Georgetown University Student Association candidate Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson (SFS ’14) is running on a platform of change. “I know I can make a change on this campus by getting the students’ voice listened to, not just heard,” she said.

Corbin-Johnson is a Culture and Politics major running in the Nevils Hall and Alumni Square district, which has two available senatorial spots. Corbin-Johnson is competing against four other candidates.

Unlike many candidates, Corbin-Johnson isn’t as focused on dining hall issues. “Leo’s isn’t my first priority,” she said. “I believe there are many things, small and big, that if fixed will make more of an impact on the campus than Leo’s.”

Corbin-Johnson’s platform is centered on the concept of working well with the Georgetown administration. “My first priority would be building trust with the administration,” she said. “Once they trust you and know you have good intentions, then all else that follows, suggestions, passing legislation, etc. is much easier.”

Corbin-Johnson is a returning GUSA member who served a a Senator At-Large last year. During her tenure, her accomplishments included “extra printers in Lau; passing of the safe reform; no more servers serving the hot food in Leo’s, creating extremely long lines; and double-sided printing.”

Corbin-Johnson also hopes to improve WiFi on campus. “Although spotty, we urged the administration to start putting wireless in the freshman dorms and in the rest of Village A, which we hope to get improved and working properly this year,” she said.

Yolo Zhou (MSB ’16): You Only Run Once

Zhou is a Finance and International Business major, is running for GUSA Senator-At-Large who hopes to add a Leo’s take-out option to the Grab and Go program. “Pre-packaged Grab and Go foods are very much inferior,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be nice to choose what you want from the salad bar or the dessert station and just take that to go?”

Her proposal is to add take-out boxes to the cafeteria and create a system for payment. She believes this could also effectively lower the price per swipe at Leo’s.

But if she doesn’t accomplish this change, she is prepared to continue moving forward on the matter of Grab and Go. “I’m a good negotiator, so despite failure to reach specific aims, I try to find alternatives that still bring some degree of improvement instead of the all-or-nothing attitude.”

Alongside her plan for Leo’s, Zhou hopes to “exterminate the rats.”

Zhou, who is also a member of the Georgetown Program Board, Trebizond Investments, and the crew team, is prepared, if elected, to fully support her campaign to improve the school because “YORO. You only run once.” She noted that this is also how “Asians pronounce my name.”

—Isabel Echarte

George Spyropolous (COL ‘14): You Only Campaign Once

Spyropolous is a double major in History and Government, running for Senator at-Large on the George for Georgetown campaign. His main goal, if elected into the GUSA Senate, is to more closely associate the Senate to the student body. He wants to, “make it more responsive to the students’ needs and concerns throughout the year.”

On the top of his agenda, he wants to establish the Senate Forum, which would give all students the ability to be briefed and informed on the progress of the Senate. The Senate Forum will also allow students to bring any issue that they think needs to be addressed by the Senate, to their attention, “that way the senators will be kept constantly aware of what students who elected them are concerned with.”

Spyropolous considers his campaign to be an “issue driven campaign” focusing solely on the affairs he is passionate about, as opposed to him “taking center stage” and making the campaign about himself. Amongst his biggest concerns is the well-being of working students. Spyropolous wants to help GUSA become an advocate for working students, as well as defend their interests, “I will ensure that the administration listens to the voice of all those who work for it. This is an issue I feel very strongly about, as I am a working student myself”

—Rebecca Anthony

Cannon Warren (SFS ’14): The Wackiest Senator

Warren, an International Economics major, is running for a second term of Senator at Large. Along with being coined “the wackiest senator,” during his first term, Warren assisted in increasing the SIPS (Social Innovation Public Service) Fund to $1,250,000 from its original $800,000.

He was also able to push for, and achieve, the addition of chicken fingers to Grab and Go.

Using the experience he gained from being a GUSA senator last year, one of Warren’s biggest goal this year is to make sure that GUSA does not pass any bylaws. “We spent the entire year changing our own bylaws instead of actually doing work…I want to just prevent that.”

Warren feels that GUSA is more “student elected lobbyist” as opposed to an actual student government. He wants to change the fact that GUSA is funded out of the University’s student activities fee, and feels that the University’s take on GUSA is, “you guys have fun playing a government, this is your activity.” Warren hopes to make Georgetown take GUSA more seriously by continuing independent funds, such as the GUSA fund, and telling the administration how both GUSA and the students feel. One can spot Warren wearing a colorful hat that reads, “Vote for Cannon Madness.”

—Rebecca Anthony

[Editor's Note: Cannon Warren is also Page 13 Editor for the Georgetown Voice].

Fedyk, a Culture and Politics major, is running for his first term of Senator at Large on the Pick Nick campaign. When asked why he decided to run for GUSA, he passionately stated, “I’m running because I want to be in the middle of all the action and all the changes going on at Georgetown, as opposed to being on the outside looking in.”

Fedyk’s main priority, if elected into the Senate, is to create open communications between GUSA and the student body, primarily by sending out contact information and having GUSA office hours. Fedyk is involved in a lot of extracurricular activities at Georgetown, such as The Hoya, multiple intermural sports, and German International Affairs. He feels that he can use his outside experience to help achieve what students want. “I’m involved in a lot and I see what students are involved in on a daily basis…and I can use my experiences to enact real change and see the problems that are affecting Georgetown.”

Fedyk also pointed out that he is on the GUSA Food Committee, and feels that he will be able to improve the food situation at Leo’s, “I’ve talked to the Leo’s executives and I have really good relationships with the people that work there…I really think that that’s an avenue that I can use to make changes to Leo’s and the food.”

Cameron Molis did not respond to requests for comment. Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson was initially listed in the list of candidates for Village B / Nevils.