Following the recent election results, TU senators-elect prepare to represent their constituencies in the spring. They answer questions about their goals, values, and reasons for pursuing government.
What is one thing you’re hoping to accomplish or change?
Kanyinsola Ogundele (At-Large Seat): “I’m also the [Constituent Engagement Committee] chair, so one of my biggest projects is trying to get us a fall break. … It wouldn’t affect our Thanksgiving break at all, but just a little break in October would be great. Maybe an extra day or something.”
Yasmina Bruton (At-Large Seat): “I’m the type of person that when I see a problem, or when someone brings up a problem, I do what I can to fix it. One of the things that came up a lot when I was campaigning was that people really want Gus T’s to be exchanged for Panda Express. Personally, I don’t love Panda Express that much, but if that’s what people really care about, I’m going to figure out what steps would need to be taken. If it’s a long process, [I will] at least be transparent with the student body and share those steps.”
Jaida Marler (Residence Hall): “As a student living on campus, I know how wonderful residence life can be, and I know how frustrating it can be at times. … As a student who has experienced it, some of the mold issues—just hygiene issues and things like that—are a big concern right now. … A lot of people are experiencing mold in their AC units. I currently am as well. I understand how big that is and how scary that can be, especially for health reasons.”
Regan McComas (College of Engineering and Computer Science): “I’ve heard a lot of talk about people being upset by certain attendance policies. You know, someone will get sick and then their participation grade or their attendance grade is impacted, and they really tried to get a doctor’s note but can’t. It becomes a big hassle. So, I would like to work toward finding some sort of common ground where there is a standardized policy for a certain amount of unexcused, [but] there is also some fine line of what is or isn’t allowed.”
Parker Wheeler (Oxley College of Health and Natural Sciences): “One big thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is the transition from the downtown Oxley campus to [main campus]. A lot of students don’t know what’s going on with that. … A lot of people don’t know if there are even going to be [downtown] classes next year. I want to make sure the process is transparent … and [information is] open to all students.”
Caleb Bovell (Residence Hall): “I think with the new constraints on the budget across the campus, we also have constraints on our budget, and so that means that we have to look at who we’re chartering very closely, and … it should be intentional and purposeful. … My worry is now that we’re dedicated to trying to retain that budget a little bit more and be a little more critical, and we’re not criticizing the right people.”
Toan Pham (Commuter): “Honestly, [I want to] have more commuters around. … They don’t have anywhere to go. The only place they have is a commuter lounge, but it’s kinda lame up there. Hopefully we can change something about that.”
Ella Hampton (Transfer): “I have meetings with campus security. I’m trying to get information from those meetings into the [weekly SGA] newsletter so people are aware of events that are going to impact [them]. Just kind of what’s going on from the campus security side.”
Archit Dash (Apartments): “What [the Student Services Committee] is working on now is an initiative called the Organization Highlight Initiative. [We want] to help smaller clubs advertise for themselves with the official SGA Instagram. … So if people are interested, they could go to their events.”
What is one quality you hope to embody as a leader?
Audrey Barto (Greek Housing): “Humility. I hope that I’m always somebody who doesn’t lead above others, but leads among others.”
Kanyinsola Ogundele (At-Large Seat): “With everything going on right now, transparency and honesty. I know that’s two things, but I really believe in being honest with people. When you ask me a question, I do my best to answer it with all the information I have. Sometimes that’s not a lot [of information], but I’ll do my best to find you the answers you need.”
Julianna Ferrell (Honors College): “I think listening skills. It’s not only important to listen to your constituents and their concerns, but also to your opponents, because oftentimes your opponents make good points… I do not want to admit that I’m wrong, but I think that dialogue is really important.”
Kyle Nguyen (Apartments): “Accessibility, because a lot of people may say that SGA is this distant entity, but we’re just college students. We should be accessible and we should be available for people that have questions.”
Dmytro Tymchuck (International): “I would say understanding, because having been an international student myself once, I’ve gone through the same experiences. I understand how hard it is to find your place in a new environment, new culture, or new country. I’m trying to connect with students on a personal level, understand their needs, and help them feel welcome and supported here at TU. I want to make it a second home.”
Why did you decide to run?
Adam Luna (Collins College of Business): “I think that SGA is a really cool opportunity to make real change on campus … so, I definitely wanted to be a part of that.”
Yasmina Bruton (At-Large Seat): “[TU] is like an ecosystem. When one person is doing well, or when everyone’s doing well, the whole ecosystem succeeds. … I really just get so much joy from seeing everyone do well.”
Audrey Barto (Greek Housing): “This will be my third term as a senator. I’ve just really enjoyed getting to speak for the students in my constituency. … I like getting to be the voice for students because I feel like I know a lot of people around campus, and so I’m able to speak for that.”
Noah Hart (Residence Hall): “A big part of what I want to do at the University of Tulsa [has to do with] service. I don’t want to say I come from a relatively good position, but I know there are some people who are less fortunate than me. I want to make sure that I’m doing the best I can to give back.”
Addison Hummingbird (College of Arts and Sciences): “I decided to run because I really wanted to represent the College of Arts and Sciences, and I wanted to introduce more unity into the different aspects of the college and to represent a large group of individuals who all co-align with what I do here.”
Addison Hummingbird, representing the College of Arts & Sciences
Photo by: Olive Clay
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Caleb Bovell (Residence Hall): “Swing by a Senate meeting* sometime if you don’t understand [something]. It would be good for everyone to have a bit more of an understanding as to what the Senate is supposed to do because I think there’s some gray area there, and people can get a little bit confused. It leads to a lot of contempt that I think could be fixed through hanging out.”
Adam Luna (Collins College of Business): “I definitely want to go into this year with a learning perspective. Being a freshman, there are a lot of really knowledgeable people in the Senate that I want to learn from.”
Regan McComas (College of Engineering and Computer Science): “It really seems like [students] got out there to vote in this election. We had a huge voter turnout, so that was really nice to see. Thank you to everyone who voted.”
Archit Dash (Apartments): “Every year, all senators have to engage with their constituency. It’s fun because you can be as creative as you’d like with it. … This year, [the apartment senators] are planning on doing a little rock garden in Mayo.”
Jaida Marler (Residence Hall): “I’m really proud of the people that ran. It’s hard to put yourself out there. A lot of the people that ran are junior senators, and it’s scary to jump into something like Senate. … It’s a wonderful thing to do to use your voice, not just for yourself, but for others as well.”
*Senate meetings are Tuesdays at 9 PM in Helmrich 105 and are open to all those who wish to attend.
