From expanded shuttle access and campus events to 24/7 study spaces to petting zoos, the Oxford Student Government Association (OxSGA) has undergone a year of action and change. Under President Kenan Bajraktarevic (25Ox) and Executive Vice President Kieran Rafferty (25Ox), the 2024-25 administration has prioritized transparency, mental health, sustainability, campus infrastructure and student engagement.
As their term came to a close, The Emory Wheel sat down with members of the outgoing administration who reflected on their year leading OxSGA.
When Bajraktarevic first stepped into his role, he wanted to challenge the perspective that student government members served only to boost their resumes. He said he planned to do this by focusing on “tangible change” to demonstrate the capabilities of student leaders. Bajraktarevic did this by meeting with Oxford College Dean Bahia Ahad, among other administrators and attending as many OxSGA committee meetings as possible, aiming to facilitate the connection between OxSGA’s executive and legislative branches.
“We were going to make it so that the student can actually see with their own eyes what is actually changing on campus, and they can have a better experience,” Bajraktarevic said.
From the start of Bajraktarevic’s term, he faced a challenge. During his first week on the job, police arrested 28 protesters on campus following a pro-Palestine encampment.
In the wake of the protests, OxSGA and Bajraktarevic took action. He hosted an impromptu town hall meeting to discuss potential responses to the arrests in addition to promoting forms and encouraging students to share their opinions on University President Gregory Fenves handling of ongoing campus turmoil.“From the start, I have been so proud of my SGA,” Bajraktarevic said. “After the protests happened, we proceeded to have, I believe, the most frequent amount of meetings out of any governing body in Emory University, in order to find some resolution.”
Bajratrarevic has made open dialogue and free expression a cornerstone of his legacy at Oxford. For instance, in one of the first meetings of this academic year, Bajraktarevic introduced a petition system. This system enables students to submit a petition with signatures from at least 10% of the Oxford student body to trigger a special referendum.
Furthermore, according to Rafferty, this OxSGA administration accomplished many short-term initiatives through its working with a wide variety of committees. The Arts and Academics committee successfully campaigned to keep the Oxford Student Center open 24/7. Additionally, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee continued the Flowers Giving initiative, delivering flowers and handwritten notes to students’ rooms after Thanksgiving to remind everyone their importance to the Oxford community.
Another priority for the administration was student mental health. Bajraktarevic led efforts to bring Emory Helpline to Oxford, with support from the Health and Wellness committee. Rafferty said that the committee also worked with Senior Associate Dean of Campus Life Darleny Cepin to host the first Health and Wellness Expo from OxWell, to raise awareness about counseling, student health, fitness and religious life resources available for students.
One of Rafferty’s biggest initiatives as executive vice president was supporting and streamlining the Inter-Club Council (ICC), a body of club executives led by OxSGA that helps facilitate cooperation between campus organizations.
“That was something I look forward to, creating a council of presidents where we can just collaborate and meet all together,” Rafferty said.
Lauren Wald (25Ox), former OxSGA vice president of elections and charters, said she was “happy” to have chartered so many of the clubs on campus that contribute to “an incredible club culture.”
“That amount of charters is awesome, because it means that we have people with distinct passions, distinct goals,” Wald said. “We’re trying to bring community to Oxford, whether that be through special interest service, religious or cultural organizations.”
Wald also highlighted the importance of the new Spring Start Liaison position, which provides legislative representation and voting power for spring-start students in student elections.
“I’m really excited to see how that’s going to translate for the London Launch students, because representation in SGA, even if it’s one senator, is super important for all groups, and I think that really increases equity,” Wald said.
College Council Executive Vice President Braden Newsome (25Ox), who previously served as OxSGA Speaker of the Senate and Arts and Academics Chair, said he was “proud” of the work OxSGA did this year
“As an administration, we've done a lot of what we wanted to do,” Newsome said. “We've made progress on everything I've personally been working on.”
Vice President of Student Concerns and Communications Chase Wallace expressed confidence in OxSGA’s ability to continue approaching the job with motivation and love for the student body.
“We have built an enduring rapport with students that will endure for a few years,” Wallace said. “I hope that our first-year students and members will carry that torch, and they will very well because there are so many motivated folks in that room.”
Jack Steffen (26Ox) and Delaney Arnold (26Ox) took office as president and executive vice president of the Oxford Student Government Association (OxSGA) on April 23, succeeding Bajraktarevic and Rafferty. Bajraktarevic expressed his faith in Steffen and Arnold, emphasizing that OxSGA members are elected to serve the student body and can create real change during their tenure.
“Every single action that is done as president should be able to have a clear explanation on how it benefits the student body,” Bajraktarevic said. “The goal is always to benefit the student body.”
Kimble Schiller (she/her) (26Ox,28C) is from Houston, Texas and is majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law. Outside of the Wheel, she can be found studying, hiking, writing for fun, or spending time with friends.
