The results of the hotly contested Fall 2024 first-year class council election were released on Friday, Oct. 4, and five members of the Great Class of 2028 have been elected by their peers to the positions of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) class councilors: Misimi Sanni ’28, Serena Zhang ’28, Siam Hossain ’28, Sarah Kwon ’28, and Isaac Bernstein ’28. 27 candidates sought the position, eclipsing last year’s field of 23 candidates.
The Daily Princetonian sat down with Sanni, Zhang, Kwon, and Bernstein to discuss together their respective campaigns and intentions for their roles. Hossain was unable to attend the interview because of a scheduling constraint, but provided written responses to the ‘Prince.’
Sanni received the highest number of votes, 294, followed by Zhang, who received 290 votes. Hossain received 253 votes, followed by Kwon and Bernstein who both received 246 votes. Amrit Vignesh ’28 obtained the next highest vote total with 242 votes, falling five votes short of a top five finish in the election.
The new class councilors provided insights into their motivations for seeking the councilor position. Kwon alluded to the fact that her interactions with the Princeton community during the Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) program, the orientation period, and the first few weeks of classes gave her additional enthusiasm to run for class councilor.
“To think that I could represent so many people who I look up to was something that was my biggest motivation. That didn’t only include [first-years]. My RCA was a huge help in motivating me to run for class council,” she said.
In a written statement, Hossain highlighted how his “motivation was to take on a role where I can plan exciting activities for my class and build more friendships with my peers.”
Bernstein recalled his lifelong desire to help others and be at the forefront of caring communities.
“I saw it as an opportunity to really make a difference,” he said.
Bernstein is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Sanni’s response focused on her aspiration to ensure that her peers find the Princeton experience to be a memorable one. She remarked that “at the end of the year, you don’t really remember your bad midterms or other experiences like that — it’s the events where you’re able to meet new people and get closer to your friends.”
In an effort to distinguish themselves within a field of 27 first-years, the councilors deployed a range of campaign strategies.
Social media played a crucial role in the race, with Kwon and Zhang paying for Instagram’s advertising feature — a method which does not break campaign rules, as long as candidates do not exceed the $50 expenditure allowance set in the USG Elections Handbook. USG gives each candidate $50 to spend on the campaign, and they must turn in receipts as proof of how that money was spent. Kwon and Zhang both said they believe that this spending limit was a great financial equalizer, making the campaign accessible to all candidates.
Kwon used $30 to boost one of her Instagram posts.
“Surprisingly, it received a lot of engagement,” she said. “It got around 20,000 non-followers to go onto my profile.”
Similarly, Zhang spent $7 on social media advertising and created a separate account for her campaign. She revealed that the account “gained 400 followers in a week and 44,000 views, with two-thirds from non-followers.”
Not all of the candidates spent money on Instagram ads. Bernstein, who chose not to do so, said, “the connection [he] made with people at social events, when we exchanged Instagram account details, or over the summer, was [his] kind of approach.”
Both Kwon and Sanni’s campaign Instagram posts were reposted by Barstool Princeton on Instagram. Kwon said that she did not request that they repost, while Sanni said that she asked Barstool to repost hers.
Candidates used a wide range of other campaigning methods. For example, Zhang handmade 100 campaign buttons with her name. She said that she “honestly didn’t go into it with a very calculated plan,” but that she nevertheless tried to project the same level of energy on the campaign that she would show on the council.
Sanni hosted a Q&A session at Frist Campus Center.
“I knew that it would be impossible for me to meet everyone by the time that voting started, so I thought [that] by them seeing a friendly face around campus, that would help,” she said. “It also helps later on when I’m able to talk to people, because it does increase that sense of familiarity with the voters.”
The focus for all the councilors has now turned towards their agenda for the remainder of the academic year.
An integral part of Kwon’s philosophy, she said, is being able to appreciate the diversity on campus. She told the ‘Prince’ she wants to be “be able to collaborate with a lot of the different spaces that people have taken up, whether it’s collaborating with different clubs, different branches of USG, the Mental Health Committee, or the social committee.”
Kwon and Bernstein both noted feedback as an area of focus. Kwon stated that she wants a student advisory committee where members of the Class of 2028 are able to sit in on class council meetings and give feedback on recent events.
Zhang emphasized a wish for greater class unity.
“It could be an ice cream social type thing,” she stated, also emphasizing inter-residential college competition activities to develop college spirit.
Sanni, like Kwon, sits on the USG Social Committee and would like to possibly see “themed sports games” as well as networking opportunities for the Class of 2028. She noted the difficulties first-years faced at the career fair last month, and said she wants to provide more career-related social opportunities for her peers.
On his plans for the semester and beyond, Hossain focused on event organization.
“I definitely want to do something Harry Potter-themed for Halloween. In the long run, I plan to remain adaptable and seek feedback from the class about the events they would like to see,” he wrote.
Bernstein said his main priorities include supplying merchandise, working with people, and fostering alumni connections through events. When asked about personal plans, he emphasized the importance of collective goals for the council.
“We all have our own individual ideas, but at the end of the day, we have five people that successfully ran a campaign, that have strong initiative and drive, and that’s why I’m honored to be here and work with people to come up with new ideas,” he concluded.
Andrew Arthur is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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