Photo by Ella Shelton ‘26. An SGA senate meeting in progress from last November. The All Campus Elections will determine how the Class of 2027 is represented within the SGA.
By Andrea Kekula ’27
Staff Writer
Sparking fervent discussions and growing anticipation within the Mount Holyoke College community, this year’s All Campus Elections have returned. The 2023 All Campus Elections are especially significant because of the substantial size of the Class of 2027 — 545 students were projected to enroll in the first-year class as of April 2023.
On April 27, 2023, the College published on its website, “For the third year in a row, Mount Holyoke College received a record number of applications. But this year’s record of 5,030 first-year applications, which represents a 2.7% increase from last year, also signals another milestone: attracting more than 5,000 applicants.”
This sizable first-year class may be the reason why so many candidates are particularly invested in securing the class president position. According to a recent email from the Division of Student Life, polls opened on Sept. 25 and are set to close this Sunday, Oct. 1. Results will be announced around Oct. 3.
At Mount Holyoke, SGA represents the entire student body in student governance and advocacy. Annual elections provide students with a platform to exercise their right to elect representatives who will advocate for their interests and engage in the decision-making processes that impact the Mount Holyoke community.
In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, current Student Body President Maille Romulus’ 24 remarked on the anticipation of the forthcoming elections.
“[The SGA] serves as the communicators to students and staff and administration. And so it's very important to have advocates that live in and on campus,” Romulus said. “I'm really excited about the class of 2027 as they are so optimistic. I can see that they're all participating in the elections [with] so many people running, which is so nice to see. I just hope that they continue that momentum as the years go on. I hope that, no matter what the results are, everyone remains involved in Class Board and SGA.”
“ I hope that... no matter what the results are, everyone remains involved in Class Board and SGA.”
As the five Class of 2027 presidential candidates campaign to lead their peers, their voices and visions for the future of Mount Holyoke are evident.
Presidential candidates such as Cindy Ntembe ’27 embrace their commitment to the holistic well-being of the student body, a principle that forms a cornerstone of the College’s values. The official SGA and AC elections website prominently highlights the importance of promoting student well-being as a fundamental aspect of campus life.
“Our mental health crisis that we couldn't talk about during the COVID pandemic is still going on right now. And so, building a sense of community and belonging [is important] to me. My goal with that is talking about the issues that really scare people,” Ntembe stated in a recent interview. “Social anxiety disorder … used to be something I was very embarrassed about, or even having depression, but now I know that these aren't things that you need to be embarrassed about. They're part of the human experience. They're part of the college experience.'' Lily Rood ’27, another presidential candidate, has chosen the slogan "Experience Progressive Representation" for her campaign as she strives to promote trans-inclusivity in electoral processes.
In an interview, Rood expressed her commitment to promoting equity and inclusion.
"I think that it's important that every demographic is represented in our student government, and so I want to be the first to bring [a transgender woman’s] perspective,” Rood said.
According to the SGA website, the organization has a longstanding history of advocating for equity and inclusion within the campus community.
Ivy Zhou ’27, another presidential candidate, emphasized the importance of community building and “good service.”
“The role of a class board is just to provide good service to our classmates,” Zhou said. “And then secondly, we can try to expand our influence beyond our campus. We can start by helping schools around [us] like Springfield and around our community.”
The SGA website provides concrete evidence of this commitment to service through various initiatives. They include supporting student clubs and organizations, encouraging community service, promoting inclusivity and diversity and hosting open forums for dialogue.
Anna Bobbitt ’27, who is also running in the race, said, “Ever since I got here, I have just fallen in love with the campus and the community,
“I want our class to be a mini community inside of the Mount Holyoke community, and I would love to foster inner development between groups and clubs and communities,” Bobbitt said. “I want everyone to feel at home and to feel like they have a sense of community here.”
The final presidential candidate, Kadiatou Barry ’27, spoke about the spirit of community and altruism. “I am inspired [to run] because I like leadership roles, and I like helping other people [and] I actually want to go into public service,” she stated.
Barry also spoke about initiatives she envisions for the Class of 2027.
“[I want to] have events where we can all come together — the whole grade — and I also want to have our voices heard so that we can change some things because Mount Holyoke is a great place but we can make it better,” she said.
As the presidential candidates embark on their journey to serve their peers, their commitment to the principles of fairness and progress echoes the College’s mission to have students strive for excellence in their shared pursuit of knowledge and growth.
Editor’s Note: At the time of reporting, Lily Rood went by a different first name. This article was updated Aug. 9 at 1:46 p.m. EST to reflect her change in name.