USG Election Rundown

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

You can stop avoiding Trousdale now. Election season is over!

You no longer have to rack your brain thinking about polite ways to decline informational handouts or feverishly avoid eye contact. No more poster boards and no more free food (kinda bummed I never got my In-N-Out) because the results are (unofficially) in!

Voter Turnout:

Okay, so before we get to all the winners and whatnot, we need to address the voter turnout.

There are 20,000 Undergraduate students at USC. 20,000. That is a significant amount of people, and yet — only 4,817 students voted.

Really? Not even half? Where is the “Trojan spirit” we are supposedly known for? Considering the fact that the actual process of voting took less than four minutes and could be done on your phone, there aren’t too many excuses for not voting. 

Considering last years turnout was 4,627 people, we could just be happy with the 4.1% increase and call it a day, but I think USC could do so much better.

With posters plastered everywhere, free merch and food, I just don’t see why some people did not vote. Even if school elections seem a little silly, your vote is your voice and it matters! Especially when the Senate was decided with margins as close as three votes.

I get it. Some may think that the elections don’t matter and could not care less about the whole thing, but it is super important to remember that some of your tuition, the money that you give to USC, is the money that these people decide what to do with.

They have nearly 2.3 million dollars as their annual budget. That is a lot of money — and it is your money! What our government does with this money matters and the student elections are your chance to make your voice heard. So if you’re one of the many who didn’t vote this time around, be sure to cast your vote next election season!

(Unofficial) Senate Results:

Sara Khoshniyati: 1442 Votes & Haley Garland: 1409 Votes

Sara Khoshniyati: “My main target is sexual assault and mental health, more specifically the lack of resources made available for both issues. “

Haley Garland: “I am running to be your Senator because I aspire to execute campus-wide initiatives that can serve the wellness needs of all USC students on campus.”

• Together, Khoshniyati and Garland aim to improve counseling services, improve resources for sexual assault victims, expand the use of dining dollars, implement more USC student discounts, make USC more environmentally friendly, and provide more study resources for students. If you’re looking for someone to address sexual health and wellness concerns, these two would be the ones to do it.

Check out all of their platform points here!

Emily Donahue: 1419 Votes & Christopher McMorran: 1167 Votes

Emily Donahue:  “I am running for Senate because I feel that there is a disconnection between USG and the student population, and I want to ensure that our student government embodies its mission: to represent and serve all students.”

Christopher McMorran: “We need to make sure that all members of our USC community have equitable access to university resources, with no one left behind. And most importantly, we must work to give students a permanent seat at the decision-making table to ensure that USC is run in the best interest of students for generations to come. “

• Donahue and McMorran both believe in advocating for USG transparency, increasing student representation on the USC Board of Trustees, implementing town hall meetings between students and administration, increasing student awareness of campus resources, and strengthening mentorship programs for students with specific needs. If you’re looking for someone that’s going to uplift the student voice in USC administration, this is your pair! It’s your school, so shouldn’t your voice be heard?
  

Check out all of their platform points here!

Hailey Robertson: 1346 Votes & Ben Rosenthal: 1233 Votes

(Hailey Robertson and Ben Rosenthal ran with Julian Kuffour. Jullian Kuffor did not receive enough votes to be elected, but amassed 1005 votes.)

Hailey Robertson: “As a Senator, I will use the lessons I have learned from [various] communities, like the importance of advocacy and inclusion of diverse perspectives, to fight for initiatives that will make campus a safer, more enjoyable place for all.“

Ben Rosenthal: “I have come to see the diversity of perspectives that exist on our campus, and I want to have an open ear to every student’s needs at USC.“

• Some of Robertson and Rosenthal points include a plan to expand mental health resources, expand the Lyft program, provide metro passes for students, improve the relationship between Greek life and administration, suggest a grading deadline for faculty, adjust tailgate policy to reflect student interests, and create a dining hall take-out container program. Want improvement in day-to-day life at USC? Robertson and Rosenthal are your people.
  

Check out all of their platform points here!

