Inside the race: A guide to the spring Student Government Association election

Photo by Simrah Ahmad, Staff Photographer

As the Student Government Association (SGA) kicks off its spring election season for presidential and senatorial positions, students have the opportunity to engage with the individuals running and cast their vote for student leadership. 

The campaign period for the elections will run from Feb. 17 to Feb. 26, with the voting period taking place shortly after, from Feb. 24 to Feb. 26. 

Chapman’s SGA stands as the primary academic voice of the student body, and is tasked with the responsibility and authority to advocate for students' rights, needs and interests.

SGA is made up of an executive council, a senate with 17 elected student members, a judicial branch and various staff members. Each member is dedicated to representing and supporting the interests of different student groups across campus.

Presidential candidates: Ryan Vega and Cintya Felix

Ryan Vega, a junior political science major, says that he is running for president to give back to the Chapman community and strengthen the connections that make the university feel like home. His inspiration to run for president began with his grandmother, a childhood friend of Fred Barrera, the former Mayor of Orange. She used to work in a local packing house across from Chapman University, dreaming that a family member would one day attend. Vega is also inspired by his uncle, Emigdio Vasquez, known as the “Godfather of Chicano Artists,” who has artwork displayed in Chapman art galleries that reflect the values of the Chicano movement. 

“(I’m) inspired by their legacy,” Vega said. “I want to continue the tradition of service and advocacy by ensuring that every student at Chapman feels welcomed, supported and heard.” 

If elected, Vega plans to strengthen student engagement by securing funding for clubs and organizations, while also uplifting underrepresented communities on campus through the creation of task forces. 

Vega is currently serving on three task forces within the SGA leading the Veterans Task Force and serving as a member of the reforming Disability Services and Athletics Task Force, and he plans to work alongside the senate and vice president to achieve his goals of strengthening connections with campus communities if elected to office. 

To ensure his initiatives last beyond his term, Vega aims to prioritize student input in the decision-making process. 

“Whether through voting, attending meetings or simply starting conversations, every student has the power to create change,” Vega told The Panther.   

Vega is running for the presidential position against fellow junior Cintya Felix, who is majoring in political science, Spanish and economics. 

Since her freshman year, Felix has done everything in her power to be an advocating voice for the students. Prior to her current position as director of senate, Felix had already served as a senator of student government for two years. Felix was planning on graduating early as a third year, but something told her to stay. 

“I look forward to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion by continuing my previous work and improving based on (students’) feedback. I am committed to collaborating with all colleges and departments and will strive to serve your interests to the best of my ability,” said Felix.

Her key proposals include empowering the existing judicial branch, changing senate meeting times to accommodate Muslim religious practices, establishing a multicultural Greek council, experimenting with additional parking spaces and subsidizing the costs of required equipment for courses. 

With extensive experience presiding over SGA meetings, running commencement speaker contests and organizing events such as Wilkinson Winterfest and DiversityFest, Felix believes she is well-prepared for the role of president. 

“I am the product of three years of experience, and I’m not here to follow a path — I’m here to carve a new one,” said Felix. “When you cast your vote, know that you’re not just choosing a president. You’re choosing a leader who refuses to settle for anything less than excellence.”

Vice presidential candidates: Gil Lopez Garcia and Zoe Zadah

Zoe Zadah, a junior double majoring in political science and economics, is one of the running candidates for vice president. 

If elected, Zadah’s role as vice president would include a broad range of responsibilities. 

“Some of my responsibilities will include overseeing task forces that represent groups of students with a similar identity, such as the Veterans Task Force, as well as proposing legislation, presiding over all sessions of the senate and planning internal SGA events such as bonding activities and a banquet,” said Zadah. 

Zadah hopes to implement textbook exchange programs and open educational resources or rental services to support all students with their educational needs. She would also work to allocate increased funding and resources for studying abroad, prioritizing underrepresented groups through initiatives like the Promising Futures First-Generation Program.

“As a first-generation college student, one of the things I want to improve is textbook affordability,” said Zadah. “I believe that by spreading awareness about these resources and creating more like them, every student can fulfill their dream of studying abroad, which was one of my favorite experiences at Chapman.” 

