Meet the Candidates for 2025-2026 Student Government Election 

Although the school year is coming to an end, election season for the Student Government of Loyola Chicago is just beginning. 

The Phoenix sat down with the candidates for president, vice president and chief justice to discuss their campaigns and goals, if elected.

Voting will open March 28 at 9 a.m., and students can expect to receive an electronic ballot in their school email. The voting period ends April 7 at 5 p.m.

Erin Tylutki and Haaziya Saiyed for President and Vice President

Currently serving as SGLC’s vice president, Erin Tylutki is now contending for the presidential role, with current Speaker of the Senate Haaziya Saiyed at her side. 

Both third-year political science majors, Tylutki and Saiyed have structured their campaign around the acronym ENGAGE — Equity, Network, Go Green, Accessibility, Graduate and Experience. Each letter is defined on the campaign’s Instagram page.

Goals associated with ENGAGE include continuing to pursue 2021’s Anti-War Initiative, expanding recycling in dorms and making sure university infrastructure is accessible for all.

Tylutki also said she intends to reform the student protest policy in the Community Standards by removing the time and location restrictions.

Between them, Tylutki and Saiyed share six years of experience in SGLC. Both began their careers as first-year senators. Tylutki has chaired the budget committee and served as SGLC’s campus life and operations committee chair and vice president, and Saiyed has served as the chair of the sustainability committee and speaker of the senate.

“When you have the experience we do, when you know exactly what to do right from the get-go, right from inauguration day, you have the ability to be more expansive and to get a lot more done,” Tylutki said.

Ronan Valera and Areej Khan for President and Vice President

Ronan Valera and Areej Khan are running on the three pillars of education, wellness and unity, as well as advocating for an open-door policy for contacting SGLC — both open-inbox and open-DM. 

“I love to say, ‘It’s a great day to be a Rambler,’” Valera said. “And so we’re gonna make sure that everyone feels that way — that they’re proud to come to our campus, that they’re proud to call themselves a Rambler, be proud after graduation, because we’re a great institution.”

Regarding unity, a major policy point for Valera and Khan is the goal of appointing representatives from the Quinlan School of Business, the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the School of Education to serve in the SGLC cabinet.

Khan said she’s currently working on the Senate Transparency Education and Preparedness Act, which will publicize SGLC’s archives in a push for transparency. She also said she’s in the process of drafting reform for the student protest policy, to extend protesting hours and reduce the request to protest from 72 hours in advance to 48.

As the inaugural Chief Academic Affairs Officer, Valera said he’s well-attuned to campus life, having helped Kapwa, Loyola’s Filipino student organization, in their push to implement Tagalog in Loyola classrooms.

Whatever the election outcome, Valera said he and Khan remain committed to advocating for the student body.

“We know that regardless of title, regardless of position, Areej and I are still going to fight for students and their rights on campus and off campus,” Valera said.

Matthew Erlec and Cameron Wright for President and Vice President

First-years Matthew Erlec and Cameron Wright’s campaign runs on the philosophy of “independent minds and united voices for an innovative and accountable Loyola.”

Running on a platform of transparency, Erlec said he plans to publicize SGLC meetings and legislation, as well as fight for fiscal breakdowns at the end of each semester to better track where student activity fees are being spent. 

Erlec and Wright are also pushing to create a program created in collaboration with Vice President of the Division of Student Development Keith Champagne and Director of the Center for Black Student Excellence Cory Barnes. 

Wright referred to the program as “a one-stop shop and center for unity.” The initiative would identify marginalized groups and give them their own sectors and departments within Loyola to ensure representation, according to Wright. 

Wright also said their campaign aims to re-implement a 24/7 Information Commons and return ice cream to the dining halls.

Erlec was impeached from the SGLC Senate last semester due to allegations of discriminatory remarks about Islam. The Articles of Impeachment quoted Erlec as saying Islam was “based on violence” and that “Muhammad was a pedophile and a rapist.” The articles stated Erlec violated SGLC’s Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Statement as well as SGLC officers’ ethical responsibility.

An investigation through the Office for Equity and Compliance found Erlec not responsible for the allegations of discriminatory harassment, according to the Feb. 18 Senate Minutes document obtained by The Phoenix.

Erlec said the impeachment came as a result of a “misportrayed” conversation that inaccurately characterized him. 

Lindsey Elliott for Chief Justice

Lindsey Elliott, a third-year political science student and incumbent for the chief justice role, is leading a campaign centered around “kindness is key” — a phrase she said is especially important when it comes to the chief justice’s roles of overseeing the censure process, as it can be especially intimidating for new members.

“I feel like I do a good job of being like, ‘Hey, it’s not the end of the world — nothing to be scared of,’” Elliott said. “Kindness goes a long way”

Elliott said in her next term, she intends to refine SGLC’s Articles of Governance, which she said currently suffer from “holes” and vague processes. 

In collaboration with Khan, Elliott has also been working on the STEP Act, aiming to clarify SGLC procedures and publicize archives.

“I found that I’ve been a good support system for senators to kind of bounce ideas back and forth and craft legislation and come up with ideas,” Elliott said. “So I figured why not finish my last year at Loyola strong and keep doing that.”

Though running unopposed, Elliott said she still wants to be the chief justice the student body chooses.

List of Senatorial Candidates:

All candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Each office holds seven available positions. 

Fourth-year senator candidates include Falak Choudry, Idoete Obot and Hanadie Tulemat.

For the office of third-year senators, candidates include Nawaal Butt, Boas Gelfand, Grace Gutierrez, Parker Morgan and Stefan Tomovic.

Candidates for the office of second-year senators include Iman Akbar, Saskia Jean, Vedika Kumar, Jenin Abdul Razzak and Avery Smith.

At-large senator candidates include Evie Abderrazza, Fiona Andrienko, Benjamin Braun and Tricia Donohue.

However, the list of Senatorial candidates is subject to change before voting opens, as candidates may be disqualified in the case of noncompliance with election rules and procedures, Khalid Hamdan, Chairperson of the SGLC Spring 2025 Elections Board, wrote in an email to The Phoenix.
Questions or concerns relating to SGLC elections can be directed to [email protected].