A slate of candidates with ties to residence life, commuter services and student organizations across campus are seeking to lead Seton Hall’s Student Government Association (SGA). The Crumes ticket says its campaign is built on improving accessibility, transparency and communication with the student body.
The ticket—presidential candidate Khalil Crumes, vice presidential candidate Krystal Steele, secretary candidate Mariam Hamed and treasurer candidate CJ Remigio—said its platform centers on accessibility, transparency and stronger connections between student government and the broader campus community.
For Crumes, a junior accounting and criminal justice major, the idea of running for president had been developing for years.
“I’ve been wanting to run since sophomore year,” he said. “Maybe even before that.”
Currently a junior senator and chair of the Student Life Committee, Crumes said his role has allowed him to better understand how campus services operate and what issues students raise most often.
His motivation, he added, is also deeply personal.
“I knew I wanted to run for president because I wanted to do something for the community,” Crumes said. “Seton Hall has brought me so much.”
For Hamed, a sophomore diplomacy and international relations major, her experience as a commuter and first-generation college student influenced her decision to run.
“When I started at Seton Hall back in my freshman year, I didn’t know how to get started and I didn’t know the resources that were offered for me,” Hamed said. “[As] a first-generation student, you’re just kind of alone in the process of college.”
After becoming involved on campus, she said she wanted to ensure future students have clearer support systems.
Remigio, a freshman business student in the 3+3 law program, said his involvement with SGA and other student organizations inspired him to pursue leadership himself.
“I see Khalil as an inspiration when it comes to my college pathway,” Remigio said. “He was just an inspiration on how involved he was on campus and running for SGA treasurer is a great way to move forward on that.”
Steele, a junior diplomacy and international relations major, said her decision to run was also shaped by long-standing friendships with her fellow candidates.
“I’ve known Khalil from the very beginning,” Steele said. “He is a very important person in my life. I would consider him family.”
Members of the ticket said their varied involvement across campus organizations helps them stay connected to different parts of the student body.
Crumes currently serves as junior senator and Student Life chair in SGA, working with offices including Residence Life, Commuter Services, Gourmet Dining Services (GDS) and Disability Support Services. Outside of student government, he has worked with the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE) since his freshman year and has been involved with organizations such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Association, Consult Your Community, Accounting Club and Entrepreneurship Club. Crumes is also a resident assistant (RA) in Aquinas Hall.
Hamed serves as an ad hoc member in SGA and vice chair of the GDS committee. Outside of SGA, she is secretary of SHU’s NAACP chapter, a cast member in the Student Activities Board (SAB) and vice president of the Fashion Club. She also works at the university’s Global Learning Center.
Despite not previously holding an SGA position, Steele said her roles in residence life and other campus positions have allowed her to interact with a wide range of students. She serves as head RA in Aquinas Hall and previously worked as a desk assistant across residence halls. She also sits on the university disciplinary committee, works in the Innovation Hub and serves as vice president of finance for Kappa Kappa Gamma.
“I’ve dabbled in different leadership roles and different positions that I think definitely help add to those qualifications for SGA vice president,” Steele said.
Remigio said his involvement with SGA includes serving as co-chair of the Residents and Communities committee and participating in the finance committee. He is also involved with the Filipino student organization FLASH, Consult Your Community, the Gaming Sector and the fraternity Zeta Psi, where he serves as social chair.
“I’m great at working on initiatives, of starting something from the ground up,” Remigio said.
According to Steele, those different experiences help the ticket connect with students across campus.
“We are the definition of the best of both worlds,” she said. “We literally have outreach to the entire student body.”
The ticket said it plans to focus on initiatives aimed at strengthening campus engagement and communication.
One proposal is a cultural week highlighting the diversity of the student body through events such as food showcases, performances and panel discussions.
“It’s meant to highlight the diversity that we have here at Seton Hall and embrace it,” Hamed said.
Another idea is a small-business fair on campus, which would bring minority and women-owned businesses from the South Orange community to the university. Steele said the initiative would help build connections between students and the surrounding community.
“Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have equal access to these resources and to those connections to benefit and support their success,” Steele said.
According to Crumes, these initiatives are already in the planning process. He said he has been working with Vice President of Student Services Monica Burnette to plan a pilot cultural week this spring.
“We’re going to try and do something smaller this year during the campaigning and something bigger next year once we have more time to fully flesh it out,” he said.
Crumes added that the ticket has also spoken with several advisors to begin planning the small business fair.
Alongside new programming initiatives, the candidates said they want to strengthen communication between SGA and the broader student body.
Crumes said when initiatives cannot move forward, he tries to provide students with clear explanations.
“I try and advocate for them and then tell them why certain things won’t happen,” he said.
He also said he works to find alternative solutions.
“If I can’t do one thing, I will try and navigate for another,” he said.
The candidates said they also want to prioritize hearing directly from students.
“We want to know what they think, how they’re feeling on this campus, what they want to see that’s different,” Steele said.
Remigio said he hopes to improve communication with student organizations by making it easier for clubs to reach out about funding and event planning. He plans to introduce a bi-weekly newsletter and distribute his phone number to all club treasurers to make contact easier.
Throughout their campaign, the candidates said accessibility remains a central theme.
“We are people who are really seen on campus,” Crumes said. “We are people who you go to class with, you go to club meetings with.”
When asked what distinguishes their ticket from others, the candidates pointed to their varied backgrounds and campus involvement.
“We’re a very diverse group,” Crumes said. “Whether it’s between different years, ethnicities, cultures [or] club engagement.”
When describing their ticket’s dynamic, the candidates used words such as “accessible,” “community,” “support” and “family.”
Remigio said shared commitment drives their campaign.
“The people on this ticket really care about and really love Seton Hall,” he said. “[We] just want to see the best for it.”
Megan Pitt is the head editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu.
