On Friday, March 28, SGA will announce the winner of the two-day presidential campaign, with students choosing between either Omar Ratrut, junior political science major, or Khushi Kakadia, junior biology major, before midnight tomorrow, March 26. The Trinitonian sat down with both candidates to talk presidential goals, SGA accomplishments and transparency.

Khushi Kakadia, current Assistant Treasurer of SGA

Why should students vote for you?

“I, first of all, have a lot of experience on SGA, so I’ve been on SGA for all three years so far and I have a really good idea of how SGA runs, the operations, the responsibilities not only of the cabinet but the senate as well … But also, I think that the action items that I have under my belt will be very beneficial for the student body. Increasing transparency is something that students have been wanting for a really long time, and I think as president, I can make sure that there are ways to be as transparent as possible. And then also building community. I want SGA to be more integrated in the community — what’s going on.”

What do you think the biggest challenge is for SGA right now? How will you address it?
“I think that the biggest challenge for SGA right now is … transparency. I think there’s still some things that at least I thought like, I feel like this can be told to the student body, and then it never was. So I think being more diligent in sending out those initiatives that impact students directly and talk to them about why the decision was made, how the decision was made and maybe the process of what it looks like. A lot of the things that we do are already told to the student body, but there are some things that we should straight out tell people because they’re curious about it and what’s the point in not telling the student body everything we do because what we do is for the student body.”

What is the legacy you want to leave behind as SGA president?

“One of the things I want to aim to do is integrate ourselves more in the community, because I feel like there’s this stigma around SGA and we’re like the funding body, and there’s almost a little bit of a disconnect, but I don’t think that that is necessary or that that needs to stay present. I think we can work better as not only an SGA but also a supporting body for the student body to make sure that they know that we’re here for them. We’re always here to hear out their concerns, like out whole purpose is to help enhance student life on campus, whether it be through the community or physical campus appearance. So something I want to do is make it feel more like a community and like we’re all equal and we’re all the same people.”

What is the first thing you will do as president?

“The first thing I want to do is fix that ice cream machine. No, but also the first thing I want to do is talk to the advisors about ways that we can be more transparent and everything. That’s actually the first thing I want to do is just make sure that the first thing we do on campus is send an email saying we’re so excited to be here and support you and introduce the new communication avenues hopefully that we would have by then.”

What did you accomplish as a 2026 senator and assistant treasurer?

“As a senator — those were my first two years — I mainly helped with a bunch of the initiatives around campus. One of the initiatives I helped with was the menstrual products initiative, where we made menstrual product dispensers available in … three or four of the bathrooms around campus … I helped with restocking those dispensers and helping out the logistics of those plans. Another project I helped out with was replacing the water bottle filters around campus for the water bottle stations, and then I also ad hoc helped out other initiatives that were happening on SGA. And then as assistant treasurer, I’ve been helping a lot with the organization of the finance and senate funding meetings, and my main role there is assigning the preliminary meetings that organizations will meet with senators for and recording the decisions for all of the decisions that we make.”

How do you plan on making SGA’s funding process more transparent?

“I think that this year, SGA has done a much better job of being more transparent. We’ve been sending out more frequent emails to students, answering questions, we have our ‘Make It A Reality’ form, which is where students can submit either SGA or campus feedback and a lot of the feedback there. Like if students have concerns about our funding procedures, we will reach out to them and talk to them about it … But something I want to do is take it to the next level. I would want to send out more frequent emails or have more frequent press releases on the Trinitonian, for example — just make the communication more frequent so that students always feel like they are in the know about what’s going on in SGA. … Also maybe talking more about what SGA looks for in budgets as well [and] having one to two monthly meetings where students can come and give feedback about not only funding, but all SGA initiatives, so students have a better way to get their voice heard rather than just the Google Form.”

How will you create ways for students to stay updated on SGA initiatives and operations?

“Along with sending out more frequent emails and having more articles in the Trinitonian about funding, I would also want to do something similar for SGA initiatives just so students know exactly what the initiatives entail, how it impacts them, etc. … We already do Instagram-like posts about the SGA meetings, like ‘here’s a recap of what we did in SGA this week,’ and I think spreading the word about that because I think it’s a great resource for students who are curious about what we’ve done in SGA. … And then also trying to encourage students to come to the meetings more often, because if they’re curious about what’s going on, what better to do than sit in on the meeting because it’s open to the public and it’s a great way to get to learn about what we do.”

How will you enhance cultural representation and awareness on campus?

“I feel like an area of campus that is not as collaborated with for SGA, whether it be them coming to us or us collaborating with them, are the cultural orgs, and something I’d want to do is maybe set up more frequent one-on-one meetings with the organization or the organization’s exec just to talk about how we can be here to support them, whether it be for like big events like SASA’s Diwali or the the Filipino Student Association — their Mabuhay event — maybe collaborating with them on those big events to not only get the word about those events more out there but also make sure they feel supported by us as Student Government Association. And then aside from events, talking to them more frequently about ways that we can maybe enhance their organization and the outcome and the awareness of their organization on campus.”

Describe your presidency in one word.
“Change.”

Omar Ratrut, current DEI Chair of SGA

Why should students vote for you?

“I think I’ve always been outspoken in everything I’ve done. If I haven’t agreed with something, I’ve always made sure to voice that even if I’m the only dissenting opinion. I’ve also been the one to always support an initiative, even if I’m the only one supporting an initiative. I think the openness I have and my ability to communicate my wants and needs of what I think is best for the student population and my overall … leadership approach … My approach to leadership is one that is rooted in teamwork and fostering community within the establishment itself … Students should vote for me because I’m an advocate in everything that revolves around student’s needs, and students’ needs are always my priority.”

