Following Eastern Michigan University Student Government elections on March 29-30, Syed Wasiuddin and Ameera Salman have been elected as student body president and vice president, according to unofficial election results.
Wasiuddin and Salman received 61% of the total vote with 313 votes, while the other duo in the running for president and vice president, Cedrick Charles and Louise Engohang, received 204 votes, 39% of the total vote. During the voting period, 517 total votes were cast.
Charles, who is the current vice president of the student body, congratulated Wasiuddin and Salman, and said that he pledges his support in any decisions that further advance the cause of students.
"I've been able to learn a lot more about the state of our student body. The University is at a critical point where the voice of the students matter more than ever. So, it was great getting to talk to organizations and EMU administrators on the issues we hoped to tackle," Charles said. "I want to congratulate Syed and Ameera on a great campaign, and offer the best of luck on their term. There is a higher duty in Student Government, and it's much more than holding the role of president and vice president; the voice and the needs of the students must always come first. I pledge my support in whatever advances the cause of the students further."
When it comes to voter turnout, Wasiuddin thought it went great, and said that the votes for the winning presidential candidate were the highest in five years.
"Being able to go meet people I think was really the reason why we had such a high voter turnout," Wasiuddin said. "Being like 'hey, let me have your time, let me talk' and some people would hold me down for like 20 minutes, but I was happy to have their voice heard and that's what matters right now."
Salman agreed, but still hopes to get more students voting in future years.
"I'm just glad that we were able to talk to a lot of people and get them aware about the election," Salman said. "I definitely would have liked to see more people voting."
With approximately 14,000 total students at EMU, the voter turnout was near 3.7%, EMU Office of the President Chief of Staff Leigh Greden said.
"That may seem low but it's consistent with recent years, especially since COVID," Greden said. "Students who live on or near campus and/or who attend full-time are more likely to vote."
Wasiuddin and Salman are excited about their win nonetheless, and hope to bring unique perspectives to Student Government.
"I just want to be more inclusive, representing all of campus, using my major as a STEM person to better advocate for all of campus," Wasiuddin said.
With Wasiuddin majoring in bio-chemistry, and Salman studying journalism with a background in writing and art, the pair feels that their win is even more important, and that their time in office will represent students who are not always in these political leadership positions.
"I was born in Dearborn, first generation American citizen, my parents were Indian immigrants, so a lot of seeing them as pariahs after 9/11 has really shaped my view of how we have to advocate and represent ourselves the best," Wasiuddin said.
Salman, as a queer person and Palestinian-American, is also proud to represent those groups of people.
"I want to bring that perspective to Student Government," Salman said. "Having a passion for being involved on campus is really important to me so I think working towards that goal of just making this a place that everyone loves is definitely a top priority."
Apart from Student Government, Salman is also the editor-in-chief of EMU's literary magazine Cellar Roots and the vice president of Planned Parenthood Generation Action on campus.
As part of their plans for office, Wasiuddin and Salman have three focus areas:
- Engagement will look like surveying students to identify needs and feedback, increasing student organization awareness and utilization of Student Government as a resource and improving campus event times for commuters and residents.
- Growth will prioritize adding the telephone numbers of Counseling and Psychological Services and the Department of Public Safety to EID cards and increasing funding for CAPS, Swoop's Food Pantry, and more campus resources.
- Inclusivity will promote the expansion of dining options for individuals with dietary restrictions and expand the use of gender-inclusive language in university documentation.
In addition, Wasiuddin said he also hopes to bring more advocacy for work study, disabilities, and mental health.
