Elections for the St. Lawrence’s 2026 Thelomathesian Executive Board are still open as of Dec. 3. The positions up for election are President, Vice President of Senate Affairs, Vice President of University Relations, and Secretary. The unopposed candidate running for President is Alexa Santana Lugo ‘27. She is currently serving as the central treasurer for Thelmo. According to her candidate statement in the voting poll, her initiatives across campus have taught her “how to bring people together, manage resources responsibly, and advocate for equity.” Some of her goals for her time in office are advocating for Emergency Medical Services to be on call more often and continuing to prioritize transportation initiatives for students. She also intends to connect with more groups that represent SLU’s student body, such as Athletics and Greek Life, so everyone’s voice can be heard. Lugo’s campaign centers around her belief that “lasting change comes from collaboration, not hierarchy,” and her commitment to leading with transparency, humor, and openness to feedback. In her statement at the Senate meeting on Nov. 19, she also emphasized promoting transparency within the e-board and a desire to ensure that Thelmo is seen as more than just the central bank for student activities.
The VSPA race consists of two candidates: Merrit Kotula ’29 and Will Holland ’28. Kotula emphasized in her statement that her involvement, attention to detail, and motivation make her a strong candidate for the VSPA position. She acknowledged that although she is a first-year student, she has been diligent about attending student-led events on campus to make connections. She said she thinks that “the right person for this position, and perhaps all E-board positions, is someone who is involved around campus, not necessarily in a specific club, but a face you see at various events, someone recognizable.” Kotula said her mission is to honor the student experience at SLU and preserve what makes it so amazing. She also highlighted that she served as a student government officer for four years prior to attending St. Lawrence, and she is the Vice President of the First-Year Council.
Holland is a current Thelmo senator and emphasized the importance of structure, communication and preparation in working as a productive Senate (and holding smooth Senate meetings). If he gets elected, he intends to ensure that Thelmo is a place where every senator feels comfortable speaking up and where different perspectives can be valued and heard. Holland also said he wants to improve communication with the administration and draws on his past leadership experience in high school, on the Thelmo Senate, and on the selectboard of his town government to “plan, run discussions, communicate effectively, and turn ideas into action.”
Two candidates are also in the running for the VPUR Thelmo position. Kynatt Beg ’29 is a current senator but said she thinks she could serve better in an administrative role. She highlighted that her role as a senator has allowed her to gain insight into areas for growth and develop fresh ideas and perspectives she wants to bring into her role as VPUR. If Beg is elected, she would like to increase access to Thelmo storage across campus. She also shared that she traveled to ten countries with over 100 other students last year and learned on her journey that “when young people work together towards a common goal, there is not much we cannot achieve.” She went on to say, “I hear many issues with dining experiences, wifi, facilities and budget cuts that are heard but not amplified. As a member of Thelmo, we have the capacity to elevate these voices, and I would like to have a role that allows me direct involvement to do this.”
Quinn Martin ’28 has worked closely with the previous VPUR on Thelmo storage organization for two terms. He has also served on multiple Thelmo and faculty committees. He said in his candidate statement that his familiarity with the responsibilities of the VPUR role makes him a strong candidate and will allow him to improve further and expand the storage system. He also shared his goal of increasing transparency between the student body, Thelmo and the administration at SLU. He said he believes that “open communication between students and faculty is essential to shaping the school to meet student needs.”
Finally, the candidate running unopposed for Thelmo secretary is Tamimi Tamimi ’29. He has served on the Thelmo Senate this semester and said in his statement that, when he first took on the role, he was shocked by how many of his friends didn’t know what Thelmo was. Tamimi wants to change this. His primary goal as secretary will be to launch an initiative called Thelmo Connect. This program will bridge the gap between SLU students and the student government. Some aspects of the program include QR codes around campus that students can scan to share feedback or questions directly with Thelmo, and monthly open drop-in sessions where students can meet with Thelmo face-to-face. Tamimi also highlighted his qualifications from his time as a secretary of the student life council at his high school in Wales, where he handled minutes, logistics, and communications. “But what I really learned was how to turn structure into impact — how to take what’s said in a meeting and make it matter to the whole community,” he said.
Elections for Executive Board positions have been extended until 100 more votes from the student body are cast, since the President needs 500 votes to be recognized by the Board of Trustees. In a recent email, Thelmo urged students to vote, emphasizing that voting in student government elections is a privilege and serves as a rare chance to choose the people who will represent and advocate for you and your interests to the university administration and beyond. Students can find the voting form via the link in their email or on SLU Central.