Student Senate voter’s guide 2023
In anticipation of the upcoming Student Senate election, The New Political asked all candidates running for president, vice president or treasurer to answer a few questions about themselves, their campaigns and their hopes for Senate.
All candidates, with the exception of presidential candidate Trinity Robinson and treasurer candidate Arthur Bargainer, gave responses to the questions. However, information from Robinson’s and Bargainer’s campaign website and accounts have been included in this voter’s guide.
The Student Senate election is set for April 4.
Meet the presidential candidates!
MEGAN HANDLE - Running with Isaac Davis
My name is Megan Handle and I am a third-year student studying social work with a minor in psychology through the Honor Tutorial College. This is my third year in Senate and my second year serving as Women’s Affairs Commissioner. In my current role, I have worked to achieve menstrual equity across campus, promote sexual health through the creation of Safer Sacks, help to plan Take Back the Night and the Women’s Festival, and have also served on many committees both within senate and across the university. Outside of Senate, I am a Diversity-Leadership Ambassador, a Margaret Boyd Scholar, and a member of ASL club. I am currently doing my field practicum at Athens County Children Services and am a member of the University Partnership Program for Child Welfare. I also have a service dog in-training named Juniper.
Photo provided by Megan Handle.
CLAY LEWIS - Running with Dan Gordillo and Reagan Farmer
Clay Lewis is a third-year chemistry major and currently serves as the university life commissioner on Student Senate. Our Instagram handle is @lewis.gordillo.farmer.
Photo provided by Clay Lewis.
TRINITY ROBINSON (she/her) - EMPOWEROHIO
Trinity Robinson is a second-year Finance and Business Analytics major from Cincinnati, Ohio. Robinson is currently the treasurer for Student Senate, ambassador for the College of Business, vice president of finance for the Black Student Union and associate of the Bobcat Consulting Group.
As a member of the Student Senate leadership team, Robinson is dedicated to promoting the Student Senate mission and advocate for students, according to the EMPOWEROHIO instagram.
“Transparency among all levels is a priority of hers from administration all the way to internal governance,” the Instagram account read.
As for her presidential platforms, Robinson hopes to stimulate communication between senate and administration, establish a standard for the enrichment of student spaces and enrich student leaders with leadership development, according to the campaign account.
Photo from EMPOWEROHIO Instagram.
Campaign website here
Campaign Instagram here
Meet the vice presidential candidates!
ISAAC DAVIS - Running with Megan Handle
My name is Isaac Davis and I’m running for Student Body vice president with Megan Handle for president. I am a sophomore at OU, and currently serve as Student Senate’s Greek life senator, vice president of the Interfraternity Council, I’m in the Ohio Honors Program, and I am a brother of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. I am very excited for the opportunity to serve this student body and make some much-needed positive changes to our school and the functions of the Student Senate, and once you help us with your vote, We’ll Handle It!
Photo provided by Isaac Davis.
DYLAN DEMONTE (HE/HIM) - EMPOWEROHIO
Dylan DeMonte is a 3rd-year political science pre-law and economics major from Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He has worked as a resident advisor in Wilson Hall, an economics peer tutor for the AAC, and the academic affairs commissioner and senator for arts and sciences of the Student Senate. Post-graduation, he plans to attend law school for civil rights and constitutional law and advocate for the rights and entitlements of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Photo provided by Dylan DeMonte.
DAN GORDILLO - Running with Clay Lewis and Reagan Farmer
Dan Gordillo is from Avon Lake, Ohio, 20 minutes west down I-90 from Cleveland, Ohio. I graduated Avon Lake High School in 2022 and am now a proud first-year Bobcat. I am majoring in linguistics and political science. I am pursuing a number of minors; French, Spanish, German studies certificate, and history (potentially more later!). I am a huge nerd for history and foreign language, and chess! I am the current vice president for the chess club, an active member of German club, attend French club, and the current governmental affairs commissioner for Student Senate. I plan to graduate in spring of 2026 and have plans to hopefully go into the military once I graduate.
Photo provided by Dan Gordillo.
Meet the treasurer candidates!
Arthur Bargainer (He/Him) - EMPOWEROHIO
Arthur Bargainer is a first year Integrated Social Studies student from Cleveland, OH. He is a member of the Black Student Union, Brothers Rise and Student Senate.
Bargainer serves as the Black commissioner and SAC delegate-at-large where he works to focus on change based on student concerns, according to the campaign account.
As for his treasurer platforms, he hopes to boost SAC and even funding options outside of SAC for student organizations.
Photo from EMPOWEROHIO Instagram.
