United Student Government at Lincoln Center (USGLC) held elections for its 2024-25 executive board on April 25. Fiona Shehu, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25 and the incumbent vice president of USGLC, won the presidential election, defeating her opponent, Lydia Williams, FCLC ’25.
Undergraduate students received their ballots in the morning of April 25 via a guided link in an email from USGLC and were given a deadline of 5 p.m. to cast their votes. Of 199 total votes cast, Shehu received 53.7% (107), and Williams received 48.7% (87). Five students wrote in additional unlisted candidates. USGLC announced the election results in an Instagram post on April 26 at approximately 5:30 p.m.
“To those who supported me, I vow to uphold my beliefs and represent the students with integrity and honesty.” Fiona Shehu, FCLC ’25
Following USGLC’s announcement of her victory, Shehu expressed her excitement and gratitude “to my community who supported me and made me into the woman I am today.” She also highlighted “the amazing work we will get done this upcoming year and how there is no time to waste in terms of supporting our community.”
“To those who supported me, I vow to uphold my beliefs and represent the students with integrity and honesty,” Shehu said.. “I am thankful I was trusted by the student body to take on this role.”
Williams responded to the announcement of Shehu’s victory by posting a concession statement on her campaign’s Instagram account.
“Thank you to everyone who supported my campaign. The students of Fordham LC have spoken and unfortunately I have not been elected as your next president,” Williams wrote. “While not the result I wanted, I will celebrate the perfectly executed campaign I ran, and the help I had along the way.”
The post thanked Kennedi Hutchins, FCLC ’25, Bianca Ortega, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’25, for “encouraging me to follow the coin I flipped during spring break and run for president.”
It also acknowledged Nicholas Wesley, FCLC ’24, and Christina Antypas, FCLC ’26, for creating Williams’ launch video and flier photo, and Ashuta Date and Jacob Purdue, both FCLC ’27, for signing Williams into McKeon Hall for canvassing efforts.
Williams’ concession post concluded with an acknowledgement of her supporters, thanking “everyone who came & supported at the debate! Every follower who interacted with campaign content! Every last person who voted in this election!”
Shehu described Williams as “an amazing candidate,” and said she “admire(s) her work ethic and strength as a student leader.”
Williams served as first-year and sophomore senator during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years before announcing her decision not to seek re-election for the 2023-24 academic year in an Instagram post on April 18, 2023. She had also served as the inaugural chair of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee within USGLC.
Shehu described Williams as “an amazing candidate,” and said she “admire(s) her work ethic and strength as a student leader.”
She also acknowledged and expressed gratitude for the support of current USGLC President Tanzema Qureshi, FCLC ’24, throughout her campaign.
“She (Qureshi) has believed in me regardless of the circumstances and positively altered my approach to student leadership,” Shehu said. “I feel privileged to have worked with her and have had the support from such a kindhearted, phenomenal person.”
The Observer hosted a debate between the two candidates on April 23, during which both candidates discussed tuition transparency and increases, clubs, representation and general campus improvements. During the debate, Shehu described herself as a “Bronx-born, Queens-raised” New Yorker and an approachable leader for the student body.
She continued to emphasize tuition transparency as the central tenet of her campaign, repeatedly calling for an “itemized bill” from the university to enable students to track their tuition dollars.
“I intend that my first act as USG president is to demand tuition transparency. It is crucial that students are aware of where our tuition is being allocated,” Shehu said.
