Loyola’s Student Government Association is holding elections this month. Positions up for election include president and vice president, chief of staff, senators, and senators at large.
The voting period opens April 21 and closes April 23 at 11:59 p.m. These positions greatly influence decisions that affect the entire student body, according to Commissioner of Elections Angel Martinez. Students will be able to vote through HowlConnect through Single Sign On.
Nicholas Keen, who will be a senior in the fall, is a music industry studies major with minors in marketing and business administration, and is running for president. Jessica Valerio, who will also be a senior in the fall, majors in biology and minors in forensic chemistry, and she is running for vice president. Both students are running unopposed.
Each individual college has its own candidates for senator at large and senators to represent them. The colleges consist of Arts & Sciences, Music & Media, Business, and Nursing & Health.
Candidates for senator at large are Angel Luxúria, Heaven Haney, Za’Kiyah Merritt, Angelina Nguyen, Emma Ridge, Paris Hayes, and Ana Beatriz Paz.
The College of Business senator candidates are Morgan Prevost and Violette Worley. The College of Arts and Sciences senator candidates are Benjamin Chehebar and Sarah Ford. The College of Music and Media’s candidate is Taylor Griffin.
Senators from SGA’s 2024-25 school year can reapply for their positions for the fall 2025 semester.
The mission of SGA is to better the campus in multiple ways, such as “promote student welfare, establish an effective and representative student leadership body, exchange transparent ideas between students and the administration,” according to their page on Loyola’s website. They also encourage students on campus to be educated about larger world issues and to be involved in the community. They act as the voice of the student body to advocate for the needs and interests of all.
They operate separately from the university and work to give students insight about decisions that the administration makes that affects the entire campus.
SGA consists of multiple branches, such as the executive, legislative, and judicial.
Committees that fall under the executive branch include the finance committee, equity & inclusion committee, communications committee, and the university programming board.
The legislative branch oversees the allocation of funds to student organizations and the budget that SGA is given. They work to create an inclusive community within Loyola by addressing issues such as campus policy. This branch consists of the Senate, which includes the Speaker of the Senate, senators at large, and college specific senators.
The judicial branch works on interpreting the student government bylaws and constitution. They are also known as the Court of Review and are in charge of Iggy’s Cupboard, an initiative that provides students with free essentials such as canned goods and hygiene products.
The SGA President is the head of the executive branch, acting as the main form of communication between the university administration and all of the committees.
Several upcoming events will give students the opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions about their plans for the student body.
The Candidate Meet and Greet will take place April 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Peace Quad.
The Town Hall Debate will be held April 11 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Monroe Hall 610, giving candidates a chance to discuss their platforms and answer questions from students.
For more information, visit their Instagram at loyno_sga, or see their webpage at https://studentaffairs.loyno.edu/student-life-ministry/student-life/student-government-association
