Well, it’s that time of year again. Tonight through April 17th at 8:00 PM, Georgetown students will vote for next year’s GUSA Senate. There are 19 open seats with six seats open per class and one at-large seat. Seven sophomores, eight juniors, four seniors, and one at-large candidate are running to make the final cut.
The Voice spoke to this year’s candidates about their campus involvement and what they’d prioritize if elected. Here is what they had to say:
Class of 2029
Scroll horizontally to see full questionnaire. (Key: green = yes, red = no, gray = depends, blank = did not respond)
Name | Campaign Instagram (if applicable) | Returning or New Candidate? | Do you support ending legacy admissions? | Do you believe Georgetown should invest more in financial aid? | Do you support increased student conduct standards for Georgetown club leaders? | Do you think that Georgetown should maintain its DEI policies? | Do you support GUSA sponsoring student protests? | Do you think Georgetown should provide free contraceptives to students? | Do you support the creation of a new queer living learning community? |
Ayesha Murtaza | ; | New | 
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Ishaan Jordan | ; | Re-election |
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Simon Maxwell | Re-election |
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Jaxon French | New |
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Sam Baghdadchi | ; | Re-election |
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Angelina Kou | ; | Re-election |
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Iris Cho | ; | Re-election | |||||||
Dima Al-Quzwini | ; | Re-election |
Jaxon French (CAS ’29)
A new candidate, French is involved with Hoya Blue, GUCD, GSP, and Kappa Alpha Pi.
French cites dining and transportation as his top campaign priorities.
“Hoya Eats should be corrected and made more accurate, and we should put pressure on Georgetown to renegotiate the Armark contract,” French wrote to the Voice. “For transportation, GUTS buses have to run on weekends before noon to better connect us with the whole of DC.”
Ishaan Jordan (CAS ’29)
Active across campus in organizations like GUCD, GSP, and the Student Advocacy Office (SAO), Jordan has served as Senate social media co-chair and has co-sponsored bills on laundry and accessible student transportation.
If re-elected, Jordan hopes to improve housing and dining, strengthen community life, address unfair citations, and expand support for low-income and first-generation students.
Simon Maxwell (CAS ’29)
Having served as a Finance and Appropriations liaison, social media co-chair, and member of the Financial Accessibility and Equity subcommittee this past year, Maxwell is now seeking a second term.
His top priorities include better laundry and bathroom facilities, printing infrastructure, food quality, and campus cleanliness and safety. This year, he helped pass legislation requiring regular checks on washing machines and streamlining bathroom supply restocking.
Outside of GUSA, Maxwell works at the Center for Social Justice, and is a member of the Jewish Student Association, Hoya Blue, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and club frisbee.
Angelina Kuo (CAS ’29)
A returning senator, Kuo has pushed for laundry improvements, lowering housing and key replacement costs, earlier financial aid packages, and Support Sustainable Public Transportation via University (U) Pass.
This campaign cycle, she’s prioritizing “financially equitable and feasible solutions” for students which include dining changes like advocating for berries in Epi’s and Leo’s and putting printers in dorms.
Kuo is a coxswain on the women’s open weight rowing team (“go GUWRA!,” she writes) and a member of the Financial Law Association, Quant Club, and DCivitas Consulting.
Ayesha Murtaza (CAS ’29)
While Murtaza has not previously been involved in GUSA, her platform prioritizes the feedback of her class and collaborative solutions.
Murtaza calls her plan the “ACE Initiative” (Accessible housing, Clear navigation, and Eating smart).
“In the past, GUSA’s faced difficulties translating student concerns to visible change on campus,” Murtaza wrote to the Voice. “With this in mind, I will work to innovate creative solutions that directly answer the wants of students.”
Murtaza looks to offer more digitized “What’s a Hoya” housing point options, better housing information sessions, a campus-wide website directory, and fruit cups at Whisk to combat the expense of berries.
“These solutions are meant to be feasible and practical, answering the direct complaints about shortcomings on campus,” Murtaza wrote.
