Voting in the AS Elections is open from Monday, May 23 to Friday, May 27! Read about the candidates and their endorsements below. Be sure to watch our exclusive candidate Q&A as well.
AS President
SARGUN HANDA
As a TEDx speaker, published author, and activist, my passion is making tangible, long-lasting change for my community. Serving as the first woman of color AS Senate President (2020-21), I recruited the most diverse Student Senate in its history. With my majority BIPOC team, we changed the typical WWU student government narrative to include more voices and representation. I know how it feels to be unheard – as someone who is queer, disabled, and first generation, my commitment to intersectional leadership brings perspective to the table. Representation matters, and I will continue to represent you all by working with and hearing my peers to improve students’ experiences at WWU. During my 1,000 hours and counting of serving you, the most rewarding times were when I advocated to administration about the issues that you brought to me, such as the lowering fees during the pandemic, religious accommodations for students observing Ramadan, and shredding the contract with Aramark. Please help me continue to advocate for you and work on the issues that you bring to me as your next AS President. Check out my TEDx talk, “Be a Voice, Not an Echo,” and Instagram @sargun4president for my future goals and more information!
Endorsed by: AS Senate President Brenner Barclay, CSE Student Senator Justin McGlone, Student Honors Board, CHSS Student Senator Rahma Iqbal, Psych Club, AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner, Muslim Students’ Association, Generation Action, Graduate Student Senator Gustav Guenther, Queer Eco Justice Club, Honors Students of Color, Students for Self-Operated Dining
Senate President
RAHMA IQBAL
My name is Rahma Iqbal, I am a fourth year Public Health major and am minoring in Arabic and Islamic Studies and Disaster Risk Reduction. This past year I have served as the Associated Students College of Humanities and Social Sciences Senator. This had been my first time working in the Associated Students and I entered the position ready to jump into action. I quickly learned that learning how to navigate and operate under the Associated Students structure and processes is a difficult and time consuming endeavor. I am hoping to be elected as the Associated Students Senate President in order to help Senators that are looking to do good work manage this process efficiently and make strong connections for their colleges and the students they serve. Working with Student Senators again would be incredibly beneficial as I would be able to continue promoting and implementing the good work my fellow Senators and I have been working on this past academic year. This work includes serving on the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund committee, implementing Black Student Organization Demands, creating and passing the 2022 Ramadan Accommodations, and working towards the goal of an AS union! I believe the Senate has the potential to be an impactful and important resource to take action on student concerns and work to make WWU a more equitable space for students of color and students of all backgrounds. Vote for Rahma Iqbal for AS Senate President!
Endorsed by: AS Senate President Brenner Barclay, CSE Student Senator Justin McGlone, AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner, Muslim Students’ Association, Fairhaven Student Senator Quincy Ingalls, Generation Action, Graduate Student Senator Gustav Guenther
TOMMY REISS
Next year will be my second year here at Western. I have lived in Washington for 16 years. I was involved in the ASB at my high school. Last year I was a hall council executive for my dorm complex. I also spent three years in a YMCA leadership development program. College is a great place and I have really enjoyed my time at Western so far. I want to be more involved with the AS government to make Western better for everyone. AS is the government for the students, so if elected, I will do my best to listen to and incorporate the opinions of students in the decisions I make. I want Western to be a place where students feel happy, and I am willing to put in the work to make that happen.
Endorsed by: AS VP for Governmental Affairs Eli W. Stanciu Jr.
AS VP for Activites
MADISON DEBRULER
Hello my name is Madison DeBruler and I’ll be a sophomore at WWU fall 2022. I am running for the ASWWU board position of VP for activities. As someone who spent 3 out of 4 years of high school in Leadership class. There I spent time planning all school events such as homecoming, grade competitions, and a crane project where we made 2000 paper cranes for a student and staff member with cancer. These experiences taught me about organization, the key components of hosting a successful activity, and how to communicate with people. If elected I will not only help clubs and staff with events they may want to run but help brainstorm other events that include more people. Next year I will also be a RA for Buchanan Towers allowing me to help spread awareness of activities happening to both north and south campus.
