Presidential Candidates | Photo by Bethany Althauser | Wright State Guardian
The position of student government president is a big role that comes with many responsibilities. The SGA election is just around the corner, and students must choose the president they feel will best represent their interests.
presidential candidate
This year, Marwa Almzoghi and Vivian Mellon are running for SGA president. The two share many similarities in wanting to see change at Wright State University.
They both wanted to become lawyers someday, graduated from the same high school, and even played on the same soccer team.
Almzoghi is an international studies major with an emphasis in international diplomacy and peace studies. She has been the lead delegate for Model United Nations for the past year. Additionally, she loves spending time with her friends and family, and she feels that human relationships are the most valuable.
“I think I want to do it [better] This will further foster connections between organizations, especially diverse organizations,” Almzoghi said.
Mellon is double majoring in Political Science and Criminology and Justice Studies with a minor in Law. Last year, she served as her SGA Faculty of Liberal Arts Senate.
She said she loves doing arts and crafts, listening to music and spending time with her friends and her wobbly cat, Cheddar.
“I love SGA so much and I love Wright State University that I want to run for office so I can connect more with the student body as a whole,” Mellon said.
Both candidates shared many personal stories and histories, but also focused on what they would bring to the position of SGA president.
what are their plans
Both candidates want to increase campus-wide engagement and intend to use their time as SGA presidents to realize this vision. They are each passionate about their platforms and have discussed extensively their plans to bridge the gap between students and faculty.
“[Providing] Communication between students and representatives has improved, allowing students to understand what is happening, when things will happen and when things will change,” said Almzoghi, adding that other important We have also expanded our communication channels.
Almzoghi immigrated to the United States from Libya when he was 13 years old because his father was an international student at WSU. She explained that WSU used to host cultural festivals at the Nutter Center. She loves this event, and as SGA president she would like to bring it back because it was a big part of why she fell in love with WSU.
Mellon revealed that during his freshman year, he participated in an event called “Raider Night in the City.” There, she said, her school offered discounted tickets to events in Dayton to her students, which inspired her to attend SGA and many other events. The organization she belonged to. Mr. Mellon intends to take these back if elected. She said she was a shy freshman, but these events helped her develop confidence.
Mellon also wants to reopen the commuter lounge.
“We're introducing Commuter Lounge 2.0 because we had a Commuter Lounge in the Student Union, but that changed to esports, so now commuter students don't have a designated spot,” Mellon said. said.
Additionally, each presidential candidate runs alongside his or her chosen vice presidential candidate.
partnership
When students vote for SGA president, they also elect a vice president of their choice. For Almzoghi, it's Kareem Casone, for Mellon it's Maxwell Bacon.
At the “Meet the Candidates” event held on April 4, each presidential candidate was asked why they chose their running mate, and each gave a different but important reason.
“I wanted someone different from me, [to bring] “Some people may not yet know the SGA constitution and bylaws,” Mellon said. “I think it's important to hear ideas from people who aren't just interested in governance. We need to hear from creative thinkers like Maxwell.”
Ms. Almzoghi explained Mr. Casone's choice.
“Kareem and I have been co-presidents of the Muslim Student Association for almost two years,” Almuzgi said. “We have grown together as leaders. [and] We learned how to collaborate with each other in different ways. ”
The president and vice-chancellor must work well together, but it is also important for students to know who the vice-chancellor will be.
vice presidential candidate
Khasawneh is a fourth-year industrial engineering student who attended WSU for three years after transferring from Sinclair. He is co-president of the Muslim Student Association.
Bacon is a third-year political science student who transferred to WSU from Clark State University. He is the treasurer of Amigos Latino and a former track runner at WSU.
At the “Meet the Candidates” event, both co-candidates were asked how they plan to serve students and support mental health issues facing WSU.
“We want people to understand that they have a place in our environment, give them a shoulder to lean on, and provide a place where they feel more heard and welcomed. I think we need to provide more community, primarily for the freshman class, where they can come and understand that they actually belong in a space like this,” Bacon said.
Mr. Kasaune provided his own response.
“It's as simple as listening to your students' needs. Mental Illness and Mental Struggles [are] It’s real,” Kasaune said. “Being a student is not easy, with all the pressures that come with it, academically, socially, and so on. I would start by listening to what they have to say.”
vote
Students must vote for the SGA candidate they feel best represents their aspirations for WSU's future. Although all candidates stand on a foundation of change, improvement, and communication, each candidate is still unique.
Voting will be open at WINGS from 12pm on April 6th to 5pm on April 12th.