Dima Al-Quzwini (SFS ’29)
In her previous semester as GUSA Senator, Dima Al-Quzwini focused her efforts on lowering replacement costs for room keys, including advocating for one free replacement per year for students on financial aid and lowering the fee for all students. Al-Quzwini has also advocated for accountability after recent Islamophobic incidents involving the Georgetown University College Republicans.
“I have consistently followed up with university administration regarding issues of hate speech in the wake of the GUCR incident, pushing for accountability and stronger institutional responses,” Al-Quzwini wrote to the Voice. “I am seeking reelection to ensure this work continues and to maintain consistent, effective representation for students.”
Sam Baghdadchi (CAS ’29)
Baghdadchi currently serves on the GUSA Senate as a FinApp liaison, deliberating funds to student organizations on campus, and the Senate outreach chair, increasing GUSA’s communications with the student body. Baghdadchi has passed the most legislation among freshman senators this year, including a shower replacement bill and greater clarity on HVAC renovations. As financial accounts manager of the GUSA Diversity Fund, he helped award $30,000 in grants to diverse student organizations.
For Baghdadchi, his main priorities for next term will be finance, facilities, and dining. He hopes to continue working on the Financial Appropriations committee, while also working to create a new committee to better support the university.
“I’m working to help create a Facilities committee, where students will be able to voice their concerns and work with Georgetown admin to improve our campus, like getting new shower heads,” Baghdadchi wrote to the Voice.
Baghdadchi is also continuing to improve dining options. This term, he has worked with the dining committee to expand meal exchange options, bring orange juice to Epi’s, and improve the Grill at Leo’s.
“I’ve been able to develop relationships with Leos and Epi Staff, and look forward to continuing to improve our food quality and expand meal exchanges,” Baghdadchi wrote.
Iris Cho (SOH ’29)
In her past term as a GUSA Senator, Cho has worked as a liaison for the Performing Arts Advisory Council on GUSA’s FinApp. This term, she’s dedicated to providing equitable funding for student organizations.
“I want to keep fighting for funding that is fair, student-focused, and reflective of the communities that make Georgetown vibrant,” Cho wrote on her campaign Instagram.
Cho is also advocating for club transparency, including a clearer recruitment process and more opportunities for students to get involved.
“Getting involved at Georgetown should feel accessible, not overwhelming,” Cho wrote.
Class of 2028
Scroll horizontally to see full questionnaire. (Key: green = yes, red = no, gray = depends, blank = did not respond)
Name | Campaign Instagram (if applicable) | Returning or New Candidate? | Do you support ending legacy admissions? | Do you believe Georgetown should invest more in financial aid? | Do you support increased student conduct standards for Georgetown club leaders? | Do you think that Georgetown should maintain its DEI policies? | Do you support GUSA sponsoring student protests? | Do you think Georgetown should provide free contraceptives to students? | Do you support the creation of a new queer living learning community? |
Tyler Chase | ; | Re-election |
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Cameran P. Lane | ; | Re-election |
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Zadie Weaver | ; | Re-election |
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Roan Bedoian | ; | Re-election |
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Aqib Khan | ; | New |
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Paolo-Miguel Raymundo Reyes | ; | New |
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Roan Bedoian (CAS ’28)
Bedoian has spent the last GUSA session serving as a vice chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee, where she assisted with the planning and implementation of the Senate’s policy recommendations for the Georgetown administration such as changes to transportation, dining, and laundry.
Bedoian also founded a financial accessibility and equity subcommittee within PAC, and her campaign promises to continue this work.
“My biggest priority continues to be making Georgetown a community that supports students of all socioeconomic backgrounds,” Bedoian wrote to the Voice. “I plan to continue hosting my financial accessibility and equity committee meetings, which are open to all students.”
On campus, Bedoian also works at Vital Vittles.
Paolo-Miguel Raymundo Reyes (SFS ’28)
A first-time candidate and active club leader, Reyes wants to prioritize campus beautification, dining hall improvements, and reforming the process of new club recognition. His policies would give new organizations more power to decide what level of support they need.