Campaign website here
Campaign instagram here
REAGAN FARMER - Running with Clay Lewis and Dan Gordillo
My name is Reagan Farmer and I am a sophomore studying political science in the Honors Tutorial College. I am also pursuing a psychology minor, and I hope to attend law school after graduation. I am on the softball team and spend much of my time on the field. I am currently in the Student Senate serving as the senator for athletics, and I am a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council. In my free time I enjoy fishing, going to the gym, and reading
Photo provided by Reagan Farmer.
Our questions for the candidates:
Why did you decide to run?
Isaac Davis: I care about people and I care about the role of public service in government. I grew up with excellent examples of this with my father being a progressive United Methodist minister and my mother the founder of a nonprofit that works to reunite adoptees with their biological families in Uganda. I moved around a lot growing up. In fact, I have lived in 7 different cities over the past 20 years. Moving often was difficult, but it taught me to focus on the positive and made me a stronger and more adaptable person. New places aren't something I dread. Rather, I am excited to see what new opportunities and relationships will derive from there. I am running for office because I believe I have the fortitude and dedication to actually make a difference in the lives of others on this campus and I am fully committed to fulfilling my responsibilities in this role.
Dylan DeMonte: During my time in Student Senate, I have seen significant voids to fill regarding outreach, our relationship with student organizations, and accountability for individuals in fulfilling their duty to students. I am working to improve this within my commission, and my work can easily translate to improving the internal workings of the Senate as vice president.
Reagan Farmer: I decided to run for treasurer out of a sense of duty towards my constituents. One of the perks of being a student athlete is that I have a lot of influence on campus, and I believe it is my duty to use this influence for the betterment of the university and for my constituents. When my running mates, Clay Lewis and Dan Gordillo, approached me with this opportunity, it seemed like the perfect time to grow even further as a leader on campus.
Dan Gordillo: I decided to run as I had previously seen Clay Lewis as a viable candidate to run for President before he even asked me to be his running mate. Lewis presented his platform to me, and it stood out to me. He and I agreed on several things beforehand in Senate, especially with problems that plague Senate. I knew that if I wanted to see solutions to problems, I have to be a part of solutions, and Lewis knows that too. Therefore I was honored to agree to be his running mate.
Megan Handle: I decided to run because of my love of advocacy. I have had an amazing experience in my time in Senate so far and would love to be in a position to do even more for our students.
Clay Lewis: I decided to run because I saw a major problem with students not being able to afford to live at Ohio University. I am running out of a desire to bring students out of the financial hole they are in and create a productive climate for all students.
Why should students vote for you?
Isaac Davis: I am committed to ensuring the Student Senate is a transparent and honest organization that encourages students to speak freely and openly without censorship. I will represent the interests of constituents impartially and work to improve the lives of students on campus.
Dylan DeMonte: Students should vote for the EMPOWER OHIO ticket because we represent creating more permanent change on campus. Many tickets have proposed policy changes in the past, but only a few, if any, have included creating new leadership and professional development opportunities for all students. If we can give more students the knowledge and resources to impact major university decisions outside of the Senate, that change can transcend graduating classes over the years.
Reagan Farmer: Student Senate prides itself on its diversity. It is one of the foundational tenets of the organization and it is one that I am proud of. With that being said, there is not a lot of diversity of opinion within Student Senate. I urge students to vote for my ticket because we value the opinions of all students and will take those into account every time we make a decision for students. I value diversity of opinion as well as honesty and transparency. Honesty and transparency are important qualities in a treasurer, and I pride myself on exemplifying both of these traits.
Dan Gordillo: I believe students should vote for me as I have experience in prior leadership positions. I was class president for three years in high school. People need experienced leaders in these positions, as experienced leaders are the only people we can trust to make difficult decisions in high pressure circumstances. People have looked at me in the past to make decisions, and I feel that my choices did not disappoint people. People have continued to come to me as my decision making process has proven to be successful again and again. I have also shown the ability to put aside biases, as shown by my current position of governmental affairs commissioner. I have put students first, continue to put students first, and will put students first.
Megan Handle: Students should vote for me because I have successfully used my time in senate to advocate for a variety of issues, seen projects that target these issues through to completion, and am dedicated to being a voice for all students across our campus. I believe that I would be a good representative of what Student Senate truly stands for.
Clay Lewis: Students should vote for me because my team is committed to clearing the senate of controversy, being truly transparent at all times with our students, and because we will fight for the safety and well-being of all students.
What should students know about your campaign?
