Candidates for Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) executive called for a closer relationship between student government and the student body and proposed plans to improve student life on campus at a Nov. 4 town hall.
The town hall, moderated by members of The Hoya and organized with the GUSA election commission, featured candidate Ethan Henshaw (CAS ’26) and his running mate Darius Wagner (CAS ’27) and candidate Allie Sanchez (MSB ’26) and her running mate Paul Sperber (CAS ’26).
Discussing what the GUSA executive should do, Sanchez said the position should connect students and the administration to improve campus life.
“The GUSA executive is the bridge between the senators and the rest of the student body to be able to make changes directly to the administration,” Sanchez said at the town hall. “And I think we’re really fit for this role because we kind of hit a demographic that isn’t necessarily served by the current GUSA. So I think we just kind of hit a broader range of students to be able to communicate those types of needs that are maybe being missed right now.”
Henshaw said GUSA has a key role in advocating student interests to the administration, frequently meeting with university officials.
“The role of GUSA is definitely connecting students to the administration, connecting the senate to the administration, and really being able to advocate for students and advocate what students want to the administration or make positive change on campus,” Henshaw said at the town hall. “I mean, you’re having meetings with basically every administrator week in and week out, you know, maybe 20 to 30 hours a week.”
When asked about GUSA’s relationship with students, Sperber acknowledged the organization’s disconnect from the student body, arguing that his outsider perspective would help bring fresh energy and transparency to student government.
“A lot of people really just don’t know what GUSA does, and they also just don’t know what GUSA has done for them in the past,” Sperber said at the town hall. “GUSA has been able to do some very incredible things, and it’s also students’ primary venue for actually making a change on campus. And students are honestly not interested, whether they don’t like GUSA, whether it’s intimidating, students really don’t want to be involved.”
“Allie and I, as outsiders, bring you fresh perspectives, we feel we can engage more people and kind of shake things up,” Sperber added.
Wagner said getting more students involved in the executive departments can improve communication.
“I truly believe that, you know, because of the lack of communication, because of lack of outreach and bringing in other people, there has been a disconnect about really what GUSA can do and its power,” Wagner said at the town hall. “And so I fundamentally believe that one way we can go about this is ensuring that we’re bringing more talent and that students have trust again. We want to be back to the student body.”
Henshaw said communication with the student body can increase engagement, pointing to the GUSA biweekly email and GUSA website as ways to improve GUSA’s connection to the student body.
“We’ve already been talking to people who have been involved with communications or building websites,” Henshaw said. “So we’re working, hoping to boost that email. If we win, there’s a website that has been updated for everyone.”
Sanchez directly responded, saying media outreach does not address the underlying skepticism students have towards GUSA.
“I think the fundamental thing that you’re kind of missing here is that there is such a disconnect between people,” Sanchez said. “And you can be posting more things and fixing the website and all that, but it is a problem that’s deeper than that.”
“People are so disengaged with the student government that we need to bring in this new energy and kind of change the whole thing to be able to actually make a difference with things like publicity,” Sanchez added.
Regarding the nonbinding nature of GUSA Senate resolutions, Sanchez emphasized that practical, achievable proposals are more likely to gain administrative support and implementation.
“I think the most important thing here is kind of having a realistic list of policies and when you start with being real with the administration and the rest of the student body, you’re able to actually get things done,” Sanchez said. “For example, if you’re bringing things that are just outside of the realm of student government and not really relevant to what GUSA is supposed to be doing, that can kind of be seen by the administration as a joke and that you’re not. Actually we are able to make those changes.”
Responding to questions about their proposed campus swings initiative, Wagner explained that the amenity aligns with the Henshaw-Wagner platform’s broader goal of expanding stress-relief opportunities for students.
“What it does is it gives students more opportunity to have more leisure-like activities,” Wagner said. “And, you know, and on campus where we’re all so often lost and, getting to class to class, networking and doing all of these other things, we need more leisurely activities.”
“We need more spaces where students can sit down, relax and have fun. I mean, isn’t that why we’re talking about GUSA in the way we are?” Wagner added.
During the closing public comment session, Sanchez addressed allegations that she entered the race to avoid writing a 20-page paper for her “Campaigns and Elections” course, asserting that she is running to make GUSA better while working with her class to run.
“And I am running not for my school project but my class is helping me run as my campaign team, as I am sure they also have a large campaign team that’s helping them out,” Sanchez said. “I don’t see why that’s kind of seen as a bad thing but it just shows that unlike anyone else, clearly I’ve been able to put myself out there to actually make a change for Georgetown.”
Voting opened 8 p.m. Nov. 5 and closed 8 p.m. Nov. 7. All voting is ranked-choice.
Nora Toscano and Ruth Abramovitz contributed to reporting.