The Northerner hosted the 2025 Student Government Association (SGA) Presidential Debate Monday night. Two candidate slates—Jasmine Bradley/Ariel Stephens and Collin Jarrell/Kyah Smith—discussed transparency, DEI, student engagement, the climate of SGA and more.
The debate, which took place in the University Center Ballroom, featured questions from both Northerner moderators and audience members.
Their platforms
Bradley and Stephens delivered their opening statement first. The slate said they are running on three pillars: advocacy, transparency and engagement.
“We want to be engaged with you all. We want to be able to represent SGA in a positive light so that you may see our support for each of your organizations,” Bradley said.
Jarrell and Smith’s goal is to make NKU an “authentic and well-balanced community.” The presidential candidate said this begins with ensuring students have the resources they need to be themselves.
Responses to anti-DEI legislation
A repeated topic throughout the night was Kentucky’s House Bill 4 and the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
HB 4, which was introduced in Kentucky during the 2025 General Assembly, seeks to eliminate all DEI programs and initiatives at public universities. The bill passed both the Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate. While Governor Andy Beshear vetoed the bill on March 20, the General Assembly will have the opportunity to override his veto later this week.
The Jarrell/Smith slate said they have been working at length throughout the legislative session to better understand the bill and its implications at NKU.
Smith serves as president of the Residence Hall Association. In this role, she has been meeting routinely with University Housing Director Scott Patton to discuss housing initiatives that could be impacted by HB 4.
“This is something we’ve both been consistently advocating for and talking about the entirety of the year,” Smith said.
Her presidential running mate said he has been meeting with the NKU president and provost to ensure students have a seat at the table when conversations regarding HB 4 take place.
“These services impact everyone and impact this entire community and what brings people to NKU,” Jarrell said.
Bradley pointed out there is not a concrete answer yet of what the bill might change at NKU.
“When it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion, it is no secret that me and Ariel are part of those minority groups being African American and being women,” Bradley said. “So we really do want to fight for those spaces.”
Stephens acknowledged if the bill passes, the university and SGA will have to oblige by the rules of the law. They will work, however, to have full transparency and update students on potential effects.
“It is important to us because of our own morality,” Stephens said.
Audience concerns: managing responsibilities, inclusivity and experience
Halfway through the debate, audience members were given the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates. The first audience member asked Bradley about her time commitments as a nursing major and how she would be able to balance serving SGA and the Board of Regents.
Bradley responded by referencing her experience as president of the Black Student Union and her ability to stay organized.
“Nursing school always is my forefront because that’s what I’m here for to get my degree. However, I’m a super, super organized person,” said Bradley. “I know that when I, if elected, become SGA president, I will definitely be able to still be there for students and be able to still stay on top of my schoolwork because it’s what I’m doing currently.”
Another audience question came from a student who took part in a sit-in in support of DEI at an SGA meeting last month. The student asked the Jarrell/Smith slate about SGA’s reaction to the protestors.
“The meeting was going to end before we had a chance to speak, so I want to know why this was how the situation was handled,” the student asked.
Smith responded first, saying that while on the executive board for Student Government, she and Jarrell did not control the meeting.
“I’m really sorry that it came off that we don’t care, but this is something that we’re both very passionate about,” Smith said. “This is a human rights issue that affects every single student.”
Jarrell followed, echoing Smith’s sentiment and explaining that the meeting agenda was created beforehand and SGA was not aware the protestors wanted to speak.
Jarrell assured the audience members that the protesters’ concerns were taken directly to President Cady Short-Thompson and Provost Diana McGill in subsequent meetings.
Bradley and Stephens’ relationship with the university administration was also brought up. An audience member questioned the lack of support for administrators in the slate’s campaign and asked how the pair would work with them.
“We are definitely going to put that at our forefront,” Bradley said in response. “We want to build that [relationship] so we can all have our voices heard in those different spaces that we haven’t previously had voices heard at.”
Stephens followed, defending her campaign, saying it’s a “huge misconception” that they do not have a relationship with administration.
“That’s not true at all. I even served as vice president for the Presidential Ambassadors at a time, so that communication is there,” she said.
Climate of SGA
Bradley said from her experience attending the DEI sit-in last month, the SGA environment was unwelcoming. Stephens polled the room to see how many audience members had attended an SGA meeting before. When not all hands went up, the slate said it was their goal for attending meetings to be normalized for all students.
“A lot of students—and not just us or the students in this room—have felt like there has been an extreme power distance between students and SGA members, and we want to eliminate that distance,” Stephens said. “Jasmine and I refuse to let this continue to happen.”
Jarrell and Smith said it will be a top priority of their administration to get more representation in SGA members. Jarrell said they would accomplish this by visiting classes and other organizations at the start of the fall semester.
One idea Jarrell introduced to keep students aware of what’s happening in SGA is a weekly meeting update via social media or email. Bradley/Stephens mentioned a similar idea, saying they would like to implement a newsletter or social media update chain.
Final remarks
“What do you want your legacy to be when you leave NKU,” was the final question of the night.
Bradley said she wants to leave the university better than she found it.
“When I first came here, I didn’t really like how NKU was, and I took the initiative to change it,” the presidential candidate said, citing her revitalization of the Black Student Union.
Jarrell took a different approach with his answer, emphasizing the importance of a healthy and functioning Student Government.
“The legacy that Kyah and I want to leave is making sure that SGA is functioning and that it is at full capacity,” he said. “We also want to make sure we are speaking for you and speaking for your concerns.”
Closing statements began with the Jarrell/Smith slate. Jarrell emphasized how passionate the slate is about being a voice for students, especially with the potential passage of HB 4.
“Whether House Bill 4 goes into effect or not—which, sadly, it’s looking like it is—they cannot take away the people we have here on campus; they can only take away the resources, and we can create our own resources,” said Jarrell.
Bradley highlighted that her slate has been a part of diverse organizations and will bring transparency and advocacy to Student Government.
Stephens briefly followed Bradley’s closing statement, reiterating their motto: “Empower every voice and embrace every story.”
The full debate can be viewed on The Northerner’s YouTube channel.
SGA elections will take place on March 26-27. NKU students will receive an email link to cast their vote. The Northerner will continue providing updates on the election as they become available.