Undergraduate Student Government’s offices are located in the basement of the Reynolds Club.

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) elections will take place this week, with ballots closing on Friday at 4 p.m. Over the five-day voting window, students can cast their ballots digitally for the executive slate (president, executive vice president), various cabinet positions, and College Council class representatives. The Maroon reached out to this year’s candidates to learn more about their respective platforms.

Executive Slate: Phoenix Party

The Phoenix Party cohort of executive slate and College Council candidates is led by current USG President Elijah Jenkins, who was part of last year’s “Better Slate Than Never” slate. The Phoenix Party platform cites accomplishments from their first year in office, including the launch of USG quarterly reports, the creation of Greek life liaisons, and the expansion of USG committee membership from approximately 30 to 75.

President: Elijah Jenkins

Elijah Jenkins, a third-year, is seeking reelection as USG president. A Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity and Law, Letters, and Society double major, Jenkins has been involved with USG since his first year in the College and has served as USG president since last year.

In with the Maroon, Jenkins said he was running for reelection so he could continue to foster the “long-term growth of student government,” citing increased retention and recruitment of membership from his first year in office. He also noted his work on fostering transparency by releasing quarterly reports and holding office hours.

Jenkins also credited his efforts to engage with Greek life as differentiating him from past administrations and promised to appoint a permanent committee on Greek life if elected. “It’s important to have Greek life perspectives in our administration,” he said. “I myself am a member of a fraternity.”

At an executive slate debate on April 21, Jenkins characterized free speech as the “most pressing issue” on campus, saying he hopes to “focus on building coalitions of understanding” among students on campus and tackle current challenges to DEI programs and the visas of international students.

Executive Vice President: Alex Fuentes

Alex Fuentes, a second-year political science and economics double major, is the current chair of the College Council. Fuentes cites his work in local government, including for a Chicago alderman and representative, as driving his collaborative approach toward USG.

Fuentes also noted that continuity of USG leadership would help preserve some of the institutional knowledge he and Jenkins have built up. “There’s 50 administrators [responsible for] student government that if you go to with a question… they keep sending you to different people,” he said. “Both [Elijah and I] have gotten to a point where if we have a problem, we know immediately who to address, and we really don’t want to lose that knowledge.”

Executive Slate: Happyness Party

The Happyness [sic] Party slate did not respond to requests for comment from the Maroon. However, the Happyness Party’s presidential candidate, Huck Jamison, described the ticket’s priorities at the executive slate debate.

President: Huck Jamison

Huck Jamison is a third-year economics and data science double major with no prior affiliation with USG. He is the co-president of the Alpha Psi chapter of Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity.

During the debate, Jamison described his motivation for running under the banner of the Happyness [sic] Party: “Our vision with the student government is to create a college environment which everyone will look back on and appreciate,” he said. “We’re happy guys, but we don’t see that sentiment everywhere.”

He described “a lack of enjoyment in day-to-day life” as UChicago’s most pressing issue, noting the negative effects of unhappiness on educational achievement, alumni involvement, and the University’s reputation. Jamison also said he hopes to secure more funding for student groups: “Socially, we think that the School does a good job raising everyone’s floor [via house and campus events], but when you find those groups you’re really passionate about… funding falls off.”

Jamison also stressed the importance of his and running mate Collin Argue’s backgrounds in business fraternities and club sports, saying that most of his friends are unfamiliar with USG, and he hopes to involve more people from such less involved groups on campus.

Executive Vice President: Collin Argue

Collin Argue, Happyness [sic] Party executive vice presidential candidate, is a third-year economics major and UChicago varsity football player. He did not respond to the Maroon’s request for comment but did speak at the executive slate debate.

Argue said he was inspired to run for student government because of his experience with the “compartmentalization of student life at UChicago,” thanks to his participation in Greek life, sports, and other athletic organizations. He indicated that his focus would be on supporting the USG president. “I’m here to be the hand of the king…. I’m aligned with Huck in making sure that the student government represents everyone.”