“This would give lighter-touch clubs a faster path to recognition without draining resources from organizations that require more support,” he wrote to the Voice.
On campus, Reyes is involved with the Concord Group, GUEDA, the Philonomosian Society, and Asian American Student Association (AASA).
Tyler Chase (SFS ’28)
Chase has served as a GUSA senator for two years and is currently vice chair of the Financial Appropriations Committee and chair of the Dining Committee. In the latter role, he sits on the committee in charge of choosing Georgetown’s next dining provider.
As a member of FinApp, Chase wrote to the Voice that he has “worked to make the funding process more consistent, bring MSB clubs into Student Activities Fee funding, and make sure we’re using every dollar as effectively as possible.”
Chase is also on the Student Safety Advisory Board, a member of the Eating Society, GAAP’s Virginia state chair, director of training for Blue & Gray, and a rower on the men’s varsity heavyweight crew team.
Zadie Weaver (CAS ‘28)
Weaver has held multiple leadership roles, including vice speaker of the Senate, current chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee, and a representative on FinApp. She has already passed legislation for a centralized “virtual Red Square” open-access event calendar, as she wrote to the Voice.
Her priorities include stronger student-faculty connections, more scholarships for textbooks and storage, free housing for students doing summer research at Georgetown, standardized petition processes for course attributes, and one-credit professional development courses to help students with job applications.
“If Georgetown is going to continue to be a very pre-professional school, we should have policies that give students proper instruction and time to dedicate to their job-hunts,” Weaver wrote.
Weaver is also HR director of Georgetown University College Democrats (GUCD), involved in Innovo, a fellow in the Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics, leads the liberals in The Philonomosian Society, and writes opinion columns for The Hoya.
Cameran Lane (CAS ‘28)
As current Speaker of the Senate, Lane has focused on GUSA’s internal operations, reforms to the Office of Student Conduct, and extending Royal Jacket hours to seven days a week.
Laundry reform has been his priority since his initial involvement in GUSA during his freshman fall. He previously wrote and passed a bill to provide all Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) first-years with additional laundry credits. Regardless of GSP membership, Lane wrote to the Voice that he is working on solutions for all students.
“I am hopeful that the Wagner-Missaghi team with the support of the Senate will be able to push the COO’s office to make drying free for all students,” Lane wrote. “While not being free laundry across the board, this move would provide relief for students and represent the culmination of years of advocacy on the issue.”
Lane is also a member of Georgetown Scholars Program, the Community Scholars Program, Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition, and Georgetown NAACP.
Aqib Khan (SFS ‘28)
A new candidate, Khan is involved in the AASA, the Office of Muslim Life, and Georgetown Collegiate Investors.
As Khan wrote to the Voice, his campaign focuses on providing support for campus clubs by easing official club regulations.
“By reaching out directly to clubs to see how they are stifled, we can come up with more direct solutions that can facilitate more permanent growth and ensure Georgetown clubs continue to provide a positive experience for everyone,” Khan wrote.
Khan also hopes to improve how administrators gather student input for significant decisions, beginning with the upcoming dining contract renegotiations, and formalize Senate office hours so students can share concerns.
Leo Braham (SFS ’28)
Leo Braham is a sophomore in the SFS studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA). He is involved in GU Politics and Religious Life.
Braham aims to improve campus systems, making them “more transparent, more responsive, and more aligned with what students actually need,” according to the GUSA Elections Instagram.
Braham also wants to build a stronger campus community, advocating for equitable access to benefits for student groups and working with unaffiliated groups to engage more fully in the Georgetown community. Braham did not respond to the Voice’s request for comment.