Angela Chuang: 1311 Votes & Emily Johnson: 1249 Votes

Angela Chuang: “We are striving to improve the student experience for the entire student body, including marginalized groups on campus.“

Emily Johnson: “I am passionate about combating sexual assault on campus and providing better resources for First Generation Students like myself.“

• Johnson and Chuang’s have many platform points, but seem to focus on  advocating for first-generation, international, spring admit, and transfer students to assist with their assimilation to university life. They want to set up mentoring programs for all of those communities, expand the transfer orientation program to encompass two days, create a physical space for transfer students, and create programs throughout the year with the aim to connect first-generation students with fellow first-generation students. If you’re a first-generation, international, spring admit, or transfer student, Johnson and Chuang are definitely going to look out for your needs.
  

Check out all of their platform points here!

Benjamin Shiff: 1243 Votes

Benjamin Shiff: “I will advocate for arts organizations, Greek Life, and individual students to give them the tools to succeed.”

• Shiff wants to instill mental health training for the executive board of every student organization, advocate for the Greek Life community, and provide better resources for the performing arts community. If you’re looking to improve the quality of student organizations, specifically performing arts ones, Shiff is for you.
  

Check out all of his platform points here!

Randi Anderson: 1072 Votes

(Randi Anderson ran with Andrew Fowler and Gabriel Savage, both of whom did not receive enough votes to be elected. Andrew Fowler received 932 votes and Gabriel Savage received 1043 votes.)

Randi Anderson: “As a woman of color, I plan to diversify student leadership and bring attention to groups that are underrepresented in campus climate.”

• Anderson focuses a lot on the arts community, proposing to fund musicians that attend USC to promote the development of local artists and allocate a portion of the concerts budget to events promoting existing artist at USC. She also proposes to lower the cost of parking permits, restructure dining hall meal plans to accommodate for low-income students, create a syllabus bank, and proposes a 4 units free audit to allow students to engage with the material without the pressures of grades. While Anderson covers a lot of ground with her proposals, if you’re an artist you can be sure that Anderson will advocate for you.
  

Check out all of her platform points here!

Omar Garcia: 1059 Votes & Rose Ritch: 1046 Votes

Omar Garcia: “My goal as a senator is to change the campus culture in order to improve the quality of life through emphasizing the importance safety and wellness on campus.”

Rose Ritch: “I am running for the position of USG Senator with the intention to change the campus culture in order to help ensure that USC remains a place where students are able to thrive in their academic, professional, and personal lives.”

• Ritch and Garcia both plan to cultivate the first generation student experience, continue the USC commitment to counter hate speech, advance faculty competency training, advocate for effective mental health resources, protect student privacy in emergency situations, and call for financial transparency from USC administration. If you want to create a more inclusive student climate at USC, you’ve found your advocates in Ritch and Garcia.
  

Check out all of their platform points here!

Together, our new senators plan to cover a lot of diverse ground at USC, but there seems to be an overall emphasis on safety and wellness, expanding campus resources, and transparency from our administration. Considering how much USC has been in the news lately (and not always in the best light), it is reassuring to see students taking initiative.

(Unofficial) Presidential Results:

Winner: Trenton Stone (P) & Mahin Tahsin (VP): 2189 Votes

Trenton Stone + Mahin Tahsin: “As write-in candidates, we look forward to providing you with a fresh perspective and the opportunity to have an active choice in which students will best represent your interests.”

• The presidential-elects plan to focus on administrative accountability with things like student representation in USC administrative decision making, expanding student resources with things like improving USC Transportation, improving the campus climate with housing improvements and diversity training, and further cultivating wellness resources. There really is something for everyone with Stone and Tahsin. Together, these two are sure to improve the overall student experience at USC. 
  

Check out all of their platform points here!

The other presidential candidates included ‘Michaela Murphy + Meagan Lane’ who received 1807 votes and ‘Maxwell Brandon + Grayson Adler’ who received 554 votes.

I have to point out that the presidential election was decided by only 382 votes, so if that isn’t enough to sway any of you non-voters, well…what more can I say? Even though some of my personal picks were not elected, (and I was never able to redeem my In-N-Out) I enjoyed the voting process and genuinely wish the best for the next academic year. Vote on!

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