Three students are running for executive positions in the Student Government Association, outlining plans to strengthen student representation, engagement and campus connections ahead of the upcoming election.

Josh Hamm is running for student body president, while Luke Talley and Jewel Cobb are running for vice president. Students will have the opportunity to hear more from the candidates during the election debate scheduled for March 17 at 11 a.m. in Hart Auditorium.

Josh Hamm

Josh Hamm, junior biology major from Double Oak. (Photo courtesy of Josh Hamm)

Josh Hamm, junior biology major from Double Oak, is running for student body president. Hamm has served in student government each year of his time at ACU, including three terms as class president.

His campaign focuses on three core ideas: voice, stewardship and vision.

Hamm said the student government should actively listen to students to represent them effectively.

“For student government to impact the student body in the most applicable way, we need to know what they want,” Hamm said. “We need to give everyone on campus a voice.”

One of Hamm’s proposed initiatives is a student idea portal that would allow students to submit feedback and suggestions directly to student government leaders.

Hamm also said he hopes to continue strengthening the sense of community within SGA while encouraging collaboration between leaders.

“Collaboration starts with humility,” Hamm said. “It starts with trust and understanding that everyone has a part to play.” 

He also said that while some issues, such as student wages, are complex, student leaders should still advocate for students and initiate conversations with university leadership.

Hamm said he is motivated by the opportunity to serve others and represent students to university leadership.

“I love being in a position where I can be self-sacrificial to get things done for others,” Hamm said.

Luke Talley

Luke Talley, sophomore politics and public policy major from Salida, Colorado. (Photo courtesy of Luke Talley)

Luke Talley, sophomore politics and public policy major from Salida, Colorado, is running alongside Hamm for vice president. Talley said his campaign priorities align with Hamm’s platform but also include a strong focus on service and student well-being.

He said stewardship means supporting students while they are on campus and preparing the university for those who will come after them.

“Stewardship is helping the students we have on campus right now actually thrive and giving them the opportunity to do that,” Talley said.

He also emphasized the importance of collaboration within student leadership and building relationships among senators.

“We’re not going to do everything perfectly every time, and that’s why we have Senate to work together,” Talley said.

Talley said he hopes to further strengthen the sense of community within SGA by encouraging stronger connections between student leaders and the broader student body.

Jewel Cobb 

Jewel Cobb, junior management major from Tomball. (Photo courtesy of Jewel Cobb)

Jewel Cobb, junior management major from Tomball running for vice president, has already spent two years involved in SGA leadership. She previously served as a committee chair and has experience working within student government structures.

Cobb said her campaign, titled “Our Campus, Our Community, Our Voice,” focuses on increasing student engagement and helping students feel more connected to the senate.

She said the vice president’s role provides an opportunity to ensure that student voices are heard and considered when decisions are made.

“One big passion of mine is when I joined SGA, I knew that I wanted to leave ACU better than I arrived,” Cobb said.

While collecting signatures for her campaign, Cobb said she encountered many students with ideas for improving campus that they never previously shared with SGA.

“There are so many students who have such incredible ideas that I’ve never heard before,” Cobb said. “If we utilize those ideas, we can make our campus better in the way that they want.”

Cobb said collaboration is central to her leadership style, emphasizing the importance of bringing together perspectives from students, faculty and staff.

She hopes to create more opportunities for senators and students to interact and share ideas, strengthening the sense of community within SGA and across campus.

Students will have the opportunity to hear more about each candidate’s platform during the debate on March 17 before voting begins later in the semester. As the election approaches, the candidates say their campaigns are centered on the same goal: making sure students feel heard and represented across campus.