Ross, Sara

English

Texas ScholarWorks

Feb 27A New Texas Has Heart Like Thissara rossDisclaimer: I have not involved myself in any campaigning for Student Government elections, and have had noofficial affiliation with any pair running for student body president and vice president prior to this interview.The purpose of this article was and continues to be spotlighting Guneez Ibrahim, Hannah McMorris, and theirteam on a more personal level before election day. However, after meeting with Guneez and two heads of hercampaign, I can confidently say that I have experienced firsthand just how passionate the candidates are abouthuman rights, education, and the needs of each and every member of the University of Texas community, nomatter their background. Together, the two women bring a fresh perspective and commitment to diversity that isunique to their platform, and have an unbelievable potential for leadership. Members of each campaign areextremely qualified, and no matter who is victorious, students can be certain that the future of their campus is ingood hands. However, I challenge you to open your mind, revisit Guneez and Hannah's campaign points on theirwebsite, and imagine that a new Texas can look like this.While a suspicious lack of Speedway tablers would suggest that the whirlwind of Student Governmentelections is winding down, Guneez Ibrahim and Hannah McMorris’ campaign for Student Body Presidentand Vice President hasn’t stopped rolling as the university approaches election day. Their team was easy tospot gathered around a small table in the Liberal Arts commons. If not for the “Guneez & Hannah” flashingacross their crisp white shirts in bright, retro letters, I still could have picked them out by the comfortablechatter over sprawled laptops and phone screens that greeted me as I sat down. Meetings with studentV O X  P O P U L Iorganizations are the order of the day, and as the evening closes, an abbreviated team of three sits before meready to present their vision for “A New Texas.”Running a campaign on the Forty Acres is not a small undertaking, but presidential candidate GuneezIbrahim, a sociology and design fourth year from Louisiana, is no stranger to throwing herself into thingsfull-force. When President Trump defunded the landmark Obama-era program “Let Girls Learn” in thesummer of 2017, Ibrahim focused her energy and decided that she didn’t want to feel powerless anymore.After selling hundreds of t-shirts screen-printed in her apartment with former first lady Michelle Obama’sface (and a lot of help from a few generous benefactors), Ibrahim was able to donate $25,000 to girls’education. But the momentum of that project kept building.“I was still riding that high, and a bit näive,” she tells me, laughing. “I didn’t want it to end. So I looked upcountries that had benefited from ‘Let Girls Learn,’ and I booked the cheapest plane ticket I could find. I left aweek later.” Ibrahim soon found herself teaching at a girls’ orphanage in Peru for sexually abused teenagemothers and their babies, an experience that had no small impact on her current view of womanhood,education, and what it means to serve.Taking that same energy to the election, Ibrahim and McMorris seek more than anything to create space forunderrepresented voices on campus. Whether this means a new campus center for students who commutefrom Riverside, gender-inclusive signage in campus bathrooms, or creating identity-based positions inStudent Government, serving marginalized and tokenized populations has become a vital part of Guneez andHannah’s platform.Despite their own personal accomplishments in public service, Student Government, and journalism,Ibrahim and McMorris have still had an uphill battle to fight as the first women of color ticket in the historyof the university’s Student Government elections. Surprisingly unfazed, Ibrahim tells me how she waslaughed out of an organization meeting that same day. “We aren’t just doing this for the sake ofrepresentation. But if there’s one thing I’ve taken away from all the slander we’ve received for identity-basedpolitics,” Ibrahim tells me, “it’s that representation is absolutely a reason to do something.”If Guneez and Hannah’s campaign were to have one main goal, it’s emphasizing the idea that benefitting onecommunity benefits all. This is particularly true when trying to disrupt what the team’s CommunicationsDirector, Langston Dillard, calls the rather bureaucratic and stale culture of Student Government. This desireto push for others and affect change is what makes Guneez and Hannah such a powerful pair. “If you lovesomething, you want it to improve. Hannah loves UT and isn’t afraid to be critical of it when needed. That’swhy we work so well,” says Ibrahim of her running mate.Interviewsutaustin, campus, election, student governmentS A R A  R O S SSara Ross is a Journalism and Plan II Honors freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. In herfree time, Sara can be found hunting for pull-apart Twizzlers, thoughtfully crafting Spotifyplaylists for friends, and re-watching Bo Burnham’s standup specials for the umpteenth time.However, when asked what one thing they would want the university to know about the women who couldpotentially be the next heads of the student body, it wasn’t their extensive list of accomplishments in serviceor organizations like Texas Spirits, Orange Jackets, Student Government, and Orange Magazine that Guneezand Hannah’s team cited. Beaming, campaign manager Julia O’Hanlon spoke pridefully of Ibrahim’s heart andbalance. “She has the ability to simultaneously be so caring and loving while also being an intenselypassionate badass. Guneez and Hannah will fight for UT, every last student here, no matter who you are.”“The first word that comes to mind is ‘humanity,’” the Communications Director for Guneez and Hannah’scampaign, Langston Dillard, told me. “Guneez is so down-to-earth, and will take the same authenticity toevery angle of an issue.” After spending only a short time with the candidate and her team, we coveredeverything from Vines to access to halal and kosher food in dorms to her volunteer work in Peru. When youwatch Ibrahim lean in and see her eyes light up with passion for her work as she discusses human rights andeducation, it’s clear that Guneez and Hannah’s vision for a new Texas is fresh and full of heart. Says Ibrahim,“There’s a reason this campaign has been groundbreaking. There have been struggles, but someone has topave the way.”Related PostsMar 1 Thinking HistoricallyFeb 27 A Conversation with Colton and MehrazFeb 27UT Austin 2018 Student GovernmentExecutive Alliance OverviewFeb 27A Conversation with Colton andMehrazApr 5The Tweet Heard 'Round The WorldLeave a commentThe Texas Orator is a nonpartisan, peer-reviewed political publication that was founded and is maintained byUniversity of Texas at Austin students. We value thorough analysis in our articles and strive to protect theideals of free speech and unhindered access to information on campus and nationwide. We seek to keep thestudent body informed of the implications of ever-changing political climates, both domestically and abroad,from a range of voices and perspectives.Join Our CommunitySubscribe to our weekly newsletter!Email Address  SUBMITD O N A T EPowered by Squarespace

A New Texas Has Heart Like This

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A New Texas Has Heart Like This

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