Thelmo Board Seeking Applicants

The Thelomathesian Society has extended the application deadline for its 2026 Executive Board positions to Nov. 16. The open positions are President, Vice President of Senate Affairs, Vice President of University Relations, and Secretary. 

According to a campus-wide email from Thelmo on Nov. 4, any student can apply to the executive board for positions. No Thelmo experience is required for any of the roles listed above, except for Vice President of Senate Affairs. 

The current VPSA, Zakithi Khumalo ’27, mentioned the reasons why the current executive board decided to extend the application deadline. “We would like to increase the pool of students who are applying and interested in these positions as well as diversify the applicants,” she said. “We really want to represent the student body and all its different aspects, and we want Thelmo to reflect the actual student body.” 

Khumalo encouraged everyone to apply for executive board positions. She underlines the opportunities for career and personal growth that comes along with her position. “You get to connect with alumni, the board of trustees, the university administration, and you just learn a lot,” she said. “You manage like half a million dollars in money, which is a lot of responsibility, and it doesn’t come very often at our age.” 

The Student Delegate of the Board of Trustees, Alice Khalil ’27, shared her reports at the Board of Trustees meetings on Oct. 23-25. She highlighted several events on campus in her written and oral report, including pre-orientation trips, Peak Weekend, the First-Year Cup, Laurentian Weekend, Food Pantry, SLU Central and SLU Thrive. Khalil also raised student concerns about the new dining app and the lack of local transportation for students without cars. “Being a part of these board meetings is important because someone needs to voice student concerns, things we’re not happy about, and present proposals,” she said. 

Although she is not part of the Thelmo executive board, Wande Balele ’27 also represented the student body during last week’s meeting as a student delegate for the Alumni Executive Council. “It was important to represent the student body because the meeting focused on SLU and future opportunities,” Balele said. “Student voices are needed to build that vision, so representing the student body meant articulating the current student landscape and future hopes based on that.” 

Thelmo President Sofia Zareizadeh ’26 highlighted the improvements students can make on campus as part of the executive board. She listed the following changes that Thelmo has implemented over the past year: changing the perception of Thelmo from a central student bank to a student government, improving the storage policy, collaboration with the Wellness Office, launching a new student engagement platform, club constitution and budget changes, and consistency within the contingency review process. 

Alexa Santana Lugo ’27, the SLUSAF central treasurer, mentioned the financial benefits of having a leadership role in Thelmo. “Executive Board positions include financial compensation, offering an additional benefit for students seeking leadership experience,” she said. While the Vice President of Senate Affairs, the Vice President of University Relations, and the Secretary get paid $1,100 per semester, the President earns $1300 every semester for their work. 

The Thelmo Executive Board application form can be found on SLU Central. It is due at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 16. Students can reach Thelmo VSPA Khumalo for any questions at ztkhum23@stlawu.edu.