This year’s Bucknell Student Government election results were finalized last Thursday, Sept. 14, and every electee is excited to hit the ground running. A total of 64 students are elected to represent their peers in BSG, advocating for fellow students and legislating with their colleagues about certain topics that demand action in and around the university.
Eliza Morris, newly-elected President of the class of 2026, hopes to focus on inclusivity and equity at Bucknell this year; her position as VP of her class last year helped her see that she “wants to be able to make real change here,” so as she steps into her new position, she’s determined to stay connected to her peers via tabling, Google Forms and individualized in-person meetings.
The class of 2027 ended up with a dynamic duo in the President and Vice President position. Hillary de la Cruz, President, and Mia Mezger, VP, ran together for their respective roles, surging ahead to victory. Mezger was motivated to run because she had a support system in the form of her president—she “knew [she] wasn’t going into it alone,” which gave her the support she needed to “confidently step forward” and take on an active leadership role in the community. Both Mezger and de la Cruz cited goals for this year that center around transparency, representation and visibility; their hope is to facilitate connection within the class of 2027, leaving a legacy of “open-mindedness and problem-solving.”
President of the class of 2024, Walid Abdallah is eager to play a role in the traditions of the departing class—specifically, he hopes to be “a voice for the [members of the] student body who do not have access to a BSG perspective” in the process of creating a senior class gift and selecting a Commencement speaker.
Abdallah’s fellow class of 2024 BSG members are right there with him: Vice President Virginia Vincent is committed to promoting class unity as she keeps her eye on the proverbial prize that is graduation. Vincent, like Abdallah, plans to work with the class “to ensure that [they] have the graduation [they] missed out on in 2020,” as she believes that “we all deserve an amazing year [and] an even more amazing graduation” to round out their collegiate experience and celebrate the perseverance, dedication, and drive that got them through it.
BSG Senators are excited about the upcoming year as well. Though Senators may not have the name recognition that Presidents and Vice Presidents do, their goals are just as important. Alma Ledwidge, one of the Class of 2025’s seven Senators, was motivated to run for the position because of her “passion for advocacy and government.” She views BSG as an opportunity to be a personal and “reliable resource” for anyone and everyone in her grade, and she is determined to “listen to and advocate for” the people who choose to reach out to and connect with her.
It is abundantly clear that the students elected to BSG this year are enthused about the opportunities for change, representation, and connection laid out before them.
The first BSG Congress session will take place on Sunday, Sept. 24.
