The academic year has just started, but the Student Government of Seattle University (SGSU) is already in full swing. From Oct. 21-23, Seattle U students will vote for senators to represent them in the student government.
Students will find the following positions on their ballot: accessibility senator, Albers senator, arts and sciences senator, first-year senator(s), multicultural senator, international senator and transfer senator. With a senator to represent each type of student on campus, SGSU’s ultimate goal is to give every student on campus an equal voice.
“I think SGSU is really important for campus life since it makes a lot of decisions and it’s meant to represent us,” First-year Psychology Major Kat Aldrede said. “I want my voice to be heard on campus.”
During the week of Oct. 13, candidates campaigned around campus, handing out flyers and speaking with students about issues they want to see addressed. The campaign week culminated in a ninety-minute debate in Pigott 101, Friday, Oct. 17.
A total of eight candidates were the only ones who debated Friday night—in fact, only seven of the 17 available senator positions have any candidates at all. Of those seven positions, only three are contested.
The College of Arts and Sciences debate featured candidates Emma McNamara, Katelyn Kelly, Samuel Nagele and Tsion Tesfaye. The session focused mainly on inclusion and how each candidate planned to help represent their constituents.
Each candidate approached the issue from a unique angle. First-year Forensic Science major McNamara favored surveys and expanding modes of communication with the student body, citing her club leadership experience.
First-year Forensic Psychology major Kelly highlighted the struggles of underrepresented students, saying she wanted to help out-of-state students like her have a smoother college experience.
Third-year Political Science major Nagele, the eldest of the candidates, highlighted his leadership skills by mentioning how he revived Seattle U’s Political Science club last year; he also suggested town hall-style meetings and increased email communication with students.
First-year International Studies major Tesfaye also showcased her initiative, stating that in her first month at Seattle U, she founded the East African Student Union. She said that she would like to see more engagement opportunities for first- and second-year students, as well as students in the College of Arts and Sciences, particularly those from underrepresented groups.
The first-year senator debate—which featured candidates Dash Tibbals, Jennifer Kamau, Joshua Nelson and Kenny Ouedraogo—focused mainly on supporting first-year students through the transition to college life.
Tibbals, who touted working with members of Congress as well as his experience representing the Latine community, proposed a first-year survival guide as well as a more accessible and transparent student government.
Similarly, Kamau mentioned her real-world experience as the leader of her high school’s nursing program and the founder of its Black Student Union. She mentioned how many people feel left out of SGSU, and shared her plans for more engaging and community-oriented programming.
Nelson heavily focused on making changes that directly impact Seattle U: he mentioned reducing prices on campus, opening locked stairwells in residence halls and increasing community between students of all ages. Ouedraogo also focused on community, saying that he wanted students to leave Seattle U feeling connected to the school and the city; furthermore, he mentioned his prior experience as high school class president and student body president.
The first-year and College of Arts and Sciences senator positions were the only roles debated due to a lack of applications. This dearth of candidates leaves many people without any representation in the student government. Without this representation, a significant portion of Seattle U’s student body misses out on the opportunity to drive change on campus.
“I think a lot of people just don’t know that SGSU does more than just events,” Third-year Computer Science and Accounting major Divya Somysetty said. “I think we could get more people voting if they knew what [SGSU’s] long-term goals were.”
Still, Fazlitdinov hopes that the next election, which will take place in the spring of 2026, will bring an increase in candidates and voters. Between then and now, he says, people will settle into campus life and—with any luck—become more involved in shaping our school’s future.
“SGSU is the bridge between the student body and the administration,” Election Coordinator Said Malik Fazlitdinov said. “I encourage people to run and vote because I want everyone to be represented.”
Currently, the non-traditional senator, graduating student senator, commuter senator, nursing senator, faith traditions senator and pride senator are vacant due to students not running for them.
Election Coordinator Fazlitdinov expressed sadness over this outcome, stating he would love to see more people run for positions.
“Compared to last year, there has been a lot less interest in running,” Fazlitdinov said. “There’s a lot of open positions that no one applied for.”
Students interested in voting should watch ConnectSU for updates. The voting in this election will be open until Oct. 23, with a midterm appointment process following in the coming weeks.
