Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC), announced the election results for the upcoming year. The Smith-Drzewiecki, Smith-Cattanach and Johnson-Matthews slates all worked hard for the presidential spot.
After a competitive fight for the presidency, the Johnson-Matthews slate won the title.
The elected president is Marcus Johnson, a political science major who has served in OUSC since 2023. As someone who has served in different roles within congress, he has a clear understanding of how impactful advocating for change can be.
His accomplishments include imploring university administration to improve working conditions for graduate students, establishing a Student Congress liaison to the Center for Multicultural Initiatives (CMI), supporting the effort to establish a Women’s Resource Center and much more.
“We’re looking forward to building stronger connections between student government and the rest of the student body. It’s about making OUSC more accessible and responsive, and that starts with being present, listening, and taking action,” the Johnson-Matthews slate said.
The elected student body vice president is Nia Matthews, a junior who is majoring in film production. She is working to ensure better advocacy infrastructure for student employees and help create student-led safety initiatives.
Some of her accomplishments include serving as an active member of OUSC, Interim Chair for the Student Activities Funding Board (SAFB), President of Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) and Secretary of Women in Film.
For the infrastructure of OUSC, the Johnson-Matthews slate is focused on ensuring that members inside and outside the congress feel that they are in safe hands.
“Our term is centered around the three A’s: Accessibility, Action, and Accountability. That means expanding support for commuter students advocating for more mental health resources, ensuring Oakland continues to prioritize DEI despite national pushback, and creating more opportunities for students to lead initiatives, not just participate in them,” the slate said.
The elected student congress legislature is Mackenzie Smith, a sophomore majoring in political science. She has a goal of helping expand the accessibility of OUSC’s support to all students across campus.
Some of her accomplishments include serving as an Assistant and Orientation Group Leader, Core Ambassador for the Center for Multicultural Initiatives and is a member of the Phi Sigma Alpha Honor Society.
In addition to the presidential election, legislators were elected to OUSC. The list of legislators includes Meghan Baries, Marion Brumer, Jeffery Childs, Daniela Meson De La Fuenta, Allison Drzewiecki, Valentine Fayette-Etes, Adrian Ivezaj, Ethan Lehman-Pace, Emily Lunger, Michael Makuch, Lance Markowitz, Vincenzo B. Martino, Asia Mays, Alexandra Nichol, Earl Obra, Mario Prisciandaro, Javier Rosario, Violet Sirbu, Rose Smith, Kaylah Snell, Jack Waters, Carolina Valdes, Zach VanPatten, Ethan Vela, Matthew Wiegand and Ben Wolf.
For students across campus, the Johnson-Matthews slate wants to ensure that students feel they are heard and are encouraged to advocate for themselves.
“Your voice matters. Whether you’re on campus every day or balancing school with work and life off campus, this university belongs to you,” the slate said. “Student government should reflect your needs, your concerns, and your ideas.”
There is a promising future ahead for OUSC and the OU community is excited to see what they will accomplish in the future. For more information, follow OUSC on Instagram @ouscofficial. Additionally, students can check out their GrizzOrgs page.
