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Meet The SGA Executive Team Applicants & Election Results:

Total Voters: 1216

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President: Zaria Irving ; Vice president: Yolanda Pauly

she/her ; she/her

Sports and Entertainment management ; Dance Major Concentration in Race and Ethnic Studies

irving1@stolaf.edu ; pauly2@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

459

Total Ranked Votes:

835

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

SGA President & Vice President

Zaria and Yolanda are dedicated to increasing representation and promoting inclusivity, particularly for marginalized students. They aim to collaborate with administration on policy changes and foster a stronger campus community through their advocacy efforts.

Yolanda, a versatile artist and researcher, creates unique jewelry reflecting personal growth. Her warmth and captivating artwork inspire. Zaria, known for her caring nature, enjoys travel, sports, cooking, and helping others succeed through building meaningful relationships. Zaria has served on SGA for three consecutive years, while still holding leadership roles across campus. Yolanda has also held multiple leadership roles in orgs on campus.

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President: Rachel Williams ; Vice President: Meakin Bang

she/her/hers ; she/her/hers

Economics, Political Science, Religion ; Political Science, Religion, Concentration: Management

willia54@stolaf.edu ; bang2@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

306

Total Ranked Votes:

792

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

SGA President & Vice President

We've noticed many little changes that could improve the overall Ole experience. That's why our slogan is "Little changes, Big Impact!" We want to focus on what often gets overlooked in SGA. We'll address parking, with special passes; transportation, especially to the cities; and extended library and weight room hours. These "little things" work to strengthen our own community, so that we can focus on providing for the Northfield one. That's why we'll host two major town–wide events.

Rachel:
- SGA experience: PAC member 1st year, Junior Class Senator, Chair of the Palestinian Relief Subcommittee
- General club/campus involvement: former Mock Trial Vice President and current President
- Other: Svoboda Legal Scholar, Angie Craig Campaign Volunteer

Meakin:
- Wellness Center: Peer educator, Sexual Well Being Team Lead
- SARN Executive Member
- General club/campus involvement: Captain of Women's Club Hockey Team
- Other: Worked on a Presidential Campaign, MN Governor's Internship

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President: Dick Nchang ; Vice president: Omar Fitian

He/Him ; He/Him

Quantitative Economics ; Sociology/Anthropology, Computer Science, Statistics and Data Science

fitian1@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

452

Total Ranked Votes:

785

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

SGA President & Vice President

Our next academic year is a US election cycle. Think about what that means for our campus. It has never been more important to have a synergetic SGA that can bridge the gaps between us and the college administration—that is why we want to run. Our government will (1) push for student voices in the housing process, (2) fund transportation vouchers, (3) advocate for more indigenous student scholarships, (4) fund a 15% increase in DISC’s budget. Learn what more we plan to do at NchangOmar2024.com.

If you frequent the St. Olaf website, you’ve probably heard of Nchang’s fundraising efforts with his sickle cell foundation. He also served as SGA president at his high school, where he was laser focused on improving disability access on his campus. Omar is the current international senator, and he has been occupied with meeting college officials to tackle transportation and summer housing issues for his constituents. We are doers—and we will create a public dashboard on Oleville to show for it.

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Aiyana

she/her

Political Science and Economics with a concentration in Business and Management studies and Data Science and Stats

perry12@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

535

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Equity & Inclusion

I am currently an active member and COO of OAI, member of the upcoming Barbershop, and tutor at the writing center. At my previous university, I was on the board for Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Whitman College where myself, five other student leaders, and faulty worked to promote diversity without dominance, equity without benevolence, inclusion without othering, and belonging without assimilation.

I’m interested in running for secretary of Equity and Inclusion because I am invested in promoting diverse conversations and community at St. Olaf in a fun and more digestible way. I hope to implement events that celebrate different cultures that every St. Olaf student can participate in like Taste of Africa, where traditional African dishes are served while informational presentations of African traditions and modeling of African clothes are being performed. I overall hope to bring bigger, better, and bolder diverse presentations of Hispanic, Indian, European and African groups and cultures at St. Olaf. The sharing of students backgrounds through meals, art, and informational segments will encourage conversations and inclusion for all.

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Kaya

She/They

Majors in Social Studies Education and Political Science, Concentrating in Race and Ethnic Studies

clemon1@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

681

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Equity & Inclusion

I want to encourage multiculturalism by ensuring the protection of safe spaces for marginalized groups on campus. This includes finding better ways to support students by working with the VP of DEI to fix our Bias Report system. No student should be made to feel like they should “let it slide” and instead should feel empowered to prioritize their peace. If nothing else, students should feel protected by the institution knowing their identity is something to be celebrated and not dismissed.

As the Event Coordinator for DISC for the past two years, I have thrown events that explore community building and cultural togetherness. As an Education major, my passion for DEI lies in the education system and BIPOC teacher retention. I firmly believe education is rooted in community and collective effort to support one another, and I hope to serve and represent students who may lack this sense of community and belonging.

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Mohamed Radalla

he/him/his

Computer Science + Statistics and Data Science

radall1@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

646

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Academic Affairs

St. Olaf has lots of course data, covering teaching quality (e.g. student evaluations) and grading difficulty (e.g. grade distributions). With Oracle replacing SIS soon, I want to make this information accessible to my peers to help us during registration. I will also support the Textbook Initiative to reduce textbook costs and establish a mechanism for the Smith Center to expand study abroad programs based on student interests—which builds upon my previous work of analyzing study abroad trends.

