Know before you vote

Collage by Easton Clark, Photo Editor

Who do you want representing you?

The race for 2026-2027 Student Government Association (SGA) president and vice president is on, allowing Chapman’s student body to vote for their future leaders.

The SGA president and vice president act as representatives and liaisons to the student body, as well as overseeing funds, policies and events. But each candidate has their own ideas on how to best do so.

Presidential Candidates

SGA presidential candidate Jason Wu Chen; Photo courtesy of Jason Wu Chen

Jason Wu Chen

That guy standing in the rain last week with a posterboard asking students what Chapman needs? Yeah, that's Jason Wu Chen.

“I am a huge advocate and firmly believe that (in) campaigning, you should be out there,” said Chen. “You should be getting dirty. You shouldn’t be so closed off to everyone by only doing social media (or) just having your face on a poster.”

Chen, a sophomore creative producing major, currently serves as SGA’s director of public relations after concluding last year as the first-year senator — giving him a front row seat on what can be improved within SGA.

A large part of Chen’s campaign focuses on eliminating barriers between students and SGA members.

“A lot of complaints students have about club funding could be avoided if senators, exec or anyone in SGA would be more one-on-one,” he said. “We have office hours and times where we say ‘Oh, you can meet us here,’ but I don't think we’re that accessible.”

As far as policies go, he has a very fiscal goal in mind, striving to eliminate Chapman’s ability to change tuition rates after enrollment.

“Students and families should come into the school with the clearest expectations of how much they should be paying because this school is already expensive,” said Chen. 

Chen said he knows numerous people who encountered financial struggles in their later college years and were forced to scramble to find jobs, internships or loans.

“It's scary to know that you might not make it to your third or fourth year because of financial restraints,” he said.

No matter the outcome, Chen is dedicated to remaining a friendly presence on campus.

“I'm not scared to go up and ask people if they want to hear my policies,” said Chen. “I know people at Chapman are friendly. I know these people are my peers, and I know they have the same concerns I have.”

SGA presidential candidate Maximilian Wiseman; Photo courtesy of Maximilian Wiseman

Maximilian Wiseman

“Raising the standard at Chapman” is the slogan junior political science and pre-law double major Maximilian Wiseman is running his campaign on.

“I envision that my candidacy — should I win — will focus on the direct impact on students and how we can focus on benefiting them because we have all these great resources,” Wiseman told The Panther.

Central components of students’ experience, according to Wiseman, are mental health resources, funding for student organisations and professional development. He hopes to enhance access to all three.

“We should be able to leverage the contacts the university prides itself on having and try to help students set up for their future,” he said. “Your professional career shouldn't start when you graduate; it should start now.”

Wiseman wants to promote not only talents visiting for masterclasses, but also professionals from non-entertainment industries to provide career development tips.

Additionally, he wants to draw on various student interests.

“Let's increase the allotment for student organizations and empower student leaders with the mission that is dear to them,” said Wiseman.

But at the end of the day, for Wiseman, it all ties back to one thing: mental health. 

Building the ideal student experience is largely dependent on mental well-being, according to Wiseman. To him, only with proper mental health support can one build a stronger future and a successful life, calling it a “snowball effect.”

By centering assets relevant to all students, Wiseman hopes to reach across different disciplines, clubs and interests to all Chapman students.

“At the end of the day, I am a unifier in the sense of being able to connect to different people,” he said. “Let's focus on the humanity of one another (and) on how we can help lift up one another.”

SGA presidential candidate Rusty Henry; Photo courtesy of Rusty Henry

Anthony “Rusty” Henry

From the lack of physical posters to his route to Chapman, Anthony “Rusty” Henry’s campaign has been anything but traditional.

Henry — a junior liberal studies major — has committed to a zero-waste campaign and is drawing on innate skills and those learned in the workforce or the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) to boost his potential presidency.

“I am a non-traditional student, which means I took a gap before going back to school, and through that, I’ve learned a lot,” said Henry.

