By Rhea Choudhary | Staff Writer
Spring brought change for Baylor Student Government. The April election results are finalized, ushering in new leadership, constitutional amendments and clarification on long-standing governance procedures outlined in the Senate bylaws.
The election resulted in DeRidder, La., junior Ashlyn Graves’ selection as the next student body president with 1,287 votes, defeating Erie, Colo., junior Lauren Adams’ 788 votes. For internal vice president, Argyle senior Chandler Johnson won with 1,183 votes over China Spring senior Caleb Brown’s 643 votes, along with Parker junior Lucy Dennis securing the role of external vice president with 1,855 votes. Additionally, 10 senior senators, 13 junior senators and 13 sophomore senators were elected.
As she prepares to be promoted to student body president’s office, Graves said her focus is on initiatives that strengthen student life and campus connections.
“I’m most excited to build on initiatives that directly impact students’ daily experience, like improving game day engagement, strengthening campus traditions and creating more opportunities for students to connect and feel a sense of belonging,” Graves said. “I’m also looking forward to working with the administration to advocate for practical changes like meal plan flexibility and academic support. More than any single project, I’m excited to listen to students and help turn their ideas into real, lasting improvements.”
For the Class of 2026 permanent class officers, current Student Body President and Pflugerville senior Landon Self was elected permanent class president with 221 votes, and Mena, Ark., senior Annika Thompson will serve as permanent class secretary and treasurer after her 306-vote win.
Student government elections, governed by the electoral commission stated in the Student Body Constitution, are the primary mechanism by which students select representatives to serve in the legislative and executive branches.
The election came alongside a few notable legislation updates as well, including “Classified Forever,” which was passed March 26. This legislation revises the structure for electing permanent class officers. According to Self, the amendments were primarily intended to formalize practices that were already followed informally.
“Prior to the amendments, the junior class would elect a permanent class president upon graduation,” Self said. “In practice, we’ve been electing seniors when they graduate to serve in that role. The purpose of this legislation was to clarify what we’ve already been doing.”
Under the updated constitutional language, graduating classes, disregarding juniors graduating early, will continue electing their permanent class president, secretary and treasurer, relating the official policy with historical precedent, as outlined in Student Senate documentation. The amendments also reaffirm the roles of permanent class officers as members of the student body president’s cabinet and clarify the electoral eligibility requirements, specifically for graduating students.
The legislation passed through the Senate before being presented to the student body for approval, and Self said approximately 500 students participated in the vote approving the amendments.
Beyond the class officer revisions, the Senate also passed additional initiatives, including a Moody Wi-Fi bill, which would place additional Wi-Fi routers to improve internet speeds and infrastructure within Moody Memorial Library. Self described the effort as the result of extended collaboration among senators and campus partners.
“This is something that had been in the works for a long time, and I’m very proud of the senators for their hard work,” Self said.
The legislative updates come at a time when student government also prepares to face wider institutional challenges, including anticipated budget reductions across student-facing divisions. Self emphasized that leadership is focused on minimizing impacts on student resources, particularly the Student Government Allocation Fund.
“I’m working to advocate for the Student Government Allocation Fund and make the impact on it as minimal as possible,” Self said.
