Addendum: This story has been edited to accurately reflect the WSUSA election results.
There were many candidates campaigning for their respective ballots, with only one candidate for Weber State University Student Association Student Body President, Emmett Busby. He is already serving as the College of Science Senator, fellow for the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology with the Richard Richard’s Institute of Ethics and an Ambassador for Admissions.
“There’s a lot of stuff that happens on campus that the students aren’t necessarily aware of all the time. And I want to make sure that I’m informing the students of things that are happening so that they can have a voice in a lot of things,” Busby said. This is what drove him to run for student body president, as well as wanting students to be aware of what is happening on the state level and be sure their voices can be heard.
Joining her in her leadership will be Kalijah Robinson as the executive vice president, the only candidate elected by write-in. “I’m always looking for ways to get involved at Weber State and I’ve kind of just taken a step up each year with that,” he said.
Busby explained that since he was the only candidate, he focused his campaign efforts on aiding candidates for other positions and offering them encouragement. “It’s easier to help other people out with their campaigns and give them tips that have helped me in the past and that I’ve seen other people utilize,” Busby said.
One of these candidates was Ashlynn Stokes, who was selected for vice president of activities. Stokes said that she had served on the activities team in the 2023-24 school year, which is what helped her discover her love for the school and drove her to run for this position. “I want to redefine the social aspect of Weber State, because I love Weber so much,” Stokes said. She went on to say she hopes to see more collaboration and connection between departments during her term next semester.
Cheyenne Patrick was elected vice president of clubs and organizations. She said the current vice president did a great job in the position and she hopes to continue to make students aware of the opportunities on campus. “I just want to get it out there that there are so many ways to be involved and help people find where they belong on campus,” she said.
While most candidates have worked in WSUSA for multiple terms before, these students are enjoying their first big role with the team. The newly elected students are Leadership Vice President, Hima Muktan; Vice President of Davis Campus and Satellite Campuses, Gauri Bist; and Advocacy and Unity Vice President, Rohit Tiwari.
As the elections neared the end, WSUSA advisor Tara Peris explained more on the matter. “Every year we are excited to welcome a new group of student leaders with different ideas and interests. We then take their lead and focus our direction in the ways that benefit their leadership development,” Peris said. While advisors ensure elections take place, the student-run Elections Committee oversees the election process.
While elections have closed for this semester, there is always next year for students to make sure their voices are heard through voting or to run for leadership themselves.
