The Student Government Association (SGA) at Montclair State University held their annual student presidential debate forum leading up to the general election for the 2025-2026 school year.
The SGA debate forum was hosted by the Political Science Club with president Mohamed Fayez, club secretary Mia Fayez and SGA legislator Tequyra Hammie moderating the debate. They tackled a wide range of key topics such as the candidates’ campus initiatives, future policies, communication skills, plans on unifying the campus community and much more.
Political Science Club moderaters Mia Fayez, Tequyra Hammie and Mohamed Fayez. David Bien-Aime︱The Montclarion
The student candidates running for the upcoming election are Abigail Rodriguez, Leila Jones and Garret Gerow, seeking to succeed the current SGA president, Mikayla Houston. The forum allowed candidates five minutes to speak after each question asked by the moderators.
When asked about their motivation to run for president, Rodriguez highlighted her heritage and desire for student advocacy.
“What motivated me was I wanted to do something different with my life and I wanted to be involved in something, ” said Rodriguez. “I want to advocate for those students that never had a voice and that they’re able to be heard. As a proud Puerto Rican woman serving at a Hispanic [serving] institution, I am proud to represent my heritage as well and proud to represent that I am working on the diversity festival to allow all [registered student organizations] to shine during this pivotal time in politics.”
Junior, presidential nominee Abigail Rodriguez at the SGA debate forum. David Bien-Aime︱The Montclarion
Rodriguez has previously held the position of SGA president during her time at the County College of Morris, overseeing thousands of students. Currently, She is a legislator for Montclair State’s SGA. In her role as legislator, she contributes to passing bills within the SGA and works to enhance student life on campus.
One of Rodriguez’s key initiatives is building sustainability for a cleaner campus by recycling aluminum cans and turning it into a scholarship for students, called ‘Trash to Treasures.’ In addition, she would create ‘Motivational Monday,’ a collaboration with counseling and psychological services (CAPS) to prioritize student mental health. Having the mental health day bill officially enacted is another priority of hers, as well as making Bloomfield College more involved.
As a transfer student, she is looking to create a ‘solo transfer orientation.’ This allows transfer students to have their own separate orientation in hopes that it creates a smoother transition from the college institution they transferred from, given her own difficult start.
Jones is the president of LadiesFIRST, an organization dedicated to uplifting women of color. Jones is also active on campus, having experience working at the Student Recreation Center. In LadiesFIRST, she leads the entire organization, collaborating with her executive board to create events and meetings.
When asked about initiatives and motivation for SGA president, Jones addresses the issues she hears from students on campus.
“Being a part of LadiesFIRST, as well as teaching [yoga] at the [recreation] center, I’ve had a lot of people approach me about issues, ” said Jones. “Not finding their community on campus, not feeling like they’re being heard, struggling mentally and I want to work to address these issues. I know we struggle a lot with getting into CAPS as well as with the tuition increase people are struggling to pay their tuition. I feel like college is a place where we should not just survive but thrive, so I want to create that space for people to chase their goals, chase their goals and be able to attend college and not struggle.”
Junior, Presidential nominee Leila Jones answering questions at the debate. David Bien-Aime︱The Montclarion
Similar to Rodriguez, Jones wants to expand the mental health resources on the campus. This includes promoting CAPS more to the student body in hopes that they utilize the services offered. Also, Jones plans to work on the campus’s congestion control, as it continues to affect students through parking and traffic issues. She would like to continue advocating for diversity and inclusion on campus, and promote overall wellness.
Currently, Garret Gerow is the SGA’s president pro tempore. In this role, Gerow is tasked with taking attendance at the student legislative body meetings. Like Rodriguez, Gerow was SGA president at his former college, Raritan Valley Community College, before transferring.
Gerow highlights his experience with community involvement.
“The [reason] I’m running is because I like helping people, ” said Gerow. “It’s a pretty simple answer, but I’d like to think that I’m very active in my community. I was a boy scout growing up, I spent many, many times volunteering at churches for homeless shelters. It is just something that has been ingrained in my brain as a kid to help people and that’s what I’d like to do with my career after graduating as well.”
Gerow said he would like to make campus more accessible to students. During his term in community college, he and his team worked to create a university campus course that automatically enrolled students, allowing them to not only contact the SGA regarding any concerns, but also to give tips to students. His goal is to make sure student concerns and questions are being addressed.
Presidential nominee, Garret Gerow speaking to the crowd. David Bien-Aime︱The Montclarion
Gerow also wants to make more food options available on the weekends for residents.
If chosen for the role, he will make it crucial for students to know about the jobs and resources available on campus. Community outreach is a big priority, as well as communication.
Voting will begin on Monday, March 23, until noon on Wednesday, March 26. Students can vote using Engage.
