At Eastern Michigan University, in the homestretch of a campaign that has spanned three months, the two presidential tickets in the 2026 Student Government election gathered on Wednesday, March 18, to present their respective arguments in a public forum. In Room 352 of the Student Center, they sat at adjacent tables, taking turns to answer timed questions asked by Election Commissioner Max Butler.
To start, the candidates were asked to introduce themselves. Yasrib Farook, a candidate for president, is an international computer science student who came to EMU after serving in the Bangladesh military. He described himself as being ambitious, driven and goal-oriented.
"I'm a people person," he said. "I love to talk to people about their life and backgrounds ... I believe I'm a natural leader."
Farook, who was first appointed as a senator in 2023, went on to win re-election in the two following years.
"I know how the student body works, from ins and outs," he said.
Yasrib Farook, 2026 candidate for Student Government president, holds a flyer explaining his platform priorities at the Student Government candidate forum held in the Student Center on March 18, 2026.
Senator Mirna Shehab, Farook's running mate and an international interior design student from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, pointed to her past leadership experience in various campus organizations. Shehab was voted into the senate during a meeting in February 2026 and emphasized her experience connecting with students at EMU and other universities, such as Wayne State University and Michigan State University.
Shehab currently serves as the president of the Muslim Student Association and as secretary for the International Student Association. She is also involved with Students Organize 4 Syria at EMU.
Vice president candidate Mirna Shehab speaks at the Student Government candidate forum on March 18, 2026.
Vice President Nina Freeman, who is running for president, is a secondary education math major. In her introduction, she referenced her experience co-founding the Adoptee Club on campus and her history in Student Government. Freeman was elected as a senator in 2024 and became vice president to Jack Booth, the sitting president, in the 2025 election. She has also served as the director of community and diversity outreach and the co-chairperson of the business and finance committee.
"I've been really fortunate to be able to connect with all sorts of different camps, groups and departments, student orgs across campus," Freeman said. She went on to mention her position as advancement student ambassador for the office of alumni engagement, and the work she has done over the past year in Student Government to prepare herself for the role of president.
Student Government president candidate Nina Freeman speaks at the candidate forum on March 18, 2026.
Eva Orlich Rojas, Freeman's running mate, is an international chemistry student from Costa Rica. She began her introduction by emphasizing that she has a scientific background, but also considers herself to be very social.
"I think my purpose in life is to make that connection with people, and to make people connect with each other, which is what brought me here," she said.
Orlich serves on the current e-board of the ISA with Shehab, and referenced her history of working with E|Dining, orientation and the Faculty Development Center. She also serves as the current director of student services for the Student Government.
Vice president candidate Eva Orlich Rojas speaks at the Student Government candidate forum on March 18, 2026.
For the first question of the evening, the presidential candidates were asked what their priority would be if they were to be elected. Freeman spoke about cultivating a sense of belonging on campus and making student organization funding more accessible. Farook said that increasing the visibility of Student Government on campus would be his priority, along with making underrepresented students feel heard and advocated for.
When all candidates were asked about their strategies for raising awareness of Student Government, Shehab pitched a series of "talk-to-me" sessions and said she would show up to e-board meetings for student organizations, work to increase weekend events and try to raise the recently lowered limit of international students on campus due to federal policies. Freeman spoke about her experience working at information tables for Student Government and connecting students with resources on the Eagle App social media platform. She also said she has shared her personal contact information with students.
When the vice-presidential candidates were asked about their qualifying experience to preside over the Senate, Orlich talked about her position as the director of student services and experience with the International Student Association. Shehab explained that balancing all of her extracurricular responsibilities can be hectic, but that she is intentional and thorough about making time to see it all through.
Both presidential candidates emphasized their own records and experiences in Student Government as being foundational in their organizational skills, and there was unanimous agreement among the tickets that good faith, active listening to all parties was the key to avoiding the hostile environment seen at times in state and federal government. Both presidential candidates also said that scholarship opportunities were the main reason they came to EMU, along with the friendly environment.
Finally, the presidential candidates were asked what areas EMU should improve on. Freeman focused her answer on whether the university was living up to its goal of having an accessible culture, and used student organizations as an example of how that gap can be bridged. Farook said that parking, food and a lack of engaging events were the complaints he heard most often, and referenced his ticket's goal of increasing facility hours. He also mentioned mental health on campus which has been a recurring mention in both tickets throughout the campaign.
In their closing statements, Shehab said that she and Farook would work very hard, if elected.
"We try to be there for the students, and we are very genuine about our policies," she said, adding that their ticket also values diversity at EMU. Farook said that Student Government and the student body depend on each other, and that he was ready to work to advocate for students.
"I humbly ask for all your support," he said.
Student Government candidates Yasrib Farook (left), running for president, and Mirna Shehab, running for vice president, speak to each other at the candidate forum on March 18, 2026.
Orlich said that she and Freeman and passionate about giving back to the university.
"We are also students, and we have also struggled a lot," she said. "Eastern has made all those struggles feel lighter, but also has granted so many opportunities to us."
In her closing statement, Freeman said, "I want to make it very known, very clear, that over this past year, we've been working on making so many connections."
She explained that those connections have prepared them to go through the right avenues to accomplish their agenda.
Student Government vice president candidate Eva Orlich Rojas (left) looks on as her running mate, presidential candidate Nina Freeman, speaks at the candidate forum on March 18, 2026.
Voting in the 2026 Student Government election will open at 8 a.m. on March 25 and close the next day at 8 p.m. Students will receive an email in the coming days with a link to the online voting interface through my.emich.edu. Butler can be reached by email at dbutle42@emich.edu.
