The Student Trustee Candidate Forum took place Wednesday evening at the Illini Union, featuring current student trustee Ariana Mizan and fellow candidate Dylan Sarsany. The two highlighted their priorities for campus policy.

The Board of Trustees is the highest governing body for the UI System, consisting of 13 members. Three members are student trustees, one from each respective UI System location. 

The Campus Student Election Commission moderated the forum, consisting of pre-written questions. Ezra Landman-Feigelson, another candidate, couldn’t attend, and Charlotte Bossler dropped out of the race before the forum.

The forum began with opening statements from both candidates. Dylan Sarsany, freshman in Engineering, serves on the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, and his main goals are lowering the cost of education and expanding health initiatives.

“We need to work on … more scholarships for underrepresented groups, more endowment funds,” Sarsany said. “Another big thing is health — we need to focus on expanding McKinley’s services.”

Ariana Mizan, junior in Business, opened by listing her accomplishments in the role this past year. 

“I established the cultural liaison board, so there’s a cultural liaison at every cultural center working with me on various projects,” Mizan said. 

She also highlighted her work on pitching a University dining dollar transfer app to address food insecurity, an issue Sarsany brought up as well.

The two candidates agreed on other issues, such as increased transparency of the board and the need for greater student involvement.

The most passionate moment of the forum was when Mizan discussed advocating for minority voices. Sarsany had previously replied that his main priority is representation for underrepresented students.

“I want to make a distinction — marginalized people on our campus have a voice,” Mizan said. “Whether or not that voice is being listened to is a different story. I want to elevate people’s voices.”

Mizan also discussed the impact of the Trump administration on the University. Recently, it was announced that the University’s Soybean Innovation Lab will close in April because of USAID funding cuts. Mizan also addressed worries about cultural centers being defunded, a rumor refuted at a recent BNAACC budget conference.

“We’re seeing a lot of concerns … about defunding all sorts of programs, not just our cultural centers but research programs,” Mizan said. “What do decisions coming from our current federal administration mean for day-to-day life for us?”

Sarsany did not directly call out any decisions from the federal government, but in his closing statement, he questioned the University’s investment choices.

“I think that divestment from fossil fuels is really important,” Sarsany said.

This is a concern shared by climate groups on campus. Sarsany also reiterated in his final statement his priorities of expanding access to health services on campus and lowering tuition.

Mizan closed with a friendly statement to her competitor and displayed her commitment to the role over the last year. 

“I really can’t disagree with much of anything that Dylan said,” Mizan said. “Ultimately, I am qualified to continue in this role and would be, again, more than honored if you entrust me with the responsibility of serving as trustee.”

The already-coveted position has even higher stakes this year, as the winner of the upcoming election will hold official voting power on the board. This privilege switches between the three UI System locations. According to Mizan, Gov. JB Pritzker selected the University for the upcoming year.

Voting for the student trustee opens Tuesday at noon and closes Thursday at noon. Students can vote on One Illinois. 

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