In one of the most competitive USG Presidential elections in years, MJ Hyde and Zach Headley emerged victorious on Monday morning. Announced as the incoming USG President and Vice-President, Hyde and Headley beat out a field of three other tickets to seize the most coveted student government position. 

While already boasting an extensive track record of service to the DU community as sophomores, the election results came as a surprise to both Hyde and Headley. 

“Honestly, I was absolutely shocked. I put my head into my hands [but] I was kind of relieved. I was hoping that our experience would matter when students went to vote,” commented Hyde. 

Vice-President Headley also experienced a sense of shock and nervous excitement, explaining they found out the prior Friday but had to keep it tight-lipped before official results were released Monday. For Headley, there was also an added sense of responsibility that came with the email announcement that they had won. 

“It’s definitely a privilege. The announcement came out and we already got requests for meetings. There’s definitely a mix of shock and reality that we are now responsible [for] representing USG.” 

That sense of responsibility was not lost on either Hyde or Headley who spoke with genuine enthusiasm for the projects that lie ahead. During the campaign, the pair promised an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to USG responsibilities. For the two, this means carrying on initiatives started by Senators this year while actively promoting new student voices and visions. 

Hyde specifically spoke to her two-fold passion of working with the Vice Chancellor of Recreation to expand the Ritchie Center gym and implement the Plan B Project, which would make emergency contraceptives free and accessible to students. Headley echoed the importance of those projects, explaining his focus, first and foremost, is to ensure a smooth transition between administrations. Hyde and Headley agreed that transparency is of the utmost importance in their administration’s goals. 

“I really meant it when I said I am not here to bullshit people. I want to learn how to publicize the budget, make a linktree and Zoom record senate meetings. It’s the little things at first that count,” said Hyde. 

Aside from the “little things,” Hyde and Headley also recognized the importance of big campus issues including DivestDU, rising tuition rates and removing the Pioneer moniker. 

Regarding the Pioneer moniker, Hyde and Headley made it astutely clear they, as President and VP, are in full support of removing the symbol. Staying true to their campaign promise of empowering underrepresented student communities, the pair committed to keeping NSA at the forefront of such campus debates. Like her predecessor, President Abigail McAdams, Hyde is committed to giving student groups any and all administration meeting times. Part of this, Hyde explained, is to ensure administration understands what marginalized communities experience daily on campus. 

 “I want to advocate for them, but I also want them to continue to feel empowered to advocate for themselves. We need to be careful because I am not here to talk over indigenous voices. But there are things I can do now like removing the Pio from our IDs,” said Hyde. 

When speaking about DivestDU, Hyde and Headley agreed they appreciated competitor Sergio Hernandez’ comment during the debate that DU can “walk and chew gum at the same time.” Working in full support of DivestDU while encouraging the board to listen to student needs, Hyde clarified, will require a careful balancing act between judgment and caution. 

“I plan to be fully transparent with the board that I am judging [them] but also want to work in the best interest for students. I can’t go in there saying f-you. We need to proceed with caution.” 

Hyde connected this approach to the duo’s commitment to not signing the NDA. The Non-Disclosure Agreement was a primary point of contention during the presidential debate; to participate in DU Board meetings, USG Presidential and Vice-Presidential officers must sign the agreement. Headley and Hyde explained that signing the document goes against their transparency platform. 

“My mom told me if there’s an NDA, then there are secrets,” Hyde blatantly commented. Headley added onto this, explaining “we can’t work for the students if we have more information than they do. It is the opposite of transparency.”

Another issue they plan to discuss with the board is rising tuition costs. While recognizing the realities in front of them, particularly considering the board already agreed to the 2023-24 academic year budget, Hyde and Headley were firm in their commitment to finding a loophole for student interests. In particular, the pair proposed advocating for increasing scholarships which are set once students start at DU and do not increase concurrently to tuition increases. 

For Hyde, a self-proclaimed imperfect candidate who struggles to not swear in any given sentence, the responsibility of USG President is a challenging yet exciting learning opportunity. When announcing her presidency, Hyde argued her assertiveness and honesty is what will get the job done in representing and advocating for student voices to the administration.  

“I’m gonna be honest with you. Realistically I don’t know what I can do, but I will bitch about [an issue] to the best of my ability,” stated Hyde. 

As both Headley and Hyde recently finished up their Senator terms, their experience handling USG bureaucracies will prove critical. Recognizing this power held by USG, Headley argued it is this influence and position that must be taken advantage of to advocate for student voices. 

“Our resources [like] administration meetings are a privilege. Thanks to Abbie [McAdams] and Shreya [Surendra] for getting [administration] relationships set-up and sustained, we have connections, but there are so many people who can better utilize those […] we need to put them in the driver’s seat and have them tell us how to help them,” commented Headley. 

This collaboration is central to the duo’s presidency. Reaching across the electoral aisle, Hyde announced they intend to work with competitors Colton Arcinega and Dylan Lindsay in establishing an effective, transparent and accountable USG administration. 

In closing, a clear theme of transparency and student advocacy rests at the helm of the Hyde-Headley administration. Excited for growing student engagement with Senate meetings and general USG activities, Hyde and Headley want to hear from students about their concerns, interests and needs on campus. The duo highly encouraged students to attend a Senate meeting where they can be granted speaking privileges or just sit and listen to debates. 

For those interested in connecting with the new president and vice-president, President MJ Hyde can be contacted at mattie.hyde@du.edu and Vice-President Zach Headley can be reached at Zach.headley@du.edu. 

Ultimately, the goal of the Hyde-Headley administration is to empower students to become vocal self-advocates. This hope was explained by Hyde, who simply stated, “we just want people to know they and their voice matters, and we want to hear it.”