Presidential Candidates

Alex Kruse ’26

Hi Bears! My name is Alex Kruse, and I am running for Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) president. You may recognize me from my involvement in BSG, leading the American Sign Language Club or helping you find your lost Airpod at the Smith Union Info Desk. I have been an active member of BSG since my first year at Bowdoin and was the chair of Student Organizations in 2023-2024. In that role, I accomplished many goals that students were asking for. I successfully advocated for extending Thanksgiving break by conducting a school-wide survey, spreading posters and writing and delivering letters to faculty. I also created a club wall to showcase over a hundred clubs at Bowdoin (now on display in Smith Union!) and planned events for club leaders to celebrate their hard work and brainstorm new events. If elected as President, here are my main goals:

Allocate specific funding in the Treasury Funding Commision (TFC) budget for large affinity group events such as Ebony Ball and Diwali and encourage more events to connect us across gender, sexuality and ethnicity.

Amplify the student voice to administration, rather than the other way around.

Emphasize the leadership and funding opportunities that BSG can provide for students.

Provide laundry sheets to students, which are environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

Limit the BSG bureaucracy that can slow progress or get in our own way.

Thank you for reading about my plans for BSG next year! Feel free to reach out at akruse@bowdoin.edu if you have any questions or suggestions!

Maxwell Payne ’26

Hi everyone!

My name is Maxwell Payne, and I’m running for BSG president. I’ve served as class treasurer and chair of the Treasury, working to improve student funding and campus initiatives. This year, I helped organize break transportation, revise BSG’s Constitution and amend Student Activities Funding Committee (SAFC) guidelines to more equitably allocate funding for student groups.

As BSG president, these will be my goals:

Ensure BSG’s free laundry sheets program is brought back and made permanent. This essential service was too expensive for this year’s budget, but I will bring it back and lay the groundwork for future BSGs to maintain it effortlessly.

Expand free break transportation to better serve students traveling to and from Portland Jetport. While we provided free transportation to hundreds of Bowdoin students across two breaks this year, this is not enough. I know what worked, what didn’t and how to expand it to help more students over more breaks.

Reorient BSG to better advocate for the opinions and ideas of all students. BSG’s greatest power is advocating for student needs, but students often feel that BSG doesn’t speak for them or simply doesn’t care about what they want. This feeling must change. To fix this, I would work to increase BSG’s presence on campus and make sure that every student feels free to reach out to their representatives individually. I will start now. Send me an email at mpayne@bowdoin.edu, or stop me in person to tell me your thoughts or concerns.

Please come to me with your thoughts and ideas for BSG. We exist solely to serve you.

I hope that I can earn your vote,

Maxwell Payne

Vice Presidential Candidates

Harper Stevenson ’27

Hi Bears! My name is Harper Stevenson, and I have loved serving as the head of Student Affairs this past year. Outside of student government, I am a member of the swim team, a Visual Arts/ES major and a lover of the outdoors. I am running to serve as vice president next year, because I believe I can accomplish even more on your behalf in that role.

I have served on the student government since my first year, where I helped initiate the change to a week-long Thanksgiving break, contributed to the website redesign and forged strong relationships with advisors and deans. This year, as a member of the Executive Board, I helped to set the BSG agenda. We introduced the first iteration of a free airport shuttle service, passed a new constitution and laid the groundwork to introduce free laundry detergent for all students. As a committee leader, I organized Cold @ Coe, I am spearheading Ivies planning logistics and I regularly meet with students and administrators to maintain an active pulse on campus life.

If you elect me as your VP, I have big plans for how I can continue to improve student life. Here are my priorities:

Expand free break shuttle to transport more students to Portland Jetport, offer return-travel options and work with the College to make this a permanent service.

Implement free laundry detergent as a permanent system where Housekeeping refills when supplies run out.

Increase BSG transparency and communicate agenda with open office hours, increased social media presence and encouragement of a public forum at meetings.

Advocate for a larger student clubs budget without increasing tuition price.

I am confident I can deliver on these fronts. Thank you for your consideration and participation in this election!

