here at NIU.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “If I get elected as senator, I will help the student body to the best of my ability by using my experiences, from regularly interacting with graduate students, international students, the Asian American community and the Muslim community at NIU along with other underrepresented communities, and bringing their concerns to the senate to help promote and create a more inclusive environment for all students at NIU. With my skills, I would also like to work with the senate team so we can improve our marketing and reach more students and bring more awareness to them about what NIU offers so that we can make a positive impact.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “No.”

Candidate for Graduate Students: Stanley Anukwuocha

Year/Major

Sophomore/Business administration

Why are you running?

Answer: “I have also looked at the issues for graduate students who are international students. We need to give them more orientation in terms of giving them more orientation when they arrive at NIU. I remember when I arrived, I didn’t have much orientation, so I’m thinking we could possibly look at a way of attending to the needs of foreign students. Migrating from any place from a new country is always a very big challenge, so there are needs for showing them what life is like at NIU.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “One of the things I’m going to do if elected is make policies that also introduce more student association amongst the African Students. Currently at NIU, we do not have an organized association for Africans, and I come from Africa, so I feel it could help them have a voice for themselves.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

Answer: “One thing I’m interested in is moving a motion for our new association, because we have an association for public administration students for NIU. I happen to work with some of my professors, and we happen to have some programs which we intend to do. We also have some conferences we plan to attend in June and also in October. I also want this association to be organized so we can gain support from the student association during the time we are having this conference.”

Candidate for Graduate Students: Amaka Onebunne

Year/Major

Graduate student/Communication studies

Why are you running?

Answer: “Having encountered some difficulties that comes with settling in a new environment, I intend to use my office, if voted for, to effect policies that will see to the establishment of an easy settlement or soft landing for students who are not indigenous to DeKalb and the NIU community. This may include provision of free airport pickups, emergency housing, academic resources, guidance and mentoring that would enable them to integrate seamlessly into NIU’s community.”

What will you do if you get elected?

Answer: “My immediate goal is to cater for the international student community at Northern Illinois University, particularly new students. I intend to effect policies that will create an enabling environment for them to thrive as students. My presence at the senate will also see to affirmative policies that accommodate young girls and people of color.”

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know?

No response.

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Student Government Association candidate profiles

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