Voting for the student government elections for the 2023-2024 school year was held April 17 to 20, and the results are finally in! The results for both the Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Government are below.
Student Trustee:
Mike Dooley
178 votes
65.9 percent – Winner of Election
Mahua Nitin Hiray
56 votes
20.7 percent
Mahek Patel
19 votes
7.0 percent
Kristol Callender
17 votes
6.3 percent
This position is voted on by both undergraduate and graduate students. Dooley ran for re-election this year, with the focus of his campaign being on representing the student body for another year within the Board of Trustees. As Student Trustee, Dooley will serve as a voice for the student population and will represent the best interests of UMass Boston as a whole.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
USG President/Vice President:
Kaushar Barejiya & Kaley Whipkey
165 votes
83.33 percent – Winner of Election
Chose not to Vote
33 Votes
16.66 percent
In a statement provided to Student Activities, Barejiya and Whipkey stated that they plan to “…act, and to strengthen our school community through advocacy for change, collaboration with on-campus student organizations and transparency between us, the administration and the student body.”
USG Senators:
The following students were elected as Undergraduate Student Government Senators: Christelle Joseph, Talia Hammond, Linzie Truong, Vansh Khokhani, Brisa Portillo, Aidan Phuong, Oscar Brown, Isabel Raymond, David Buckley, Julia Olszewski, Isabella Victoria Villegas Leal, Calixta Nahue, Stacy Tran, Cristian Orellana, Kai Livingstone, Millicent Snow, Pari Vachhani, Manav Shah and Anthony Owuor.
GRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
GSG President:
Delaney Bowen
63 votes
87.5 percent – Winner of Election
Chose not to Vote
9 Votes
12.5 percent
Bowen ran for re-election in the Graduate Student Government this year after serving as president for the 2022-2023 school year. Her goals as president are to advocate and create a bigger presence for graduate students on campus, as well as with the administration, and to host events that make graduate students feel more welcome. More information on her platform can be found on the GSG EBoard’s Instagram, which is @gsgfor23.
GSG Vice President:
Somesh Balani
57 votes
79.16 percent – Winner of Election
Chose not to Vote
15 Votes
20.83 percent
In a statment provided to Student Activities, Balani stated, “I will work tirelessly to ensure that our [Graduate Student] voices are heard, and our concerns are addressed. Let’s work together to enhance academic and professional development opportunities for all graduate students at UMass Boston.”
GSG Treasurer:
Itish Pandey
53 votes
73.61 percent – Winner of Election
Chose not to Vote
19 Votes
26.38 percent
In a statement provided to Student Activities about his campaign, Pandey said, “I am committed to serving the Graduate Student Government with integrity, responsibility, & transparency. I will work collaboratively with other members of the GSG to ensure that we are making informed financial decisions that serve the needs and priorities of all stakeholders.”
Referendum Question 1 (Action):
MASSPIRG is a statewide, student-directed, non-partisan organization. For over 45 years, we’ve worked to mobilize students on campus to do research, advocacy, education and service on a variety of issues including environmental protection, public health, youth voter mobilization and poverty relief efforts. MASSPIRG chapters across the state pool resources and hire a staff of professionals to work with students on issues that concern us as citizens. Do you support the continued existence of the MASSPIRG chapter at UMass Boston funded through a $9 per-student, per-semester waivable fee? Any student choosing not to support MASSPIRG may waive the fee.
If voted Yes: A yes vote on this question will continue the MASSPIRG chapter at UMass Boston, to be funded through a $9.00 per-student, per-semester waivable fee that appears on your tuition bill.
If voted No: A no vote on this question will remove the MASSPIRG chapter at UMass Boston, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
YES
192 votes
78.78 percent – PASSED
NO
78 Votes
21.21 percent
Congratulations again to those who will be representing UMass Boston’s student government in the next school year, as well as those who participated in the race! The Mass Media would also like to thank current USG Interim President Julia Olszewski, GSG Treasurer Meaghan Anderson and all of the senators, for their hard work and dedication this year.