With the semester nearing the halfway mark, it is time for members of the Class of 2028 to begin their adventure into involvement and leadership on Villanova’s campus. One of the most popular ways to become a known individual on campus, and to make a difference within the community, is to run for the Student Government Association’s Senate seats. Each fall, multiple first-year students run for the highly-contested six seats allotted to freshmen to have a voice and make waves of positive change at Villanova.
Voting for the Senate opens on Wednesday, Oct. 2, and the winners will be announced later the same week.
This year, 12 first-year students have put their name in the race, in order to grow as involved individuals and ignite change. JP Rogerson, Elizabeth Howard, Miles Kim, Maya Mathews, Kathleen Heraty, Federico Diaz, Matthias Miller, Luis Jimenez, Brady Keane, Maceo Crump, Victoria Myers and Nicholas DeRosa are this year’s prospective representatives, and they all come promising that they are the best fit for the Senate seats. The candidates all shared their written submissions with The Villanovan on why their fellow classmates in the Class of 2028 should vote for them.
“[You should vote for me] because I have just arrived at Villanova, and am just settling in after the first month, it is impossible for me to know exactly what the student body is looking for,” Rogerson said. “In my opinion, the best way to do so is to be an open and accessible leader.”
According to Howard, the mission of inclusiveness is her top priority.
“I am running for the Freshman Senate to bring fresh ideas and bold solutions to the Villanova community,” she said. “I believe in the power of collaboration and inclusivity, and I am committed to ensuring all students feel valued and respected.”
Kim wants to ensure that the Class of 2028 knows his goals.
“I will listen to them and what they feel about Villanova, and take note if there needs to be change to Villanova or not,” Kim said. “My campaign will be centered on listening to the needs of the freshman body and making sure every freshman opinion is held accountable and heard by the Student Government Association.”
The overall theme of unity and representation is what Mathews is running her campaign on.
“By engaging with other freshmen, the most important outcome is building and fostering a strong sense of community among our class,” Mathews said. “I want to find out what is important to my peers, which will ultimately enable me to make an impact that affects the most people.”
Heraty comes bearing big dreams and ideas to help not only the freshman class, but all students at Villanova.
“My goals if selected on the Freshman Senate would be to provide better housing maintenance, consistent pricing and increased transportation on the shuttle,” Heraty said.
For Diaz, this opportunity to serve on the Student Government Association is one he is looking forward to and he has many goals he would like to achieve.
“The goals of my campaign are to help better understand the needs and wants of the student body,” Diaz said. “One of my personal concerns is safety and comfort.”
Miller wishes his classmates to feel comfortable around him, and to help create a community within the Class of ‘28.
“It brings me joy when my peers feel comfortable coming to me and expressing challenges or issues they have experienced on campus,” Miller said. “That means that I have established an intimate bond or relationship with them, that they feel okay being vulnerable with me, something I want to foster with all in my grade.”
Jimenez’s message is to ensure that no one goes unnoticed and feels overlooked.
“I want to help make Villanova a community where it is encouraged to walk up to people whom you do not know and go in with the mindset of building a strong, authentic connection,” Jimenez said.
Keane emphasized the intentions of her campaign.
“The intention of my campaign is to energize students to get involved in and [be] made aware of the upcoming Freshman Senate Election,” Keane said. “I want to be a part of the Student Government Association because I want to put myself into a position where I can give back to and help the Villanova community.”
Crump is running on similar terms.
“My goals are, simply put, to collect information on what the concerns and unaddressed needs of the freshman population,” Crump said. “I want to learn about any potential changes my fellow students would like to see implemented and then I’d like to be the rational and articulate voice to present these ideas to SGA on their behalf.”
The Student Government Association works year round to address a variety of topics and issues surrounding the Villanova community. A recent achievement has been the addition of personal mental health days for all classes.
Myers would like to help make waves for the next forms of change.
“I want to be a part of the Student Government Association because I know what it takes to be a leader,” Myers said. “I have experience in numerous leadership roles in my life and community, and I am willing to do what it takes to have our class’s voice heard.”
The final candidate, DeRosa, wants to inform the Villanova freshman class why he would be the best to fill a Senate seat.
“As an SGA Senator, I hope to act as a delegate on behalf of the Freshman class, advocating for them by proposing bills and voting on legislation,” DeRosa said. “As a freshman senator, I hope to create and pass a bill which will mobilize campus resources to open a Holy Grounds on South Campus.”
