A new student body president and vice president will be named soon, as Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) elections are open and debates are in the near future.  

Last year, students elected Ethan Bradley as president and Annabella Jankowski as vice president. The two ran unopposed and have served as president and vice president throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced them to adapt right away.

“I wish I had known how long this pandemic was going to be — I think that would have made a big difference for how we started out the year,” Bradley said.

The Candidates

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Presidential candidate Adeline Perhogan

Students will notice Jankowski’s name on the ballot for a second time — this time with a new presidential candidate, Adeline Perhogan. Perhogan served as Student Activities Funding Board (SAFB) chair for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Perhogan and Jankowski’s main four platforms are: health and wellness; emergency support services, like relief and textbook funding; increasing campus involvement and transparency. 

The other set of candidates for president and vice president are Jordan Tolbert and Brennan Smith. Both candidates have experience within OUSC as legislators and committee chairs. 

Tolbert and Smith have many goals listed within their platform, but the biggest include: increasing minority graduation rate, increasing representation within OUSC, further measures to promote inclusion, measures to improve campus safety and increased access for people with disabilities.  

Aside from the big-ticket positions, OUSC has openings for legislators, who will also be on the ballot alongside president/vice president candidates.

There are eight candidates for legislator spots. Student Congress legislators work with the OUSC president and vice president to pass new laws, as well as working on the OUSC constitution and bylaws, which are constantly amended. 

Abbie Austin, Murryum Farooqi, Bailee Gierman, Isabella Mahuad, Noora Neiroukh, Dylan Pescorolo, Stephanie Recknagel and Tyliah Weathersby are the candidates for OUSC legislators. All eight will have their platforms and goals listed on the ballot.   

Election advice from Bradley

As outgoing president, Bradley feels candidates should have an open mind when it comes to plans changing — something he had to endure from day one.

“The big thing they need to know is to be prepared for all of their plans to be ruined,” he said, while laughing. “Not doing the things you initially planned doesn’t mean that you failed, as long as you ended up doing something else that was useful, even if that thing wasn’t something you planned.

To the voters, Bradley’s advice was to take a look at the candidates and determine which set represents their individual concerns with campus. 

OUSC regularly meets with university officials to raise issues their constituents have, which can benefit students if they pick the candidates which align with their views.

“Student congress has a lot of connections with administration,” Bradley said. “If you think that one candidate is going to do a better job than the other of voicing your concerns with administrative officials, then you will have an easier time [in college], even if you don’t directly notice it.”

Ballots will be on OUSC’s GrizzOrgs page, and only Oakland University students can vote. Debate times and links will be announced by OUSC at a later date.