Giana Abraham, Student Government President
Dear Comets,
Welcome to our campus! My name is Giana Abraham, and it is with immense gratitude that I write to you as your Student Government President for the 2025-26 academic year. Serving this community has been one of my greatest privileges, and every day I am reminded of the power we hold as students — not just to shape our campus, but to shape the world around us.
Beyond the construction and chaos, this campus has a unique charm. Over the next few years, you will form connections that last a lifetime and discover parts of yourself you never knew existed. Seek out discomfort by joining new clubs, starting conversations with people who challenge your perspectives, and embracing every opportunity to grow. These years are your chance to leave a mark. Make it count!
We live in times of both challenge and opportunity. Recent legislation in Texas has had a major impact on students, cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs and reducing support for underrepresented communities. Academic freedom and student input in shaping campus policies are increasingly restricted, and government oversight of universities has tightened. Meanwhile, federal policies and changing immigration rules have put the futures of international students in the U.S. at risk. Globally, conflicts displace millions, and human rights are under attack, while basic freedoms we once took for granted are being challenged and taken away. It is now more important than ever for us to raise our voices in advocating for inclusion and defending the rights of everyone on campus and in the broader community.
It is our priority to ensure that students are actively involved in pivotal decisions that affect our campus. Recent events, such as the temporary pause of the Track and Field team and the removal of the Spirit Rocks, have revealed just how critical it is for students to have a seat at the table. These moments remind us that change does not happen in isolation. It happens when we stand together to demand transparency and accountability.
Amid these hurdles, including budget cuts, we have adapted to continue supporting the student body and will continue to adapt as new challenges arise this year. As we promised in our campaigns, we are committed to making UTD a more connected and empowering campus. I have the utmost faith in our senators and students, but our work is only effective when it intersects with yours.
I encourage every one of you to act: attend a Student Government meeting, register to vote, contact your representatives and stay up-to-date with current news. Your perspectives shape the decisions that impact all of us.
Now more than ever, solidarity matters. In a world that often feels divided and overwhelming, our strength lies in the community that we build together. Whether it’s supporting peers during difficult times, advocating on campus or raising awareness about local and global issues, each small action contributes to a greater momentum that cannot be ignored.
I am inspired daily by the resilience and courage of the students here at UTD. Let us continue to lift each other up and work tirelessly toward the change we wish to see. Together, our voices are stronger than any challenge.
Thank you for entrusting me with this role. I promise to listen, act and represent you with integrity and passion. The future of our campus, and the world we live in, is in our hands. Let’s make it one we can be proud of.
Warmest Whooshes,
Giana Abraham
Student Government President, UTD
David Baker, Student Government Vice President
Dear UTD student body,
My name is David Baker, and it is with great honor that I have the opportunity to serve as the vice president for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year for Student Government.
We are in the midst of a historic time in the world. A genocide rages in Palestine, the cost of living continues to rise and the rights we thought were ingrained in U.S. law are rapidly eroding. International students face threats of deportation from a government hoping to make them the scapegoat for the problems it perpetuates. Queer students are seeing the erasure of decades of progress and regression towards homophobia and transphobia. With everything happening in the world and domestically, it’s easy to feel powerless and disenfranchised. After all, what can one voice really do?
If used, a lot more than you think.
I have been given an incredible privilege to serve that I will use to benefit the students of UTD to the best of my ability. It is my promise to you that I will work tirelessly to ensure every student at UTD is heard, protected and thrives. While a seemingly daunting task, I know that I, along with the rest of the Student Government Senate, is up for the task. We have never had a better set of senators so willing and ready to fight for every inch. I cannot wait to work with each and every senator to create the safe campus we deserve.
During my campaign last spring, I told you that I want to help bridge the disparate groups on campus together through more large-scale programming. I intend to follow through on that promise. Although the Student Government has received more than $15,000 of budget cuts, it is my belief that with careful planning and guidance from our executive committee, we will not only be able to deliver the same quality of events and resources that we offered last year, but build on what we have done with new and exciting ideas. I have and will continue to work to ensure every dollar we have is well spent towards quality programming and resources for the student body.
Although the school year is just starting, we have already had attempts to make drastic changes to our campus. Not even a few weeks ago we saw the complete eradication and revival of UTD Track and Field with little to no communication from administration. These shocking changes cannot continue. Earlier this year, I coauthored a resolution to create the sports ad-hoc committee to work on issues faced by sports teams on campus. I plan on continuing my work within this committee to figure out what happened and to build a space for student input on these kinds of decisions. For too long students have been left out of these pivotal conversations. Things need to change.
I want to sign off this letter by reemphasizing that the world, Texas and even the campus are in a turbulent state. We live in uncertain times where basic freedoms and norms may be taken away from us in the blink of an eye tomorrow. While I may not be able to directly change the law or policy, I can support, protect and inspire the student body. As I said earlier, it’s easy to feel discouraged. But accepting your fate is giving in to what they want. Individually we may feel like we are just students, but when united together as a campus, we have the ability to create a real change in the world. So go out and let your voice be heard. Protest, write letters and go to public hearings. Texas might have tried to limit our expression through SB 2972 (restrictions on speech at night, during the last weeks of school, etc.) but that will not stop us. Things may be rough now and rougher in the near future, but perseverance and solidarity will pull us through. Together, we can build a better world for each other and those who will follow us.
Thank you,
David Baker
Student Government Vice President, UTD
One Comment
Supporting racial discrimination in the form of DEI is actually insane. It’s a good thing that it’s going away and that meritocracy is being brought back.