Endorsed by: AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner
NOAH SCHEXNAYDER
Hello! My name is Noah Schexnayder and I’m running for AS Vice-President of Activities. I’m studying psychology and philosophy, mostly focusing on cognition. I’m running for VP of Activities so I can provide the community with fun events that bring us together. I’ll also prioritize raising student engagement, by taking your input into account and connecting clubs directly to students. I’ve spent the last year working in E-Higgy’s Hall Council as their Vice-President of Recognition; I made sure students were heard and attention was given to all voices, even the quietest. I also took part in lots of event planning and management, running things like movie nights, barbecues, and more. My student government experience goes back to high school, where I worked as President to my class’s ASB. I also have a theater background; I worked as both an actor and tech for my high school’s theater program and took a leadership role during productions. If you elect me as you’re ASVP of Activities, I’ll make sure you find a place at our school, whether it’s through a club fair or a campus event. You can count on that.
Endorsed by: Generation Action, Students for Self-Operated Dining, AS VP for Governmental Affairs Eli W. Stanciu Jr.
AS VP for Governmental Affairs
JESUS RESENDIZ-EYLER
My name is Jesús Resendiz-Eyler. I am a Hispanic first-generation college student, and I am going into my third year at Western Washington University. I am currently a student senator and I strive to make a better connection between students and the student government. I am running for Vice-President of Governmental Affairs because I want to make Western more politically active and politically aware of what is going on in local, state, and national politics. With this, I want to make sure that students’ voices are being heard and changes are being made by and for the students. It’s important that students know that change will never come without political participation. I plan to work closely with the Office of Civic Engagement to promote voter registration and midterm elections. I also plan to work with the Washington Student Association and commit to working against the same issues of racial equity, financial aid, basic needs, voting rights, and accessibility. Along with this, I want to make connections with clubs and students here at western to make sure I am representing students to the fullest. I ask for your vote so we can strive to make Western a better place for everyone.
Endorsed by: Generation Action
MARLOWE LAWSON
The WWU student body deserves an executive board that is willing to put in the work for them. I am new here to Western and I have loved being able to experience the range of opportunities available. One thing that united all of these people, from clothing swaps and galleries to environmental and theater groups, was passion. This past year I was lucky to work for the AS to plan events and promote civic involvement. Through that experience I have learned not only how to work within the AS’ systems, but also what should be focused on in the future. This role is meant to advocate for student interest on a governmental level and include them in that process. If I am elected as the AS VP for Gov I will work to create an environment where students have clear communication and support provided, so that all they need to bring is their passion.
Endorsed by: AS VP for Governmental Affairs Eli W. Stanciu Jr., AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner, Students for Self-Operated Dining
AS VP for Diversity
MARGARET MINOGUE
I promise to do my best to not only represent but ensure that others are represented in the AS student government. I would love to be the voice who ensures that students from different backgrounds are heard and their needs are met. I want to make sure I can help create an inclusive environment where all students no matter race, gender, etc. feel included and I think the best way to do that is through communication and finding solutions to these problems.
Endorsed by: AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner
AS VP for Sustainability
SEB GENGE
My name is Seb Genge and I’m a Colombian-American student majoring in Business and Sustainability with a minor in Economics. I am running as your VP for Sustainability because I am intent on advancing Western’s commitment to its sustainability goals. In my leadership roles in both the Students for Renewable Energy and Net Impact clubs, I have become heavily involved in the sustainability community on campus and have developed a clear sense of the issues that most need to be addressed. As your new VP I will take on an intersectional approach to sustainability because I understand that climate action must go hand in hand with equity and justice. During my time in this position I will work tirelessly in the transition towards a self-operated dining system, advocate for the needs of our underrepresented students, improve energy efficiency around campus, and push for greater responsibility in our institutional investments. I intend to communicate transparently with the Western community at large in addressing the various environmental and social issues that matter to us as students and I plan to take action on these issues with diligence and care while supporting the wonderful efforts of other individuals already engaged in these endeavors.
Endorsed by: AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner
AS VP for Student Services
SOPHIE SNYDER
HELLO SEXY STUDENTS OF WESTERN!! I’m Sophie Snyder and I want to be your VP of Student Services. I am a political science student, interested in pursuing a career in Indigenous Law. At Western I am the PR Chair for Girl Gains, a club that works to educate women and non-binary students on lifting, and get them in the weight room. My top concerns are INCLUSIVITY and ACCESSIBILITY. I want to make sure that marches for more accessible services do not go unnoticed. I also want to be an active listener and advocate for BIPOC students, LGBTQIA students, students with disabilities, and students with families, so they can get what they want and need from Western to prepare them for their dream career. Students need a representative who will fight to get the services that students want. I promise to set up channels of communication between students and the school, so I can be an advocate for ALL students. YOU PAY TO BE HERE. HELP ME HELP YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED!
Endorsed by: AS VP for Sustainability Laura Wagner, Black Student Union