(Photo provided by Boyd-Applbaum campaign)
Boyd-Applbaum are one of four tickets running for Student Government President and Vice President
BY SAM DOUGLAS, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
[Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]
Q: Can you introduce yourself? What year are you in, and what’s your major?
Jae Boyd (JB): I am currently a third-year major in government and international politics with a minor in political communication.
I am currently the president and founder of the Women in Law Association, we are going into our third year. I also served in a bunch of committees regarding student conduct, whether it would be honor committee, residential board, and I have also served on the writing across curriculum committee. I got appointed to secretary of academics in August 2024, so I only have six months of student government experience under my belt.
Why are you qualified to be student body president?
JB: I think I am qualified to be student body president because I am coming with a different experience. No shade to anybody that is running, but I feel as people coming from an RSO (registered student organization) background and a university committee background, we have a more diverse perspective. You have to know when students are not gonna be busy to pop up at a kiosk, know times around the Johnson Center where there is foot traffic, know what events attract students. I feel like a lot of people came into Student Government when they were a freshman and all they know is that type of mindset, not realizing you have to tailor to students. It is not supposed to be the other way around.
I think that is what makes me more qualified because I am bringing a diverse experience. I could say student government has helped because you get to learn administrators, you get to learn the people that are in Merten. But as far as actually learning how to sit down and talk to students, I think my RSO and university committee experience is my advantage in this.
Why should Mason students vote for you?
JB: One thing I can say is that I am a person that stands on actions, not words. One of the things I was very disappointed about how performative Student Government is. People will say key words like, “oh, we are going to outreach students,” but how are you going to outreach to students?
I feel like Mason students should vote for change. They should vote for somebody who is actually going to set achievable and attainable goals. We should be more collaborative with RSOs. We should connect students to administrators. And I have done that with the small amount of power and time in that organization. I feel as though if students really want change, they should vote for me, not just people that say words or can articulate a certain way. We need somebody who is going to fully change. I have even vouched for some of the other candidates just in case I lose, that I think would actually set forth that change.
What sets you apart from the other three tickets?
JB: Being collaborative with RSOs. Last Sunday, April 13, was YardFest, and I was tabling with my organization. I realized as I was talking to other RSOs, whether it would be academic, cultural, community, I am the first candidate that has spoken to them, spoken to certain aspects of fraternity and sorority Life. Hearing their comments about how I am the first person to speak to them, I am like, that is an issue.
Seeing Student Government individuals only during campaign season—that is an issue. And I feel like I am the only person that is willing to change. Even during the debate, I could not really articulate well because I was having a health issue, but I was trying to make a point of, you all have been in the organization for a year, two years, three years. You all could not make a smaller change, especially with outreach if you guys really wanted to. It should not take someone that wants to run for presidency to go, “Oh, let’s go reach out to all of the cultural RSOs,” like no, they have already been here. I feel like my campaign being more transformative, not transactional, sets it apart from the other three candidates. I do like some of the things that they are doing. However, I feel as though we can’t progress and be unified if students feel left out.
If elected student body president, what is the first thing you are going to do in office?
JB: The first thing I am going to do is start sending emails out to all organizations. And like I said, I think if I get elected, we have to build community ties and we have to amend those that we have hurt in the past. The first thing I am going to do is make sure I get mass emails out to all organizations so they know this is the president, this is the vice president, this is what the administration looks like, because I am going to be really transparent with this new structure of student government. You need somebody that is actually going to want to push for change. It can be so easy to fall into what we have been going through, where students feel like their voices are not being heard. A lot of students just want to feel like they are connected on campus and I feel Student Government perpetuates separating people on campus.
If you are elected, how do you see the school being different at this time next year?
JB: I know a lot of the other candidates have thrown out that they worked in D.C. I also have an internship in D.C., but I do not feel that it is important for what we are trying to do here. But seeing everything that is going on with higher education, if I am elected, I hope that by this time next year, I leave Mason a little bit more unified. I went into Student Government thinking I was going to make a better change for my community. I might have done some parts of it, but I realized certain leaders on campus are saying they have not had a conversation with the president or vice president since last year, and that is honestly terrifying. We need to be unified because there is strength in numbers. Let us come together instead of separating.
There is a lot of pressure on Mason right now, both from the Board of Visitors as well as the federal government. How do you plan to address that as president?
JB: Strength in numbers. The criticism right now is you do not have initiatives, you just want to build relationships. But realistically, when there are times like a student leader on campus who wants to meet with President Washington, I use my resources to get him that meeting.
That is why I keep going back to building relationships and having unity on campus. It should not just be the president leaving the fight. It should be everybody leading the fight and compromising and wanting to get to this big goal.
Anything else students should know about you, your campaign, or your plans?
JB: I want students to know that I want to truly win based off of merit. I know there are a lot of things going on, especially in D.C., but I do not want people to look at me as Jae, the Black girl; Jae, the first-gen student; Jae, the person that is coming from a certain economic status. I want people to see Jae was a good leader who tried her hardest to not give up.
What is one fun fact about you that students should know before they cast your vote?
JB: I feel like everybody knows I am from New York. But I will say, past the aggressive exteriors, I do genuinely care and fight. If my mom was here, she would say I am the most selfless person you would meet. I always put people before me. And I think that is what the students need. They need somebody that is going to put them before themselves and not look at student government as a law school resume builder.