As far as academics are concerned, I have served as a tutor, TA and as a student representative on the curriculum committee. Yet, my biggest strength remains my experience with bureaucracy at St. Olaf. For example, when I worked on changing the Honor Council constitution to provide more students rights, it took tireless negotiations with deans and department chairs to finally get it passed—which built the acumen relevant to my candidacy. In this new position, I aim to set a higher standard.

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Grace Barton

she/her

Quantitative Economics, Political Science, International Relations, Statistics and Data Science

barton2@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

570

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Academic Affairs

Academics are just one aspect of the St. Olaf experience, but they can often be one of the most demanding and stressful elements of an Ole’s day-to-day experience. As Secretary of Academic Affairs, I am committed to lowering the barrier between students and faculty. I hope to expand the scope of the Textbook Project, which helps provide free textbook rentals, to explore digital textbook rental options. Additionally, I aim to increase the SGA connection with low-income students to bridge the gap between material needs and access to learning materials.

Hello! I’m Grace (she/her/hers) and I am very excited to be running for Secretary of
Academic Affairs. I am currently studying abroad, but during my first two years on campus, I was a Class of 2025 Representative and the Student Senate Parliamentarian. I helped install free menstrual products in campus bathrooms and represented student voices in various subcommittees (from campus dining to public safety). I am passionate about all things SGA and am excited to represent student voices in academic affairs!

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Donovan Roddy

he/him

Quantitative Economics

roddy1@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

1216

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Student Affairs

Throughout my time within the student government, we have struggled to build a connection with both the student body and the college administration because we have failed to be an approachable space. I wish to change that by using this position to empower students with advocacy tools and information about college affairs. Within the new SGA restructure, I intend to create consistent campus updates and liaison with different groups to help them advocate for campus policy changes. One way I would like to do this is through a yearly, campus-wide discussion including members of the Board, Students, Faculty, and Staff. The goal of this meeting is for the various groups within the college to come together and collectively express their perspectives so our decision makers can make informed policy decisions. Additionally, I wish to continue progress toward accessible off-campus transportation that supports international and domestic students and discussions about dining, including advocating for student-run spaces. Holistically, I intend to use my position as the Secretary of Student Affairs to build an avenue for students, while also continuing to spearhead student-led projects that improve campus for future Oles.

I have been a BORSC member and elected to the student senate for both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. Currently, I am the SGA Senate Parliamentarian and bylaws committee chair, in charge of updating and maintaining our governing documents. Through my involvement, I tackled issues such as SGA Restructuring, and campus safety. Additionally, I spearhead the SGA Textbook project, which purchases textbooks for the library that students can check out for free. I also surveyed the student body about textbook affordability. We are currently working with the data from that survey to advocate for departments to move toward open-source course materials.

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Elijah Sonntag

(He/Him)

Chemistry/ Business Management

sonnta1@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

1216

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Local Impact

We must create a stronger relationship between us as students and our Northfield community. I aim to bridge the gap between these two parties and connect with the Northfield government, businesses, and places of service. As a college, we have a lot of work to do to make intentional connections with the local community, and I plan to start creating those connections for students. If students have concerns or questions, my goal is to be able to get answers and deliver student input to the city.

Hello everyone! My name is Elijah Sonntag, and I currently serve as our VN Coordinator (the parent role to the Secretary of Local Impact). I have worked very hard to create and establish this role and have worked with Mayor Pownell and other community organizers to develop a connection between St. Olaf and our Northfield Community. I have spent three years in SGA dedicated to creating a better campus for the students and creating relationships to support the campus and local community.

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Maggie Walsh

she/her

Nursing

walsh13@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

1216

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Involvement

I am deeply invested in the value of organizations on this campus and would like to provide an opportunity for everyone to form clubs based on expressing what they love. During the restructuring period of student government, I would also like to help manage and create a smooth transition by being communicative and organized. Working in government parks and recreation during the summer has shown me the value of planning ahead and organizing, in order to allow for teams and communities to thrive.

I am a Sophomore nursing major from Roseville, Minnesota. I love my family and hanging out with my friends around campus. You will most likely catch me in workout clothes in the afternoon because I really enjoy playing sports. I am involved in frisbee and club soccer here. As an athlete and a nursing major, I appreciate the value of communication, teamwork, and organization. Without these three things, plans and opportunities can fall apart.

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Luanga Kasanga

he/him

Political Science & Asian Studies // Concentration in Data Science & Statistics + International Relations

kasang1@stolaf.edu

First Choice Votes:

1216

Total Ranked Votes:

About me/us:

What is your platform as a candidate for your selected position(s)?

Secretary of Global Impact

I will continue the great initiatives that the previous leaders in this position have done (global affairs sessions), while creatively reshaping the secretariat. Minnesota is home to many diasporas, and we are blessed to benefit from it. I want to leverage this to bring to the Hill musicians and personalities that are connected to us and a wider global discourse. I’m quite enthusiastic about new community impact grants to facilitate student projects, and ensuring that ALL Oles can access these.

I am a 3rd year international student from Congo that is spirited about global engagement. I have lived and studied on different continents, and from these experiences have developed a drive to highlight and learn about different communities and narratives across the globe. During semesters that I have been on campus, I have been involved in the SGA & community. I served as international student senator in my 1st year, and in the Political Awareness Committee where together with other members helped to plan and run Global Affairs.

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