The election for Miami University’s next Student Body President kicks off on the Hub on March 15 and runs through March 17. There are three tickets running for Student Body President and Vice President. Two of the candidates for Student Body President, Trey Petrella and Vada Stephens, took part in interviews with The Miami Patriot.
Trey Petrella (Student Body President) and Ruku Pal (Vice President)
“We are in very uncertain times,” junior and Student Body Presidential Candidate Trey Petrella said. “With COVID, civil unrest, political unrest, I just noticed we are very divided.”
Bridging that divide is a central pillar of the Petrella and Pal campaign. Their ticket focuses on bringing students with different views and backgrounds together. Their platform is based around the “4 E’s”: Empathy, Elevate, Establish, and Execute. In addition, they have three pillars: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Access for All, and Bridging the Gap.
Explaining the relationship between their “4 E’s” and their three pillars, Petrella said, “think of it like a house: you can’t have a house without a foundation and what’s the point of a foundation if there is nothing on it.”
Petrella believes his ticket with Pal is especially strong because of the broad experience the two have serving in Associated Student Government. As Secretary for On-Campus Affairs, Petrella oversees anything non-academic, including campus organizations. Pal, as the Secretary of Academic Affairs, focuses on academic matters. Even before taking the Secretary position, as a student-at-large, Pal successfully advocated for changes to the University Honors Program’s credit/no credit policy. “The ongoing joke [Pal] and I have is everything I don’t touch, she touches, and everything she doesn’t touch, I do.”
Petrella spoke at length about one of their initiatives called “Find a Middle Ground”. He envisions a combination of programs designed to bring students together to have a conversation and understand different perspectives others may have.
In accordance with ASG bylaws, he would use one of his three directorship appointments to appoint a director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Furthermore, he will create diversity conversation programs with the student body through a series that he described as similar to the Jubilee series on YouTube. There will be a group of students encouraged to talk to each other and understand each other’s stories.
Petrella and Pal also plan on making campus more sustainable in addition to reinstating and reforming ASG’s judicial branch to be an effective part of Miami’s student government.
Petrella stressed the importance of understanding different views and backgrounds. “Ruku is a first-generation American and I was raised by a single mother. I know everyone has different stories, and Miami should be a place they can be shared.”
For more information on the Petrella/Pal ticket:
Website: petrellapal.org
Instagram: @petrellapal4mu
Vada Stephens (Student Body President) and Lena Giang (Vice President)
As a member of ASG for three years and a Resident Assistant on campus for two, junior and Student Body Presidential Candidate Vada Stephens has been able to view Miami’s culture from different perspectives.
“Recognizing the experiences I have had, but also the experiences members of various communities have, really birthed in me a pressing need,” Stephens said, reflecting on his decision to run for Student Body President. “Students on campus have a voice and as an advocate, it is my responsibility to make sure their voice is heard.”
Stephens sits on the Community Coordinated Response Committee. His running mate, sophomore Lena Giang, has served two years in ASG and as a Resident Assistant as well. Over the summer, Giang helped create a health care checklist to help Miamians combat COVID-19.
Their slogan is, “One Love One Miami.” Stephens and Giang are focusing on campus inclusion and making sure every student feels welcome. One of their initiatives is to create a strong “zero-tolerance” policy to eliminate hate speech at Miami.
When asked how the Stephens-Giang ticket defines hate speech, Stephens stated,“I characterize hate speech that is actively harming or oppressing another group,” Stephens said, “that type of speech is not in accordance with the code of Love and Honor.”
When asked how they will differentiate between speech that is hateful versus simply controversial, Stephens said, “Lena and I are not trying to abuse this, only use it when necessary.”
The campaign did not offer specific guidelines on what would be constituted as hate speech, only that it will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Although Stephens and Giang were recently endorsed by the Miami College Democrats, they say they will represent all students regardless of political differences.
“We are amidst a global pandemic. We are amidst heightened injustice. We are coming out of a controversial election season,” Stephens said, “the goal of our initiatives is to bring us back together as a community.”
For more information on the Stephens/Giang ticket:
Website: stephensgiang.wixsite.com
Instagram: @stephensgiang_2021
Madelyn Jett (Student Body President) and Aidan McKeon (Vice President)
The Jett/McKeon ticket did not agree to an interview with The Miami Patriot. The following has been gathered from their various media platforms.
Madelyn Jett is an ASG Senator and an Undergraduate Assistant. Her running mate, Aidan McKeon, also sits on ASG and interns for the Government Relations Network.
Their campaign focuses on Student Wellness, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Administrative Accountability. Due to the stress the pandemic has put on students, the campaign hopes its “Better Together” slogan can help bring Miamians together to ease the burden.
The campaign recently released a statement on their Instagram page apologizing to the BSAA, LYLAS, ABPSI, and ASU for failing to reach out to those organizations.
For more information on the Jett/McKeon ticket:
Website: madelynaidan2021.wixsite.com
Instagram: madelynaidan2021