President/Vice President

Declan Mears ’27 and Usman Mallick ’28

Declan Mears ’27 is an English and philosophy major and the current junior class representative on the Student Senate.

Usman Mallick ’28 is a chemistry and physics major and the current sophomore class representative on the Student Senate.

Mears and Mallick’s platform includes advocacy, decreasing bureaucratic barriers, separating SGA from St. Olaf’s administration, restructuring the budget, increasing political discourse on campus, providing free tampons in all residence hall bathrooms and more.

One of the biggest frustrations for both Mears and Mallick has been the bureaucratic hurdles that often impede SGA’s operations. Mears said he wants to focus on asking, “Are we doing this because it’s traditional or because it’s effective?” He also said he feels strongly that SGA should stop “LARPing” (live-action role-playing).

“I don’t want hierarchical formality. I want people to put themselves forward as they are and support people as they are. I think if we do that, there’s enough great people at St. Olaf to make a significant difference,” Mears said.

Another goal is to restructure the budget to allocate less funding to SGA and more to student organizations, such as club sports.

Mears said one strength of their partnership is that they do not always agree.

“We are both heading toward a common goal, and we want to support each other in being the best versions of ourselves possible. In that, there is going to be conflict and strife, but being able to work that out and become better people in the process is my favorite thing about Usman and how he impacts me,” Mears said.

Mears and Mallick said they want students to know they will represent and protect them, even when they disagree with their opinions, and that they are committed to respecting different life experiences and political views.

Lily Spoerke ’27 and Annika Kirchmaier ’27

Lily Spoerke ’27 is a political science major and the current secretary of local impact.

Annika Kirchmaier ’27 is a political science and psychology major.

Spoerke said her experience as secretary of local impact — including spearheading projects such as the Ole Bike Program — has prepared her for the role of president. She said she is familiar with the inner workings of SGA, including proposals, bylaws and budget processes.

As a member of the St. Olaf soccer team, Spoerke said she understands how to uplift others and create an environment where people are not afraid to make mistakes and can learn from them.

While Kirchmaier does not have prior SGA experience, she said she brings a fresh perspective and insight into how SGA decisions impact daily student life.

“I am very adaptable … there might be a learning curve, but I am committed to fulfilling the role of vice president — putting the time, the work and the effort into that,” Kirchmaier said.

Their platform includes building a stronger sense of belonging on campus, increasing SGA visibility, strengthening connections between students and administration and continuing weekly tabling by Student Senate and the executive team.

To increase belonging, Spoerke and Kirchmaier said they want to better connect larger student groups, such as athletics and music, with the broader campus community.

“We all have different interests, but we are all united by the same school. We are all Oles … so how can we show up for each other?” Kirchmaier said.

They said they are committed to listening to students.

“We understand that we may not represent every single student on campus, and it’s impossible to, so we want to make sure we are actively listening to your needs,” Kirchmaier said.

Ankur Guragain ’27 and Luke Butler ’27

In an email interview with the St. Olaf Messenger, Guragain and Butler said they are running because of their experience and motivation to represent students.

“Studying abroad reminded us how beautiful the St. Olaf community is, and we felt incredibly impassioned to make our last year here as meaningful as possible. To us, this meaning comes from working with our many wonderful campus communities,” they said.

Their platform centers on three pillars: partnership, visibility and sustainability.

“We want to empower student voices, strengthen campus resources and improve campus life through three main pillars: partnership, visibility and sustainability. This means increased collaboration between St. Olaf student organizations, campus offices and Carleton and Northfield community organizations. Additionally, we want greater campus resource visibility and increased multicultural and inclusive representation,” they said.

They said their friendship and different backgrounds strengthen their partnership.

“We come from different sides of the world, grew up with different music and food, yet connected almost instantly three years ago at a Kittelsby orientation event. As friends and coworkers, we are able to push each other when needed and understand that the most important key to healthy and productive teamwork is communication,” they said.