Isaac Davis: Our SOAR campaign focuses on the Safety, Opportunity, Accessibility, and Rights of Ohio University students. There are just the broad focuses of our campaign that we hope to improve the lives of our constituents. Please check out our realistic and attainable platform and action points that are fully detailed and laid out on our instagrams!
Dylan DeMonte: Students can visit empowerohio.org for more info on our campaign, and we want to encourage students to give us feedback through the form on the home page.
Reagan Farmer: Our campaign is focused on bringing all students together. We feel as though students can make change on campus easier when they work towards it together. Our ticket has spoken to many students and groups including fraternities, sororities, ROTC, college Republicans, college Democrats, many athletic teams, student workers, the Latino Student Union, and many religious groups such as the OU Catholics and OU Muslims. I want students to know that our ticket is reaching out to students whose voices are not normally heard from in Student Senate and we are using these interactions to plan for the best way to bring students together.
Dan Gordillo: Students should know that our campaign covers a wide range of people on campus. Lewis and I appear to be opposites at the first glance, which shows that we unite and rally behind students before anything else. If I am not a member of a club on campus, Lewis is. Lewis is a STEM major; I am a political science and linguistics major —two very different areas of study. Moreover, Reagan Farmer, our treasurer candidate, is a student athlete. She will be able to voice concerns about a section of campus which historically has been isolated. Together, we can make sure to expand Senate’s outreach by truly being a government for the students, by the students.
Megan Handle: My campaign focuses on accessibility in all regards. With concerns of safety, mental health, and lack of knowledge or access to resources, we hope to increase student awareness. We plan to promote the Bobcat Safe app, with some added changes of active safety plans for campus violence, fires, or weather emergencies. Our campaign hopes to formalize a dead week and begin a textbook-exchange program. Many other of our campaign plans can be found on our Instagrams! Most of all, students should know that we are always open to hearing their concerns and keeping Senate business as transparent as possible.
Clay Lewis: Students should know that our team is relentless and will stop at nothing to ensure nothing but the best for the students. For too long senate has bowed to administration and it’s time for a change to happen in senate where this is a senate truly for the students.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
Isaac Davis: While we have many goals we aim to accomplish while in office, one of them is pushing for a dead week (no homework) leading up to finals. This would give students a much needed mental health break and more time to study. We would also like to improve access to harm-reduction materials such as narcan, fentanyl test strips and nightcaps by providing them to students at no cost.
Dylan DeMonte: Something I would be most proud to accomplish would be creating Ohio University's first Leadership Summit open to all students. I want to see events where e-boards from every student org can network and discuss how to improve their efforts. I would also like to see more accountability and accessibility in the classroom, as I am currently working on mid-semester course evaluations, wellness days, and fast-tracked accessibility letters.
Reagan Farmer: Our ticket has many goals we hope to achieve if elected. We have an excellent program in the works that we plan on implementing to increase first-year student retention, we hope to increase the minimum wage for students yet again, and we hope to decentralize the Student Senate. As treasurer, I hope to continue with the transparency of the Senate’s finances, as well as provide funding for student organizations that do not typically receive it. A big goal of mine is to create Student Senate sponsored scholarships to reward students that exhibit excellent service within the Athens community.
Dan Gordillo: I hope to expand Senate primarily. I believe it is a shame that we have so many open seats, waiting to be filled by students whose voices we desperately need. The best way to do this is to reform some of Senate’s procedures, to make giving time towards it a viable option for students. I hope to work on eliminating a question I have heard all too often from my first-year peers: “Wait, what is Student Senate? Who are they?” We must make people aware of the true power that Student Advocacy and Senate has, we must show them that we need people from every corner of campus in Senate.
Megan Handle: If elected, I hope to continue several of my existing projects, while also creating new ones to make our campus a better place. I hope to implement an accessibility alert system, so that students can be aware when elevators or escalators are down before they see it in person. I hope to make fentanyl test strips readily available to increase harm-reduction strategies. In addition, I hope to make students better aware of all of the resources that are available to them, to make their lives on campus as easy as possible. I also am excited to continue in my work of providing accessible menstruation and safe sex products across campus, regardless of my role in Senate. I also hope to keep Senate running smoothly as a body and work to keep us in communication with all of our constituents that we represent.
Clay Lewis: If elected, I will start by immediately creating a mental health committee to begin the grueling process of ending the mental health epidemic on campus. Next, as president I will work closely to fight for a dead week on campus the week before finals to allow students to have proper time to study for finals.
What is your favorite part about Student Senate/proudest accomplishment while in Senate?
