I ran against Trevor last year. Here’s why I’m asking you to vote for him.

By Jae Kim     2/25/25 11:17pm

Editor’s Note: This is a guest opinion that has been submitted by a member of the Rice community. The views expressed in this opinion are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of the Thresher or its editorial board. All guest opinions are fact-checked to the best of our ability and edited for clarity and conciseness by Thresher editors. 

I ran against Trevor last year. Here’s why I am asking you to vote for him.

My name is Jae Kim, and I am the current Student Association President. In this position, I represent the interests of over 4,700 undergraduate students to university administration and preside over Senate meetings. I am writing this op-ed to strongly endorse Trevor Tobey’s campaign to succeed in my position. 

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First and most importantly, I have worked with few people more dedicated than Trevor during my 4 years in student government at Rice. 

Trevor went above and beyond in his role as Parliamentarian, spearheading the most comprehensive constitutional changes the SA has seen in years, and thus helping build a stronger foundation for the organization. He has also attended almost every executive cabinet meeting —  for which his attendance was not required —  to contribute to the various other projects that we were working on. 

My main concern with Trevor’s campaign last year was an overreliance on financial resources to address campus issues, but I know that after this year, he has the experience to be able to utilize not just financial resources, but advocacy, collaboration, and strategic thinking to achieve change. 

Although I applaud the write-in candidate, Callum Flemister, for their desire to serve the Rice community, I have serious doubts about their qualifications. I do not know Callum personally, but from their website, it seems that they have never held a leadership position within Duncan College, let alone the Student Association. 

The Student Association is a complex organization composed of over 4,700 undergraduate students, 12 college presidents, 12 college senators, seven commissions, and over 30 appointed positions, managing a roughly $400,000 budget. The SA President must guide and coordinate with all such units, as well as navigate complex campus bureaucracy to interface with countless administrative offices. 

I have serious doubts that Callum will be able to do so. Importantly, I don’t recall Callum attending a single Senate meeting this year, while Trevor has attended almost every single one. 

Two of the biggest barriers to meaningful change at Rice, or any other university, are  the short one-year terms and rapid changeover of student leaders. Many significant changes cannot reasonably happen within one SA President’s term, which makes it all the more important that the SA President has abundant experience and strong institutional knowledge from previous years. 

This executive board and president’s cohort has made a lot of progress on issues ranging from 24/7 Fondren to late-night dining, and from supporting cultural clubs to protecting free speech. I know that this progress will not be lost under Trevor. 

Let’s also talk about the issues that Trevor, Callum and I collectively care about — 24/7 Fondren and increased engagement with the student body. As for 24/7 Fondren, the Student Association submitted a thorough, data-backed proposal to Rice administration over the winter, and we are in conversations on how we can advocate for this change during the next budget process. 

Trevor has been an integral part of the team that helped me push for this change. While Callum casts doubt on our work by stating that “there are still more questions than answers,” I don’t recall them ever reaching out to us with any such questions. No change on this campus happens with a snap of a finger, but Callum’s platform does not seem to reflect this reality. 

In addition, Callum critiques the SA’s efforts to engage with the student body by stating our Instagram “only has 2,177 followers.” However, I would like to point out that this SA executive cabinet, of which both Trevor and I were a part, grew this Instagram account from a mere ~1,300 followers to ~2,200 in one year, as part of our effort to increase transparency and reach of the SA. 

Trevor and I don’t agree on every issue. But I want to emphasize that the main role of the SA President is not to promote a specific agenda, but rather to serve as a platform for student advocacy of all forms. I am confident that Trevor will do so as SA President. 

I ran for SA President last year because I believed that I was truly the best candidate for the job. I am endorsing Trevor’s campaign this year because similarly, I believe that he is truly the best candidate for the job. 

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