by Caleb Philips
As the winds of change sweep across campus, a pivotal journey unfolds, one that will chart the course of our collective voice. The Student Body Presidential Election draws near, and, after interviews and consideration, two candidates threw their hats in the ring, each of them ready and eager to step into the position of representational leadership. As these candidates set out on the journey to election day, students across campus must understand the goals and qualifications of who they may be voting for.
Physical education and health major Ellie Youngquist and business administration major David (Dug) DeLoye.
First, physical education and health major Ellie Youngquist and business administration major David (Dug) DeLoye enter the race with a ticket consisting of Youngquist as the President and DeLoye as Vice President. Youngquist maintains confidence in her campaign’s strength largely because of her direct experience with student government and her knowledge of the position. Throughout her life, Youngquist has always tried to be intentional with how she performs in leadership positions. Her organizational skills both with herself and others allow her to hold the confidence that will allow her to run a student organization well. These skills have put her in many leadership roles throughout her life including serving as a Senator and as this year’s Vice President of Student Government. Youngquist believes that the parts of leadership she excels at most, sacrifice and servanthood, also happen to be the most important parts of leadership. The leadership experiences that she took up in the past built these qualities in her and she looks forward to utilizing them in this role as well. One of the top priorities of the Youngquist-DeLoye campaign would be to build a stronger campus community through events. They want students to be presented with the opportunity to meet other students that they won’t usually interact with on a day-to-day basis and provide events and opportunities for growing the service aspect of our faith. When asked what specific group of people on campus she looks forward to representing, Youngquist stated, “I don’t think it’s fair to say that I’ll be representing a specific group of students because it’s my duty to serve every group on campus. Every student’s voice matters, and it would not be right to elevate one group’s voice above the rest.” Youngquist maintains that her genuine admiration for the student body and Northwestern inspires her desire to represent them well. To the voters, she says, “I would love to tell everyone to vote for us, but listing our experience only goes so far to describe our campaign which is why I would encourage students to get to know us personally so they can make informed decisions with their votes.”
Left to right: Business marketing major Josiah Olson and media production major Landon Groen.
Opposing Youngquist and DeLoye, business marketing major Josiah Olson and media production major Landon Groen form a ticket with Olson as the President and Groen as his Vice President. Olson hopes to draw much of the support for his campaign from both his leadership and life experience that he possesses an impressive amount of. Olson brings a plethora of cultural experiences to the table both because of his heritage as a messianic Jew and his growing up in New York City. The leadership experience that Olson possesses also strengthens his campaign as he served as both a Resident Assistant and the Assistant Resident Director. Through these roles, he learned such valuable skills as conflict resolution, servant leadership, and coordination of different kinds of people, all skills that he believes will help him with the role of President. Although he acknowledges all these aspects as part of what makes a good leader, Olson also believes that the ability to listen must be the most important part of leadership. “Because leaders have more of a voice than those around them, the purpose of listening would be to use your voice to amplify the voices of those around you.” The main goals for a winning Olson-Groen ticket would all be formed out of putting the student body first. Olson says that he wants to bring back regular student government newsletters to promote communication and awareness but, relating to larger projects, he steers away from making any major promises that he may not be able to fulfill. This ticket values representation and especially wants to look at representing the needs of commuters that they feel may not currently be met. Olson encourages all students to vote for him saying, “Our goal within Student Government would be to foster a welcoming environment that will involve and inform students through transparency, involvement, and creativity.”