In collaboration with student organizations, faculty and administration, Zadah hopes to integrate her initiatives into the existing systems and meet the needs of students on campus through the encouragement of office hours. 

The second candidate for vice president is Gil Lopez Garcia, a sophomore environmental science and policy major.  

As an avid participant and advocate for student organizations such as Schmid Student Leadership Council and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice for Libraries Fellowship, Garcia hopes to grant academic and community-based resources for all undergraduates, regardless of major or year, should he be elected. In addition to managing the senate and executive councils to ensure the effective execution of initiatives, Garcia emphasizes his commitment to establishing a Cultural Awareness Week.

“Community has been shown to develop when the environment is inviting, welcoming and is a safe space for all whether to study, recreate or work,” Garcia said. 

Garcia shares that the week’s events would feature friendly award shows for the senate body and organizations, such as “Most Proud Public Speaker” and “Most Creative Presentation,” as well as provide fun incentives accompanying their awards. 

During Garcia’s senatorial term, he has gained the skill set, work ethic and passion to bring about such pride for the constituents to be able to unite together under diversity and kindness.

“To my fellow constituents, respect my peers in the election race and allow them to have a voice for their own causes. I believe competition should prioritize friendliness and respect,” said Garcia. 

As for the future of SGA, Garcia believes he is qualified and has deep hopes to bring about a new era of SGA.

Senior senator candidate: Idaly Ramirez

Idaly Ramirez, a senior integrated educational studies major, is the sole candidate for senior senator this election cycle. While The Panther reached out to her for comment, we were unable to connect as of this article’s publication.

Student organizations senator candidates: Marilin Garcia Hernandez and Shishir Gomatham

Marilin Garcia Hernandez, a freshman business administration major, is one of two candidates running for the open student organizations senator seat. Garcia Hernandez places a heavy emphasis on the community aspect of her platform.

“I will actively collaborate with many different members and leadership on campus to ensure the core values and goals always continue growing. I aim to gain as much feedback as possible in order to fix any errors or just ensure these goals are received positively,” Garcia Hernandez said.

Garcia Hernandez zeroed in on a few particular goals, including regular maintenance of the blue light emergency phones and a further diversification of the food selection available to Chapman students. She also outlined a commitment to bolstering the clubs and collaborative organizations available to Chapman students — organizations that she finds key to the student experience.

“I am a strong believer that clubs make a big difference to how students experience campus life and I aim to help these clubs accomplish their goals. By doing so, I plan to aid all the clubs on campus as much as possible,” said Garcia Hernandez.

In addition to her campaign goals, she also outlined her desire to be accessible to and able to connect with her student constituents. 

“I aim to gain as much feedback as possible in order to fix any errors or just ensure these goals are received positively. Additionally, I would document processes and ensure to have records in order for future leaders to build upon the foundation I hope to establish,“ Garcia Hernandez said. “Although we all come from different backgrounds, I believe that together we have created something amazing. If I am given the opportunity to serve, I promise to always advocate and listen to ensure empowerment for us all.”

The second candidate for the open student organizations senator seat is Shishir Gomatham, a freshman majoring in computer engineering. Gomatham places a heavy emphasis on how he would serve in the role as someone who student organizations can approach for solutions.

“My responsibilities within SGA would be to engage with the student organizations on campus to see how the administration and SGA can help meet their needs,” Gomatham said.

As a result, Gomatham’s biggest priority would be the streamlining of communication between the SGA, student organizations and Chapman’s administration. He hopes that it could serve as a basis for enacting more effective policy changes within the SGA.

“In the past, I have noticed that there is a major communication gap between administration, SGA and student organizations. I hope to fix these problems while in office and do much more for the community,” Gomatham told The Panther.

He was also sure to emphasize that any policies he put forward would be flexible and have the ability to adapt to the changing needs of campus.

“I will ensure my initiatives are beneficial in the long run by providing the initiatives I start to be malleable, and provide room for the initiative to adapt and change with the changing needs of organizations on campus,” he said. 

How to Vote

To vote, students can use their Chapman username and seven-digit ID number to log in to chapmanvotes.com, where they can select one of the listed candidates, write in their own candidate or choose to abstain from the vote.

A voter turnout rate of 5% must be reached for a senator to be elected, with 10% for the presidential and VP races. The deadline for voting is Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.