2023 SGA elections sees four executive leadership campaigns

By: Caitlyn Freeman, Editor in Chief and Jonah Lewis, SGA Reporter 

Several Towson University students, including current President Jordan Colquitt, have launched campaigns to serve on the 2023-24 Student Government Association as election season for the governing body began Friday. 

According to the candidate list released on Friday, there are nineteen total candidates across four campaign tickets and seven senatorial races. Most candidates are those who’ve previously served in the SGA. 

Overview of SGA leadership

Like the U.S. government, the Student Government Association is broken up into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. 

The Executive branch consists of the Executive Board, which, as outlined in the organization’s constitution, consists of a President, Vice President. Attorney General and Treasurer. Additionally, the branch has an Executive Cabinet and Council consisting of 19 directors and representatives.

The Legislative branch consists of 25 student senators, 18 of which are elected. Four senators are appointed from the undergraduate freshman class, while three transfer students are appointed. The Vice President appoints seven senators.          

Senators are responsible for bringing forth and voting on legislation. 

Lastly, the judicial branch oversees the organizations governing documents and assures compliance. The branch consists of an elected Chief Justice, a Deputy Chief Justice, and three Associate Justices.         

Executive Board tickets 

This election season, four campaigns are vying to lead the SGA. The tickets consist of the following: 

Colquitt, a junior, was elected to the 102nd SGA administration last April and is running his reelection bid under The Marathon Continues campaign. He said he’s seeking reelection to continue his work helping the university community, specifically through his role as the student representative on several committees, including the one tasked with finding Towson’s next president.

“With so many changes happening at the university level, continuity of student leadership, I think, will be essential to prove our legitimacy as an organization, as a stakeholder in decision making, and stakeholder in shared governance and then delivering results for and building connections with the students,” he said. 

Colquitt, who served as treasurer in the 101st administration, said his campaign is focused on both expanding the work he began during the current administration and integrating new ideas.

“So there definitely is fresh ideas in our campaign just with the leader that has done the work for over two years,” he said.  

Another ticket is The Voice of the Heroes, led by current Vice President Damon Edwards II. 

Edwards II is running for president through The Voice of the Heroes ticket. Both He and Colquitt, who ran on the same ticket in 2022, said the decision to run separately is rooted in different leadership styles and goals for the organization. 

“I think at the end of the day, Jordan and I just want what’s best for the student body, and I wish him and all of the rest of the candidates the best of luck as well because we all want to enact change and we just have different ways, different ideas and different for the ways in which what to do it,” Edwards II said. “It’ll be up to the student body to decide who they want to produce.” 

He said his campaign is focused on addressing issues students face. 

“Our campaigning is centered around ensuring our students have the best experience possible and for us to magnify the concerns or rectify concerns that they may have,” Edwards II said. “So they can have a better experience altogether.”

Additionally, Jayden Johnstone, SGA’s Director of Sustainability, is running for president under the ACT TU ticket and said his time in the position allows him to understand the student body strongly.  

In terms of his campaign, if elected, he said he hopes to increase accessibility and awareness of student programs while also encouraging more kindness throughout the campus. 

“I want to be known as someone who treated everyone with kindness, who treated everyone with the respect that they deserve,” Johnstone said. “So, really took the high road and helped as many people as they could through the act of kindness. And I think that, you know, it sounds a little hippie-ish, but kindness is something that could be used to help students.”

Representatives from the Takeoff TU campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment by publication Monday. The campaign consists of current Senate Pro-Tempore Chidi Nwachinemere, and Attorney General Christopher Omisore.

Senate candidates

In addition to the four executive tickets, there are six students running for senate positions:

  • Steven White
  • Miracle Jiabana
  • Andy Liu
  • Sarah “Nasa” Onumonu
  • Nnanna Robert Uma
  • Semekate Getachew

White, a current senator, declined requests to comment. All other candidates did not respond to The Towerlight’s inquiries. 

Chief Justice  

Fiyinfoluwa Sanya is the only candidate running for Chief Justice. Sanya said they were excited about the opportunity to make positive changes at Towson. 

“I ended up liking Justice the most since we truly communicate with the student body and help shape our campus through bills, laws, etc.,” Sanya said in an email. “Being able to be a part of that process is truly an experience I feel will be like no other.”

Election cycle, campaign policies and voting

The Election Policy states that SGA elections are overseen by a Committee of five or seven undergraduate students who are not running for or sitting on the Association. The Campus Life staff, the Election Commission Advisor and SGA non-returning members select the committee.

To run for SGA, the policy states each candidate must be a full-time student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.500. In order to qualify for candidacy, students must obtain 200 signatures from undergraduate students. 

Candidates were allowed to begin formally campaigning on April 7 after 4:00 p.m. through social media and other methods like buttons and flyers. Spoken campaigning is prohibited in Cook Library and in classrooms during instruction unless the candidate has received permission from the professor. No campaigning is allowed in the SGA office.

Candidates are allowed to spend up to $1000 on their campaigns.

Before election day, a debate will be held on April 17, and many candidates plan to campaign throughout the next two weeks. Voting for the 103rd administration starts on April 19 and ends at 4:00 p.m. on April 20.  

This story may be updated.

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