Shihab Moral

On Tuesday, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) announced the results of its first round of elections. Aidan Aybar ’28 was elected president with 54.05 percent of the vote and Andy Mugisha ’28 won the vice presidency in an uncontested race. Additionally, Will Minor ’27 was elected chair of the treasury with 53.07 percent of the vote and Mellanie Salazar Carlos ’29 won the election for charterer in an uncontested race.

The election sharpened a decline in voter turnout that has developed over the past several years. 309 ballots were cast, a little more than half of the 559 votes cast last year. Turnout was as high as 849 in 2023 and reached over half the student body prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shihab Moral

Aybar, who is the first rising junior to be elected president in at least a decade, reflected on his excitement for the role.

“Being on the executive team for BSG this year has been super informative and helpful, and I’ve gotten to work with some really fantastic leaders,” Aybar said. “I think I do have a good sense of what strong leadership in BSG looks like, and some ideas about things we can change to try to continue strengthening the group and moving us forward.”

A student-athlete on the baseball team, a member of the Office of Residential Life (ResLife), a tour guide and the current chair of the BSG Student Affairs Committee, Aybar is eager to serve as a bridge between various corners of campus.

“Being on ResLife and getting that angle, and being involved with athletics and understanding that perspective, especially [from] a group that I think may be less naturally inclined to engage with BSG and our programming, [I am] thinking about how we can really bring our community together and do the most as BSG. I feel like I’m in a good position to do that, and I’m excited,” Aybar said.

Aybar noted the decline in voter turnout but said that his outlook as president remains unchanged.

“I’ve been wondering why it is that low and if that’s something we should be concerned about as BSG, and I think what I’ve been coming to is that our most important job is to to do meaningful work, to support students, and whether or not it’s 300 kids voting or 800 kids voting, if we’re accomplishing that goal, I’m not too worried about the voter turnout. So it really comes down to: What do we do the next year to make sure that we’re supporting students?” Aybar said.

One of Aybar’s priorities is improving sleep health for students, an issue he says affects all parts of campus and significantly impacts student wellbeing.

“Bowdoin is filled with people who are engaged and care about the stuff they’re doing, whether it’s sports or in the classroom or whatever other extracurricular it might be. My goal for Bowdoin is for it to be a place that really empowers students to have a strong relationship with sleep,” Aybar said.

Mugisha also emphasized the importance of community engagement across campus. He explained how his previous experience as first-year class president on BSG shaped his approach to relationship building.

“At the end of the day, we are a team, and the way we show up in front of students is very important,” Mugisha said. “Really knowing how we can communicate effectively, not only within our own [executive] board, but also going out to the students is going to be really important.”

Building on his involvement with the Africa Alliance, Mugisha also hopes for BSG to uplift the voices of underrepresented students.

“Being part of an affinity group has brought me a lot of joy, because I feel like I’m part of a community at Bowdoin, and I want to merge those two,” Mugisha said. “Even though we are underrepresented on campus, we can still get our voices heard, because our concerns are the concerns of the student body as a whole.”

Aybar also highlighted the importance of listening in his approach to leadership.

“A lot of leadership comes from listening, and it comes from listening to the excellent leaders who are going to be around me, listening to the members of the student body who are expressing what they want and need and feel,” Aybar said. “It comes from listening to administrators and being flexible and open to new ideas, and while having that humility, being flexible and open, also having conviction and having the courage to do things and say things that aren’t what everyone’s doing or saying.”

Current BSG President Alex Kruse ’26 expressed her belief in the newly elected leadership’s ability to advocate for students.

“I think BSG is in a really unique position … to advocate, and I think that we did a good job of trying to make that happen. I do hope that they continue that and continue bringing people into BSG,” Kruse said.

This week, BSG will conclude its election cycle, choosing the remaining executive board positions and class councils.