New major student organization presidents discuss positions

Anna Giubileo, Staff Reporter

Spring elections have come and gone on Case Western Reserve University’s campus and the next generation of major student organization leaders have been announced. Next year, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) will be led by current third-year Marin Exler, a political science and Spanish double major. Second-year finance major Douglas Spizarny is the upcoming president for the Residence Hall Association (RHA). The University Program Board (UPB) elected third-year chemical engineering major Atirola Omilabu and the Class Officer Collective (COC) will be headed by third-year finance and economics double major Ethan Glickstein.

All incoming presidents have been involved in their respective organizations since their first year on campus, advancing over the years from entry-level positions to executive positions, before now finding themselves as the head of the organizations.

While they are all still involved in other on-campus organizations, ranging from greek life to major specific organizations, much of their time has been devoted to their specific student organization.

“Yeah, RHA takes up the majority of my time, but I love it, I don’t mind it,” said Spizarny.

Each student shared some of their thoughts on what next year is going to look like.

“I am so grateful to be a part of such an enthusiastic group of people, and I hope to keep that momentum going,” said Exler, when asked what she was most excited about for the upcoming year.

Exler was inspired to run for president by the disconnect and misunderstanding between USG and other student organizations, mainly involving miscommunication and overlapping initiatives. She hopes to increase communication between organizations and committees so as to work together on shared interests, rather than on individual ones.

When asked why he decided to run for RHA president, Spizarny responded, “I really like the values of RHA, and believe they stand for really good things. I think they could do a lot for campus, and wanted to restructure the organization so it lines up with those values in the most effective way.”

He shared that one of his major goals for the upcoming year is to work on budgeting, and that he has already begun working with an advising committee to improve and clarify the process in regards to how different parts of the organization handle the budget.

Additionally, Spizarny mentioned that he met some of his best friends through the organization, and one of the things he is most excited about as president is getting to meet everyone involved in the individual councils.

Omilabu shared what her top goal for the upcoming year is: “There is a lot of over-programming on campus, and I want UPB’s events to be distinguishable by working on developing a brand to better stand out.”

She spoke of how her time in UPB has allowed her to hone her personal skills and come out of her shell. ”If you know me now, it’s shocking I was ever shy,” laughed Omilabu.

While she did not want to ruin the surprise of some of the events the organization already has in the works for the upcoming year, Omilabu did mention that they created a new committee for campus engagement and is excited to see how that grows and integrates into UPB as it exists now.

Glickstein said that he ran for presidency in COC so that campus unification can be thoughtful and tailored to the specific culture of the student body.

“My top goal for next year is to host a new tradition where over 50 percent of the student body attends. We can’t even get that many students to class, so if we hit that number I would be happy,” joked Glickstein.

He too expressed a similar interest to Exler in working more with organizations and removing the disconnect between them.

“I want to see the continuation of the passion I see on campus to make CWRU a better place.”

All of the upcoming presidents invited students who are interested in getting more involved on campus to join their organizations. “The best way to learn about the organization and get your voice heard is to join,” said Spizarny.

“Explore your own passions and ensure you are living your most purposeful and vibrant life,” expanded Exler.

Though it will be a lot of work, they are all excited about the possibilities their positions offer them.