After weeks of anticipation, the results from the Student Government Association election for the 2023-24 academic year were made public last week, with sophomore Charlize Silvestrino elected as executive president of the student body, having run on a platform centered on inclusivity. 

Silvestrino garnered 129 votes to beat out first-year visual and media arts major Nandan Nair, who received 121. Sam Osmon collected 17 votes, and 10 ballots were cast for “write-ins.” Silvestrino, the current sophomore visual media arts department co-senator, will succeed incumbent executive president and senior data science and economics major Pranit Chand.

First-year interdisciplinary major Juwaria Jama will serve as executive vice president, succeeding senior visual media arts major Neiko Pittman, having collected 133 votes to beat out junior writing, literature, and publishing major Arienne Dinh by 11.

“I’m really excited,” Jama said in an interview with the Beacon. “After working as Neiko [Pittman’s] assistant, I feel like he set me up really well and got me prepared for all the responsibilities. I’m excited to do some projects and bring the community together.”

Rounding off the Internal Affairs board, Nair will serve as executive treasurer—a position left vacant by senior theater design and technology major Juanma Suaréz Teissonniere. Nair received 249 votes for the position and ran unopposed.

“One of my big things is making it so that the Emerson student body feels more connected to the student government and they feel like they’re better represented,” Nair said of his major goals for treasury. 

Nair previously vied for the executive president and treasurer position, ultimately losing to his peer Silvestrino. 

“I’m happy for Charlize,” Nair said of Silvestrion’s presidential victory. “She’s more than competent as a candidate. I’m really excited to be able to work with her this year on the executive board.”

Silvestrino did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several students will represent the Academic Senate in the multiple academic departments. Sophomore business of creative enterprises major Cameron McLean,  sophomore interdisciplinary major Fiona Brown, first-year political communications major Monica Rivera Sosa, sophomore VMA major Sadie Swayze, and junior writing, literature, and publishing major Nina Powers will each serve as senators for their respective majors. First-year media arts production major Martin Tran will serve as the honors program senator. 

McLean and Swayze were reelected to their respective positions for the next academic year. Brown was promoted to IDS senator from deputy IDS senator, but next year will be Sosa’s, Powers’, and Tran’s first appointment to the academic senate. Several of the programs’ senator positions will be vacant.

Next year’s class councils will also look a little different. The class of 2024 reelected junior political communications major Clarisa Carrillo as president and junior acting BFA major Joseph Nalieth as vice president. Sophomore political communications major Peyton Benbow came on as treasurer, and junior VMA major Reagan Finch as secretary. 

Sophomore WLP major Sofia Attaway and sophomore VMA major Heidi Garmise were reelected to the 2025 class council presidency, alongside sophomore VMA major Basil Iacampo as vice president. Punchhi Pandit, a sophomore earning a theater BFA, will serve as the council’s treasurer, replacing Benbow.

First-year BCE and theater education major Lauren Wiedenmann was newly elected as president of the class of 2026 council, replacing incumbent first-year political communications major Angus Abercrombie. First-year VMA major Ruhan Arora was elected to the vice presidency to succeed first-year theater and performance major Holly Hessner. First-year political communication major Oliver Katz and first-year comedic arts major Hannah Waldron will serve as treasurer and secretary, respectively.

“We all have our own ideas, we all have exciting topics of things we want to discuss and work together on,” Nair said. “I’m excited to see what the future holds. I think we can do some great things.”