Chair of the Treasurer Candidates

Chase Lenk ’26

The Student Activities Funding Committee (SAFC), now known as the Treasury Funding Commission (TFC), is at a critical juncture worthy of a name change. My BSG experience has prepared me to tackle the challenges the TFC faces next year as chair of the Treasury. My name is Chase, and I would be ecstatic to take on this pivotal role supporting our vibrant student organizations!

I have served the student body every semester on campus, sitting as Class of 2026 president, programming director, member of the BSG Academic Affairs Committee, student rep on faculty committees and now as Class of 2026 Treasurer on the SAFC/TFC. In each position, I have advanced key initiatives, given voice to the student body and orchestrated numerous events.

Recovering from the pandemic at breakneck pace, the student body has shown extraordinary dynamism in founding new clubs and expanding already popular ones. Equitably distributing the same amount of money among rapidly growing club activities this year forced the SAFC/TFC to make difficult choices, and transparency suffered as a result. As Chair of the SAFC/TFC, my priorities would be the following:

Increase transparency and consistency by publishing more information about what has caused prior budgets to be denied and continuing SAFC office hours.

Streamline and clarify the process for allocating SAFC/TFC’s final funds in late spring.

Expand analysis of SAFC/TFC data to inform allocation decisions and guideline amendments by identifying inequities.

Repeat the process of gathering suggestions for guideline amendments.

Increase consistency by providing decision emails within two days of a meeting!

Jason Sherrick ’28

Hello! My name is Jason Sherrick, and I currently serve as the first-year class treasurer on BSG’s Student Activities Funding Committee (Treasury). Outside of student government, I’m involved in Mock Trial and the Harpoon, and I’m a big Mets (MLB) and Giants (NFL) fan.

Serving as treasurer this year has been an incredible experience. I’ve loved helping student groups secure funding for events, equipment, travel and snacks, as well as supporting great community gatherings like Night in Asia, Ebony Ball and Ivies. However, my experience has also shown me areas where the Treasury can improve.

As some of you may know, the Treasury ran out of money in late February. This left many student groups without funding for the rest of the year. Additionally, a lack of transparency has made it confusing and difficult for students to receive funding.

I am committed to making the Treasury more responsible, transparent and fair. If elected Treasury Chair, I will:

Implement a sustainable, per-month funding structure to ensure we don’t run out of money before the year ends.

Hold weekly office hours to assist student groups through the funding process and help them get the resources they need.

Ensure fair and equitable fund distribution, recognizing the value of all student groups in our campus community.

Thank you for taking the time to read about me and my plans for next year. Feel free to email me at jsherrick@bowdoin.edu or text 203-293-3567 if you have any questions.

Charterer Candidates

Tyler McGrath ’28

Hi Bears! My name is Tyler McGrath, and I am running to become your Student Government Charterer! I would be honored to hold this position because student organizations have been so influential in my life, and I want to help this community grow and prosper by making it as welcoming, inclusive and rewarding as possible.

In high school, I was an active member in student government, serving as student body treasurer, and I also worked with some of my friends to start my school’s Model UN, where I gained a lot of experience growing a club, managing meetings and organizing for conferences.

This past year, I have served on the Treasury Chartering Commission, where I have been fortunate enough to meet with many amazing students and help them navigate starting new clubs and organizations. I’m also an officer of the Bowdoin Environmental Action Team, an analyst in the Polar Investment Club and a member of Quiz Bowl, so I have some experience being active in student organizations here at Bowdoin as well.

I believe that student organizations and clubs are the heart of student life on campus, and, as charterer, I want to cultivate this community by helping students start new clubs and organizations, assisting new leaders in managing and growing their organizations, being a resource for current leaders and strengthening students’ connection and membership with clubs and organizations.

I appreciate and thank you for your consideration!

These statements were provided by BSG President Eisa Rafat ’25 to the Orient for publication. All statements are the intellectual property of the person indicated above.

Chase Lenk ’26 is a member of the Bowdoin Orient.