Isaac Davis: My favorite part about Student Senate is the potential it has to make real change on this campus and within the lives of others. One major accomplishment spearheaded by my running mate and co-sponsored by myself and many others was a bill which ensures the university will be putting roughly $50,000 to 70,000 a year into purchasing free menstrual products for all the on-campus bathrooms. Our next step is to expand that access to off campus students in areas such as Greek houses.
Dylan DeMonte: Hearing directly from students is extremely important to me. I am so proud that we received over 350 responses to our Academic Well-being survey, which we used to determine five action plans pertaining to advising, accessibility, mental wellness, professor accountability, and academic services.
Reagan Farmer: My favorite part about Student Senate is the ability to hone my leadership skills and represent my constituents. For many years before my appointment, the senator for athletics position was left vacant, and my constituents had no direct representation. This means that I have had a lot to catch up on. I have done great work by keeping student athletes informed about the decisions that Student Senate makes. Many student athletes have become much more involved within campus due to this work that I have done. The University Life Commission is hosting Bobcat Festival on April 1st and I am expecting there to be a big student athlete turnout!
Dan Gordillo: My favorite part of Senate: being challenged. I am challenged by intelligent people to do better, to work harder, to be the best leader I can be. I consider myself a bit of an outsider compared to the other members of Senate, so it can be nice to see perspectives I do not hold be discussed. It is amazing to see the level of care people take when being Student leaders.
My proudest accomplishment is passing a bill last semester regarding Election Day and allowing excused absences for voters who miss class whilst they vote. This bill allowed me to make important connections to start the instrument of change into making 2024 Election Day more available to students. I sincerely hope that my continued efforts, which has seen fruition in some ways, eventually yield my final result that I truly want.
Megan Handle: My favorite part about Student Senate is seeing my work truly impact the lives of students in a positive manner. My absolute proudest accomplishment while being in Senate is my work towards menstrual equity. I presented to President Sherman my proposal to put period products in ALL bathrooms on campus, after much research about period poverty, our bathrooms on campus, and the budget it would take. With this, I also wrote a piece of legislation that passed through our body with 43 secondary sponsors supporting this issue. I recently worked with his Chief of Staff to create a Request for Proposal with an allocated budget of $50,000 to $70,000 a year for 5 years, in order to put dispensers or display boxes in every single public bathroom on campus, regardless of gender. This project got accepted with this budget and there will be free pads and tampons all across campus by the year 2028. Being able to move this large amount of money around and advocate for something I believe in was an incredible experience and am excited to fight for similar issues that support students in the future. Follow this project, I also just got the email that I was awarded a Women’s Issues Leadership Award for this year, which is one of the most humbling and incredible experiences in my college career.
Clay Lewis: My proudest moment in Senate was when my commission was able to successfully help raise the minimum wage on campus. Though the fight to raise it again is not over, it was a very proud moment for me seeing that we were still able to do just that.
Why did you join Student Senate?
Isaac Davis: I joined the Student Senate so that I can make a positive impact here at Ohio University. I have been involved in student government since 8th grade, and I will continue to carry out my passion for public service whenever and wherever I can. I enjoy working with others, the opportunity to lead when necessary, and even more so the opportunity to serve and make a difference.
Dylan DeMonte: I joined Student Senate because I wanted to become a more effective advocate, and my communication and team leadership skills suited me well for the position.
Reagan Farmer: My softball coach informed me of the vacant position within Student Senate last semester and I knew immediately that I had to apply. It went hand in hand with my work within SAAC and I knew that I would be the best person for the job. I wanted to expand my reach to all students on campus and the Student Senate provided me with an amazing opportunity to do so.
Dan Gordillo: I joined Senate as I have always been passionate about standing up for what I believe in and being a student leader. If you see a problem, work on the solution yourself. Be a part of it. That applies to all facets of life, not just politics and government. That is why I joined Senate, and did student government back in high school. Senate’s ability, when harnessed correctly, to be a medium of change is incredible. I wanted to be a part of the change, and I continue to want to be a part of it. Being an effective leader is desperately required in our modern world, and any opportunity that is available to me to grow as a leader is a good opportunity.
Megan Handle: I joined Student Senate to use my leadership and advocacy skills to make changes for the greater good on our campus. Having the ability to make legislation to improve our campus and the lives of students as well as host programming is an amazing opportunity. I love interacting with our campus and hearing student concerns and Student Senate can use that information to make a real impact.
Clay Lewis: I joined Senate because I want to be able to give back to the OU community any way I can. This is a thriving community but we have a long way to go before it is fully functional, both as an entire community and as members of Senate.
