With new additions to the 2028 Class Council and Senate, UR’s Students Association has welcomed new members as a result of the Fall 2024 Elections. Voting ran from Sep. 12 to Sep. 13, with 613 ballots cast — 364 for positions exclusive to the Class of 2024, and 249 for upperclassmen positions. Students of the Class of 2028 were eligible to run for four Senate and eight Class Council seats, while upperclassmen could run for three Senate-At-Large positions.
The Students’ Association serves to represent the interests of the student body, whether it be through funding for student organizations or events and resources that boost morale and community. Newly elected positions will represent the legislative branch of student government.
For Sophie Girgis, who won her election in the 2028 Class Council, many of her efforts concern boosting morale – whether it be events that allow students to de-stress from exams, activities that promote an inclusive and diverse community, or having the chance to communicate and get to know the students she represents every day.
“I wanted to run for student government and class council just because making an impact on those around me has always been such a priority in my life,” Girgis said. “I genuinely want to make changes in other people’s lives for the better, and I feel like Class Council is a really good way to do that.”
For Antoine Byers, who won elections in the 2028 Class Council and Senate, the victory represents yet another step in student representation.
“I’ve been in student government since I was in middle school,” Byers said. “[I]t’s something that I’ve been very passionate about. I feel like we’re impacted by every decision that is made, so we should be a part of those decisions made by the administration.”
Running a successful campaign involved getting to know the student body — and how best to honor their voices.
“You have to be on the ground, and you have to actively be talking to people,” Antoine further explained. “That’s speaking to people outside of your friend group and outside of the people that you would normally speak to.”
Many of the platforms students shared involved community – whether it be through focused events that promoted culture and identity, or legislation that made existing resources more accessible. Byers’ agenda involves implementing solutions for those who suffer from mental health issues; whether it be through workshops or promotion of resources available to students.
For others, conversations involved those who many students wouldn’t get the chance to speak with – like the international community.
“I’m surrounded [by] a lot of Chinese international students,” Felix Huang, who won his Senate-At-Large election, said. “They [have] a lot of opinions, but they just don’t know how to [communicate them] to the school … I just want to help the entire group of students express themselves, and to let them know that they can have someone to talk to and that their voice actually matters.”
Many of the newly elected officers were concerned about the resources available to students.
“A lot of international students are staying over on campus [during winter break],” Tina Han said. “[They don’t know] what they’re gonna do [in terms of] their food, transportation, and every single little detail.”
Others mention a collective effort to boost student morale, like RJ Cui, who won his election for 2028 Class Council.
“I was class secretary in high school,” Cui said. “I had an absolute blast planning events [and] working together as a team just to see the grade happy … the singular goal I have is just to unite the class and to make them have a better college experience.”