Guragain has served across four of the five branches of SGA, including as a first-year senator, student life senator, student life committee member, conduct affairs participant and coordinator for global impact grants. He also worked with Upward Bound this summer supporting BIPOC youth.

Butler has served in multiple proxy SGA roles and worked on event logistics in the Taylor Center, programming and resource coordination in DiSCO/Library and policy research and civic organizing with off-campus nonprofits.

“We want voters to know that we care and that we would not be running if we didn’t. The work we do relies on student voices to direct it, so never stop speaking up for what you care about,” they said.

Secretary of Academic Affairs

Ella Robb ’27

Ella Robb ’27 is a quantitative economics major and transfer student. She serves on the Academic Affairs Board, the Involvement Board and as a student life representative, and she is a member of the St. Olaf alpine skiing team.

Robb said she has a strong background in student leadership and representation.

“Being engaged on campus is my favorite thing about college,” she said.

She said she hopes to bring together diverse perspectives through her connections with athletes, academic affairs and transfer students. She plans to continue projects such as improving course registration systems and increasing open educational resources to reduce textbook costs.

Robb encouraged students to reach out with concerns.

“I am very active on my email, Google Chat — whatever it is,” she said.

Robb is running uncontested.

Secretary for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Lea Larocque ’27

Larocque did not respond to a request for an interview.

Lukhanyo Zwane ’27

Lukhanyo Zwane ’27 is an individual major in sociology/anthropology and serves as the international student senator.

“For me, it’s been really important to advocate for students who are marginalized or whose voices aren’t heard as loudly because they aren’t part of the majority,” Zwane said.

Zwane said she plans to implement a driving and host program over the summer, increase accessible housing, expand funding for DEI organizations and strengthen campus communities.

She also encouraged greater involvement in both the DEI Board and SGA more broadly.

Secretary of Global Impact

Angela Hifume ’27

Hifume did not respond to a request for an interview.

Hifume is running uncontested.

Secretary of Involvement

Dania Elshafie ’27

Elshafie did not respond to a request for an interview.

Elshafie is running uncontested.

Secretary of Local Impact

Riley Schwinler ’29

Riley Schwinler ’29 is a social studies education major and first-year class representative. She also serves on the Local Impact Board.

Schwinler said she hopes to build on her experience and strengthen connections between St. Olaf and the Northfield community. She cited transportation as a barrier and said she wants to improve the bike program and create a website highlighting local events for students.

She encouraged students to reach out with ideas and concerns.

Kenna Brandt ’27

Kenna Brandt ’27 is an environmental studies and race and ethnic studies major. She is involved in the Northfield community through activism and organizing, including work with Palestine in Northfield, mutual aid efforts and grassroots organizing. She is also a member of Students for Justice in Palestine.

Brandt said she hopes to strengthen relationships between St. Olaf students and the broader community. She plans to create systems connecting students and organizations with shared interests or cultural experiences.

Mikey Slinkowski ’28

Slinkowski did not respond to a request for an interview.

Secretary for Student Affairs

Adam Benoit ’29

Adam Benoit ’29 is a political science, race and ethnic studies, and Spanish major. He is a first-year representative on the Student Senate and has served on the student affairs and local impact boards.

Benoit said he hopes to collaborate with Bon Appétit on budgeting, improve residential facilities, strengthen alumni relations and support coordination across SGA boards.

His past work includes projects with facilities, such as improved shower curtains in Mohn and proposals for additional water bottle fillers in residence halls.

He is also training for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth while fundraising for suicide prevention.

Benoit is running uncontested.

Voting information

Voting runs March 24–26. Students can vote online here or at SGA tabling.

Tabling schedule:

March 24, 3–6 p.m.
March 25, 2–5 p.m.
March 26, 3–6 p.m. outside the Cage

Correction: Annika Kirchmaier’s name was updated to reflect the correct spelling.