Two tickets, consisting of three and two candidates, respectively, are running in the 2025–2026 Student Government Association (SGA) Executive Board elections. The SGA Executive Board debate was held Tuesday, April 1, and voting will be open on April 8.
Two candidates, current Sophomore Class President Vishnu Dontu and Media Senator Tyler Turner, are running for student body president. Two candidates, Sophomore Class Senator Omotara Tiamiyu and Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) Senator Daarian Rouhani, are running for student body vice president. One candidate, Freshman Class Senator Sumire Sumi, is running for student body secretary. Dontu, Tiamiyu and Sumi are running as part of a ticket titled “IMPACT,” and Turner and Rouhani are running on a ticket titled “Turning Tides, Raising Baars.”
No candidates are running for executive treasurer and chair of programming.
Race for president
In an email to The News-Letter, Dontu reflected on his experience in student government as class president. Over the past two years, he stated that he contributed to initiatives to improve dining, fitness, health access and campus services — such as expanding protein choices and meal options at CharMar, adding more gym equipment, installing menstrual product dispensers at ten new campus locations, offering all students 50 pages of free printing per year, and providing Blue Jay Shuttle service to polling stations on Election Day.
“I have served as the Class President of the class of 2027 for the past 2 years, which has given me a solid understanding of how SGA functions, what the student body wants, how to connect with admin, and how to pass initiatives,” Dontu wrote.
Looking forward, Dontu plans to bring back another Grill station at Levering Kitchens, advocate for the use of dining dollars at local restaurants like Chipotle and expand outdoor seating on the quads. He also aims to address concerns about the Second Commission on Undergraduate Education (CUE2) curriculum, working with administration to provide greater flexibility for students.
Dontu also plans to increase SGA participation among underrepresented groups through targeted recruitment from cultural organizations as well as augment transparency by maintaining regular communication with the student body and improving the Student Grievance Hall, which enables students to directly share concerns with SGA.
In an email to The News-Letter, Turner stated that his platform focuses on building campus pride, strengthening community bonds and prioritizing student well-being.
For school spirit, Turner plans to expand the Blue Jay Crew, a new organization launching in Fall 2025 to energize campus life. The organization plans to facilitate the Blue Jay Tuesday campaign and Blue Jay Celebrations, including pop-ups giving out Hopkins merchandise and school spirit events. On well-being, Turner advocates turning the existing Well-Being Day into a full Well-Being Week, in tandem with efforts to make the academic environment more supportive during high-stress exam periods. Finally, to promote civic engagement, Turner proposes creating the President’s Council, a forum for all student organization leaders to collaborate and plan for broader community engagement.
"[The President’s Council] will focus on building stronger bonds between our student communities and brainstorming meaningful ways to extend our impact beyond campus," he wrote.
Emphasizing experience and authenticity, Turner highlighted his perspective and views towards campus.
"My campaign isn’t built on intangible policy. It’s grounded in a perspective shaped by three years of lived experience at Hopkins,“ he wrote. “This is a rigorous institution — but that doesn’t mean we have to lose touch with ourselves.”
Race for vice president
In an email to The News-Letter, Tiamiyu, running alongside Dontu and Sumi on the “IMPACT” ticket, highlighted her focus on expanding student resources, improving campus life and strengthening communication with the administration. Tiamiyu’s mentioned proposals include adding another Grill station at Levering Kitchens, the Student Center or another campus location, and allowing dining dollars at local spots to make off-campus dining more accessible.
To enhance student life, Tiamiyu advocated for more engaging events, including “better artist performances and distinguished speakers" along with more chairs and hammocks on the quads. Addressing academic concerns, particularly regarding the new CUE2 curriculum, Tiamiyu pledged to work with administration to push for greater flexibility in meeting graduation requirements.
Tiamiyu also emphasized inclusivity in her platform, aiming to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in SGA by collaborating with cultural organizations for stronger representation.
“By fostering stronger relationships between SGA and these groups, we hope to create a more inclusive and representative student government,” she wrote.
To promote transparency, Tiamiyu commits to regular updates on SGA initiatives and the continued development of the Student Grievance Hall, which she contributed to this semester. She further proposed formal student feedback on faculty mental health support.
In an email to The News-Letter, Rouhani reflected on his experience as a KSAS senator, where he led the creation of a Board of Directors, who will meet biweekly to discuss committee initiatives and improve collaboration within SGA. He is running alongside Turner on a platform focused on school spirit, mental health and civic engagement within the Baltimore community.
To boost school pride, Rouhani proposes expanding the existing discounts beyond the campus bookstore to include other University dining and retail locations in return for wearing Hopkins merchandise.
"Barnes & Noble already has Blue Jay Tuesday discounts," Rouhani writes. "Why can't the rest of the university have them too?"
On mental health, Rouhani proposes regular wellness days featuring hammocks across the quads, therapy dogs in study spaces and recreational activities to help students decompress.
Rouhani stated that he also wants to break what he describes as the "Hopkins bubble" by fostering stronger ties with other local universities. Having already connected with SGAs from Towson University, Loyola University Maryland, Goucher College and Maryland Institute College of Art, Rouhani envisions collaborative events like field days, beach parties and open formals.
"It's sad to see that most of us aren't actually aware of how big and diverse Baltimore is," he writes. "While this sounds a little too ambitious, I'm confident that we are equipped with the power and means to plan and host these kinds of events. I want to build a culture of intercollegiate engagement for years to come."
Race for secretary
In an email to The News-Letter, Sumi shared her enthusiasm to be running for the position of executive SGA secretary on the “IMPACT” ticket, alongside Dontu for president and Tiamiyu for vice president. She highlighted her team’s accomplishments, such as expanding CharMar meal options, installing free menstrual product dispensers and upgrading gym equipment. Building on these achievements, Sumi emphasizes her commitment to fostering transparent and honest communication between the administration and students.
“My goal is to be a reliable bridge between students and leadership, ensuring that every voice is heard and that every Blue Jay feels proud to be part of this community,” she wrote.