In his second semester at Chapman, Henry quickly learned the level of outreach involved in SGA, shaping his number one promise: advocacy.

“I’ve been here for a semester, and what I’ve seen is, if you have an idea, talk to your president, talk to your senator — talk to someone — and I think that advocacy is very powerful, so that would just be something I want to amplify,” he said.

Henry also said SGA visibility was part of why running for president has felt so natural, and he wants to continue to center the people of Chapman should he be elected.

“We have a diverse group of students, so they have a lot of different needs, so it's finding a way to get them those resources,” he told The Panther.

Various resources include food security and scholarships, but one universal need he wants to address is emergency preparedness. 

“I think that faculty, staff and students all on campus don’t necessarily know what to do in an emergency situation,” Henry said. “(I want to) make sure students are aware of safety procedures.”

Should he be elected, Henry promises to stay rooted in the Chapman community that he credits with his decision to transfer to the university in the first place.

“I’ll have my office hours and be intentional with them so that if there are concerns or if (students) have ideas, I’m able to bring that up and talk to the senate about it and find ways to support students their way,” he said. “So it's really about being intentional and being there for everyone.”

Vice President Candidates

SGA presidential candidate Alexis Reeves; Photo courtesy of Alexis Reeves

Alexis Reeves

Running for SGA vice president wasn’t part of Alexis Reeves’ plan, but now she hopes not only to win the seat, but to do so next to running mate Jason Wu Chen.

“I think if we are elected as a team, we will be able to work better together and achieve our goals, especially since (Chen) has that history in SGA,” Reeves said. “He chose me as his running mate because we have similar goals and ideals.”

The junior business management and accounting double major was first introduced to SGA through her friend, Argyros College of Business and Economics Senator, Emma Nguyen.

“I helped plan out some of her initiatives,” Reeves told The Panther. “That was my first glimpse into what SGA work looked like, and I really liked that type of advocacy work.”

She hopes to channel most of her efforts into improving sustainability on campus, not only as vice president but as a member of the sustainability committee.

An idea Reeves wants to build on is the Free Food Alert app, which was introduced by 2024-2025 SGA President Eric Hall. 

The app works with organizations and events on campus that may have excess food from meetings; instead of throwing leftovers out, the app notifies those signed up where and when the remaining food can be found.

“Even when I tell my friends I’m working to increase the usage of the Free Food (Alert) app, they’re like ‘what’s that?’” she said. “So it's not super publicized yet, and I want to make sure more clubs and staff members are trained on it so we can increase (food) giveaways and reduce the amount of food waste we have.”

No matter the impact Reeves makes, she said she wants to ensure it is noticeable to Chapman students.

“I’m really excited to help get these initiatives finished so students can see the impacts,” she said.

SGA presidential candidate Miles McAndrew; Photo courtesy of Miles McAndrew

Miles McAndrew

Supported students are successful students, according to junior finance major Miles McAndrew.

“I spend a lot of my time around students who are deeply involved in campus organizations, philanthropy and events,” McAndrew said. “My involvement has allowed me to see what engaged students need in order to succeed, whether that’s better communication, more institutional support or stronger collaboration between organizations.”

McAndrew, who is running a corresponding campaign with Maximilian Wiseman, wants to break down the barriers between SGA and the student body.

“SGA should feel like a partner to student organizations, not just an overseeing body,” McAndrew told The Panther. 

McAndrew said his experiences interacting with and being part of the groups he would represent give his campaign an advantage.

“I want to make sure those students feel supported, respected and prioritized,” he said. “I want SGA to be something students feel connected to, not separate from.”

To him, that means keeping students informed on what SGA is working towards and having an open line of communication.

“I’m not running just to hold a title,” said McAndrew. “I’m running because I genuinely care about the experience of students who are putting time and energy into this campus.”

Hit the polls, Panthers, because voting closes Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m.