Riley Brennan ‘Wesley’ Hurlbut and his running mate Victoria Smith are leading the way at Oklahoma State University! They have been elected Student Body President and Vice President — an incredible achievement!
Riley shared his experience by answering a few questions, giving us insight into his campaign process and what it looked like for him:
What year are you in, and what’s your major? Any plans for the future?
“I am a senior at Oklahoma State University, working towards dual degrees in Economics and Philosophy while also preparing to enter a Master’s program in Global Studies, focusing on Global Business and Trade.”
How has your experience in Sigma Alpha Epsilon helped you prepare for this leadership role as Student Body President?
“The values of SAE have helped guide my outlook and conduct since I joined, and in the various other roles I’ve held both on and off campus, I believe that the True Gentleman has reinforced my commitment to hold myself to a high ethical standard and to treat my fellow students with the respect they deserve. My experience in SAE executive roles, both in my chapter and in the National Ambassador Program, has also been helpful, as it’s allowed me to focus my time in SAE on lifting my fellow brothers up and helping them succeed.”
What inspired you to run for Student Body President, and what are your main goals for your term?
“Having served in OSU’s student senate since 2021, I’ve seen numerous student body presidents come and go, some more successful and impactful than others. I believe that my experience both inside and outside of our student government will be beneficial in running the organization in a way that is both internally efficient and externally meaningful. Some particular goals include working with Career Services to establish a professional clothing closet on campus for students, expanding security cameras near parking lots, and getting a bus route between the Stillwater and OKC campuses of OSU (currently we have one between the Stillwater and Tulsa campuses), reviving the multicultural advisory board to bridge informational gaps between student government and OSU’s multicultural communities, and holding frequent town halls for students to more easily bring their concerns in-person.”
How did your chapter brothers, family members, and friends support you throughout your campaign?
“My friends and SAE brothers were a huge help during the campaign. Many friends and brothers served as volunteers on the campaign team, and all of them made sure to help my running mate and me get on the ballot. My family has also been instrumental in this endeavor, as knowing that I had their support was a big morale boost that helped keep me in the race.”
What challenges did you face during the election process, and how did you overcome them?
“For any candidate to get on the student body presidential ballot, they must first obtain 500 student signatures by a deadline set two weeks before the election day. This meant that my running mate and I were reaching out to anyone and everyone that we knew, holding multiple tabling events, visiting various student clubs, turning over every stone we could think of to garner as much support as possible in this initial obstacle, up to the very last day that we could gather signatures. At the deadline, we ended up with over 600 signatures and were the only candidate pair to advance to the general election.”
What advice would you give to other fraternity members who aspire to take on leadership positions on campus?
“The values of fraternity, when taken seriously, are a great building block for living a life that is both fulfilling and impactful. For those who want to take on-campus leadership positions, it’s imperative to treat every student you represent with respect and understanding, holding yourself accountable to your conscience while making sure that the needs of your fellow students are met efficiently and effectively.”
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