What do you think the biggest challenge is for SGA right now? How will you address it?

“Something I think I want to bring to SGA is a voice for students that is more outward, so I think, obviously, we advocate for students logistically in ways that they might not notice immediately, but … I’m only here for a year, … so when things like the strategic plan arise or even the construction we have at Dicke, … in 2026, after I graduate, students will see the payoff of these initiatives, but students like ourselves don’t necessarily see the benefit or immediate benefit yet. The strategic plan is something that is going to cost a lot of money and it might change a lot of the culture, like the ways we interact with our campus, and I think I want students to feel included in that discussion.”

What is the legacy you want to leave behind as SGA president?

“As a student who was abroad last semester, I got to experience the ways in which different institutions from the deepest corners of the world operate, and leaving studying abroad, I had this newfound appreciation for Trinity that was rooted in, ‘There is no place like the one we have in our little bubble of San Antonio’ … I think my legacy is centered around people having that similar experience of ‘This place is where I’m meant to be,’ and I think that comes from, obviously, inclusion. I think when people are included, they feel fulfilled. I think that’s my biggest thing I want people to take away from my presidency, is that there is space on this campus for you, whether you may think there is or not … It’s okay if you’re the loudest in the room. It’s okay if you’re walking through campus with the biggest smile on your face, waving at people who might not necessarily wave back to you, but it makes for a greater environment.”

What is the first thing you will do as president?

“Oh, I just want to hit the gavel … I think I’m a very expressive, bubbly person, and I want to have fun with it. I want there to be a playful banter in the air, but I also want us to really bunker down when things get serious and I want to be taken seriously. … I think some people approach respect from the position of ‘I must be stern in order to be respected,’ but I think that approach it from a position of ‘my action and initiative will speak for my success in SGA.’ … I think one of the first things an SGA president does in their term is move-in weekend, and I was to be dripped out in Trinity merch. I want to be cheering with the sign. I just want to have fun, and I want to make it a positive experience.”

What did you accomplish as a 2026 senator and DEI Chair?
“At the very first meeting, they tell us we need to join at least two committees, and I think one thing I was really passionate about was obviously DEI, so I joined the committee as a member, and then I joined finance committee. I think my experience on finance committee was the one I took away the most from … You also get to be the voice for students to allow their initiatives to come to life, and you get to be a factor in that … On DEI committee, I think we took an approach that really focused on DEI programming, so offering events that allowed students to feel represented and seen. Former DEI Chair Trinity Hatchett established the block party … and it was really rewarding to be part of that experience. It ended up having a great turnout, and I think it was the one event on campus that brings together the various DEI identity-based organizations we have on campus. … As DEI chair this year, I’ve, again, been shifting or like developing my own strategy for what I want my position and what I want my legacy in DEI to be. I think in this specific political climate, especially on college campuses, DEI is very large and broad, and these conversations surrounding DEI are often approached with a mindset of hesitation or difficulty, … so one thing I’m trying to do is establish a panel, getting various professors and students to share their experiences on how DEI has affected their lives and their experiences with DEI initiatives and why college campuses require DEI initiatives for the success as a whole.”

How do you plan on increasing the transparency between students and administration?

“Transparency is really broad and vague, so I think specifically transparency regarding increases in tuition and changes to things we’ve seen, like the meal plan and decisions to keep housing like CV and upperclassmen housing specifically targeted toward seniors. I think it’s something I really want answers for. I think a lot of it is stuff SGA has answers for. We meet with the head of the housing offices, and they give us these answers and the Trinitonian reports about them, but in the general sense, I don’t think a lot of Trinity, like Trinity’s body doesn’t necessarily feel included in that conversation … Every time I get that letter in the mail that tuition is increasing, my heart sinks because I’m reminded that it’s a financial institution, and students begin to feel like they’re profitable agents and not necessarily like individuals or students here to learn and grow. But I think a big aspect of it is things like COVID and with the economic semi-recession we faced, prices skyrocketed, and obviously the university has to account for that differential in some manner. I think the lack of student acknowledgement is what leads students feeling left out of the conversations and underrepresented, and I think as SGA president, the greatest aspect of having access — having access to things like the vice president of student affairs and the president’s office … I hope to be an advocate in that regard.”

How do you plan on ensuring that we have an inclusive campus?

“I think that inclusivity is something that is so large and expansive and having one concrete answer to encompass what inclusivity is impossible, but I think inclusivity for me is one, representation, and two, comfortability, like comfortability in having the will and agency and support to do the things they want on this campus. And I think inclusivity is something that can stem from having conversations and dialogues, but it can also be on the more logistical lens of securing funding for organizations that allow students to feel seen and represented, especially the marginalized students … When we uplift the individual, we uplift the whole, and I think that’s a large principle I’ve led in my life … A lot of people approach [funding] from ‘x’ amount of students will benefit from spending ‘x’ amount of money, which is valid in many senses, but I think oftentimes uplifting one person can have a much larger and broader impact that you may not see, but other students may. And I think that wholly gives it importance.”

How will you ensure students’ needs are met?

“I think over the past four years on Trinity’s campus, I’ve made it a priority of mine to just get to know my community. I think I’ve always centered my experiences around being a friendly face that leaves every interaction with a position experience, and I think that reputation is something that allows for open dialogues and expresses concerns to be clearly and thoughtfully taken into consideration … I think we all have different definitions of what it is to be fulfilled, and I think as SGA president, by acknowledging the needs of the student, I want to ensure that everyone is feeling like their experience at Trinity is a positive experience to take away from.”

Describe your presidency in one word.
“Epic.”