Class of 2027
Scroll horizontally to see full questionnaire. (Key: green = yes, red = no, gray = depends, blank = did not respond)
Name | Campaign Instagram (if applicable) | Returning or New Candidate? | Do you support ending legacy admissions? | Do you believe Georgetown should invest more in financial aid? | Do you support increased student conduct standards for Georgetown club leaders? | Do you think that Georgetown should maintain its DEI policies? | Do you support GUSA sponsoring student protests? | Do you think Georgetown should provide free contraceptives to students? | Do you support the creation of a new queer living learning community? |
Sienna Lipton | Re-election |
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James Nichols-Worley | ; | New |
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Jacob Intrator | Re-election | ||||||||
Alessia Viscusi | New |
Sienna Lipton (CAS ’27)
Lipton has been a GUSA senator for two of her three years at Georgetown. She previously served as a vice chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee (PAC) and the Ethics and Oversight Committee.
For the upcoming semester, Lipton’s platform centers on quality-of-life improvements for the student body.
“I want to focus on dining concerns like allergen-friendly options, and facilities issues like fixing broken washers and dryers,” Lipton wrote to the Voice. “I am also excited about the idea of utilizing referendums more often to allow students to directly voice their opinions on essential issues impacting their lives.”
Outside of the Senate, Lipton hosts a radio show on WGTB and plays on Biddies, Georgetown’s frisbee B-team.
Alessia Viscusi (SFS ’27)
Viscusi is involved in GU Politics, the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs (GJIA), and Georgetown’s debating societies. She did not respond to request for comment.
“I will ensure that student activities fees are allocated responsibly and effectively to fund the clubs that keep our campus life so vibrant,” Viscusi said on the GUSA elections Instagram page. “I want to use my final year here to advocate for change that actually improves campus. Student government should be competent [and] reliable.”
James Nichols-Worley (CAS ’27)
As a rising senior running for GUSA Senate for the first time, James Nichols-Worley hopes to bring a fresh perspective.
His biggest priority is supporting clubs on campus. Currently, Nichols-Worley serves as the treasurer of the Philodemic Society and founded Georgetown Abundance, a new club dedicated to achieving economic prosperity in the world.
“I have seen the wide spectrum of bureaucracy clubs on campus deal with, and I want to work with club leaders and members to improve this process, especially New Club Development, space reservations, and club spending,” Nichols-Worley wrote to the Voice.
He also hopes GUSA can help shape thoughtful policies on AI.
Jacob Intrator (CAS ‘27)
Intrator’s experience in GUSA has been extensive, currently serving as vice speaker of the Senate and chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. He previously held roles such as outreach chair and ethics and oversight vice chair.
According to the GUSA Elections Instagram, when he is not participating in Senate meetings, Intrator enjoys playing chess, basketball, and poker. He did not respond to the Voice’s request for comment.
GUSA Senate At-Large
Scroll horizontally to see full questionnaire. (Key: green = yes, red = no, gray = depends, blank = did not respond)
Name | Campaign Instagram (if applicable) | Returning or New Candidate? | Do you support ending legacy admissions? | Do you believe Georgetown should invest more in financial aid? | Do you support increased student conduct standards for Georgetown club leaders? | Do you think that Georgetown should maintain its DEI policies? | Do you support GUSA sponsoring student protests? | Do you think Georgetown should provide free contraceptives to students? | Do you support the creation of a new queer living learning community? |
Vincent Barahona | New |
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Vincent Barahona (MSB/SFS ’27)
A new candidate, Barahona serves as president of the Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition and co-founder of Georgetown’s Kappa Alpha Pi chapter. Barahona is also involved in The Philonomosian Society, Georgetown Small Business Corps, and GU Eating Society.
Barahona wrote to the Voice that he believes that current CSE regulations “fundamentally holds back the potential of student life at Georgetown to include voices from all corners of Campus life.” If elected, he aims to increase potential for club collaboration across campus.
“Current rules make collaboration between student organizations unnecessarily difficult, particularly when working between ATB and Non-ATB groups,” Barahona wrote. “I will push to ease these restrictions, and open more pathways for collaboration so that student leaders can more easily co-sponsor events, pool resources, and build partnerships.”
