SGC holds platform presentations for Fall 2025 candidates

The Ithaca College Student Governance Council held platform presentations Sept. 15 in the Klingenstein Lounge on the second floor of the Campus Center for candidates running in the Fall 2025 election.

Candidates are able to campaign from 9 a.m. Sept. 16 to 4:59 p.m. Sept 19. Students will be able to vote for their desired candidates through IC Engage starting Sept. 18, and will receive the link to vote via email.

According to the Fall 2025 Election Manual delivered to potential candidates via email, 15 of the 26 council seats are available for election, including two each for the Class of 2026, Class of 2027 and Class of 2029 senator positions; the School of Health Science and Human Performance senator; the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance senator; the international senator; the Students of Color Coalition senator; the off-campus senator; the graduate senator and three senators-at-large, which can be represented by any student and represents all students.

Ten candidates were present at the platform presentations, as well as around six other students. Senior Senate Chair Nikki Sutera moderated the candidates’ two minute speeches, along with senior Caleb Cackowski, the Vice President of Communications.

Sophomore Frankie Weisse, a public and community health major, is campaigning to be the Health Science and Human Performance senator. Weisse said he wishes for greater communication with the college administration when it comes to budget cuts, particularly after the loss of the Deaf studies minor, which will go into effect after Fall 2025.

“More than ever, it’s clear that the student body would feel more comfortable having transparency when it comes to budget cuts and resource reassignment,” Weisse said. Weisse said he plans to do this by creating more open communication between students, administration and the third-party auditors used by IC in order to provide more advance notice about budget cuts.

First-year student Margaret “Mega” Gem Martinez is running for the international senator position. Martinez, who was born in the Philippines and raised in Thailand, said she hopes to build community between her and her fellow international students.

“International students carry more than just luggage,” Martinez said. “We carry our culture, our questions, our hopes, and even our worries, and I believe that every international student deserves to feel loved, heard, understood and supported from arriving to graduating.”

Sophomore Ash Beall, a psychology and biology double major, and first-year students Aditya Valecha, a Humanities and Sciences Exploratory Pathways major; Ayush Sharma, a Computer Science Major; and Ari Medvinsky, an Education Studies and Politics double major, are all running to be senators-at-large.

Beall said they want to address problems with accessibility on campus, in particular with the elevators. Beall said they want to work with existing groups on campus, such as the Disabled Student Alliance and Student Accessibility Services in order to achieve their goals.

“I’m hopeful that we could find a more efficient method of communication between disabled students and maintenance,” Beall said.

Valecha said they would like to see an increase in the availability of mental health resources on campus with an introduction of a new “mentor system” to connect new students with similarly-minded upperclassmen, allowing them to build more support structures for themselves.

“You will have another friend on campus, and someone who will be available to talk outside of CAPS hours,” Valecha said.

Sharma said he wishes to create an anonymous hotline for LGBTQ+ students to share issues they experience on campus. He said he believes that more resources need to be made available, especially after the incident at the Glow with Pride event during orientation.

“My goal at the end is to be a voice for the voiceless and to make a change for the queer community,” Sharma said.

Medvinsky said he will focus on food security and dietary options around campus, in particular, addressing students who are limited in their options by their class hours.

“The issues surrounding meal exchange programs, dining hall options and dining hall hours have become extremely pressing, leading many, especially those with dining restrictions, to wonder where their next meal is coming from,” Medvinsky said.

First-year students Graham Wohlers, a Television, Photography, and Digital Media major; Jacqueline Thompson, a politics major; Nathaniel Krajnak, a sports media major; and Marissa Moskowitz, an H&S Pathways major, are all running for Class of 2029 senator positions.

Wohlers said he wants to improve incoming students’ navigation of the campus, wishing to work with Apple Maps on adding campus buildings to the map of Ithaca, as well as updating the interface of the college’s own online interactive map. He also said he hopes to organize more events in the IC Natural Lands in order to raise awareness about their location.

“I want to make my position [as a senator] known,” Wohlers said. “And I want to be a friendly face around campus to make people feel comfortable to talk to me and voice their concerns if they’re not able to attend meetings themselves.”

Thompson said she hopes to serve as an advocate for independent students — those with no family or guardian supporting them through the college journey — and provide them with similar resources as first-generation students. She said the difficulties of being an independent student are more than just financial.

“This is you figuring out every single step on your way to college basically by yourself,” Thompson said. “This is not having someone to call on Fridays when you had a bad test. It’s much more than just the financials.”

Krajnak said he wants to focus his campaign around improving the filtration in the water fountains around the quad buildings.

“The water quality here is amazing, but in order to get more people drinking water, you need to have more efficient, cleaner water filling stations in your dorm,” Krajnak said.

Moskowitz said she wants to use her position to help strengthen alumni connections with underclassmen and provide more opportunities for internships and jobs as well.

“I want to help students build relationships earlier than junior and senior year, as well as feel a sense of purpose and connection in their first year of college,” Moskowitz said.

The SGC is the sole representative body for the Ithaca College student community. The SGC meets from 7-9 p.m. every Monday in the Taughannock Falls room of the Campus Center. The SGC can be contacted at [email protected].