Hundreds of students gathered in front of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall steps last Friday to listen for the names of their next student leaders. HUSA Executive-, Royal Court- and Senator-elects were among those announced by the Elections Commission.
Jay Jones, a junior political science major from Fort Worth, Texas, and HUSA’s current vice president will be HUSA’s 64th president. Tariah Hyland, a junior political science major from Wilmington, Delaware, will serve as vice president.
She said that being elected HUSA president and the first transgender president was “humbling” and “miraculous.”
“I don’t have any words for it,” Jones said in an interview following the announcement. “It’s been a long road, regardless of the campaign and everything that’s been going on. It’s been family problems. It’s been personal issues, it’s just good to have some good come out about this.”
Jones served as the 2022-2023 Mister College of Arts and Sciences (COAS), has been a student employee in the Office of University Communications since August 2022 and was chief of staff in the COAS Freshman Council, according to her LinkedIn.
“I’ve served the students as a VP and I’ll continue to serve students as a president,” she said.
The March 29 election results announcement marked the end of two weeks of student campaigning on campus and a voting day on March 28. The full results of the elections are outlined at the bottom of this article.
Junior advertising major Damaris Grace Moore will be the 86th Miss Howard University. She said that from the time she was in middle school, she had dreamt of attending Howard, but never foresaw being elected into one of the most notable roles in the Royal Court.
“I never saw myself as a pageant girl. I didn’t think I could do this, but I’m here and it’s just very full circle,” Moore said.
Moore added that one of her biggest challenges during her campaign was “fighting that self-doubt,” as she saw comments from people on Fizz’s social media app that said she wasn’t qualified to be Miss Howard University.
“No matter what, you don’t have to take a traditional route. You don’t have to fit into the mold of what you think something is,” Moore said. “You can be who you are and still succeed, and I just want to inspire people to understand that.”
“I feel blessed, man,” Gregory Allen Jr., the next Mr. Howard University, said. “This was an incredible journey that I never saw for myself the moment I stepped foot on this campus. I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. I’m glad I took that risk.”
Allen, a junior supply chain management major from San Francisco, said that it took a village to win the Mr. Howard University position. He said that his pledge brothers, his brothers and his friends were critical support factors, but indicated his mother as the most important.
“My mama. My mama. Mama, I love you. I couldn’t have done it without her, man,” he said. “That’s my rock.”
“None of this was for show,” Allen continued. “The real work begins.”
Elections Commission commissioner senior Kelsey Rainey announced the names of all the winners and said that she believes that the work she and her team put into the election season “all paid off.”
“I congratulate everybody who won,” she said. “Everybody won fair and square and so really excited for everybody to be able to serve in these positions that they rightfully won.”
Robert Clark Jr. is Howard’s Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, and for the past four years has volunteered to be the auditor over the student election results.
In an emailed statement to The Hilltop, Clark said that Mr. and Miss Howard’s results are determined by five differently weighted categories: the interview, 20 percent, a candidate portfolio, 13 percent, the pageant, 11 percent, student pageant coordinator score, 5 percent, and student voting, 51 percent.
He said that five judges scored Mr. and Miss Howard’s candidates on introduction, oratory, talent Q&A and formal wear elements. The judges can be past Mr. and Misses, and community members. The averages of their scores are used for the overall calculation. The HUSA president is not interviewed.
“The painstakingly detailed work and late nights auditing the election results are all worth it when I witness the joy, excitement and pride when the winners are announced on the Yard,” Clark said. “Kudos to all the participants and congratulations to all the winners!”
HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT ELECTION RESULTS:
HUSA EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
HUSA Executive President: Jay Jones
HUSA Executive Vice President: Tariah Hyland
MISTER AND MISS HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Miss Howard University: Damaris Grace Moore
Mr. Howard University: Gregory Allen Jr.
UNDERGRADUATE ELECTION RESULTS:
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (SOB)
Mr. SOB: Ahmad Edwards
Miss SOB : Kristen Plunkett
SOB Executive Council:
Council Secretary: Tyla Woods
Council Treasurer: Soad Eltahir
Council Vice President: Run-off election to be held April 5
Council President: Chidera Dimkpa
SOB HUSA Senate:
Saskia Ivery
Seynabou Diop
Chloe Skinner
Jasmyn Love
SOB Undergraduate Student Assembly:
Marquis Donegan
Ashley Foston
Ose Esene
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS (SOC):
Miss SOC: Jada White
Mr. SOC: Danilo D. Wrightsell
SOC COUNCIL:
Council President: Brianna Artis
Council Vice President: Makayla Batts
Council Treasurer: DuWayne Portis
Council Secretary: Lauryn Hash
SOC HUSA Senate:
Salimah Scott
Kevin White
SOC Undergraduate Student Assembly:
MJ Patterson
Amadi Weser
Kayla Austin
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE (CEA):
Miss CEA: Ifetayo Spencer
Mr. CEA: Mikey Johnson Jr.
CEA Executive Council:
Council President: Jacob Bryant
Council Vice President: Morayo Adeyemi
Council Treasurer: Kandance Battle
Council Secretary: Quari Robinson
CEA HUSA Senate:
Sarah Cole
Ava Conyer
Brady Souma
CEA Undergraduate Student Assembly:
Sydney Stokes
Khalese Mosley
Haithem Amir
COLLEGE OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH (CNAHS):
Miss CNAHS: Asjah Snead
Mister CNAHS: Kevon Williams
CNAHS Executive Council:
Council President: Blessing Lockwood
Council Vice President: Hamid Jalloh
Council Treasurer: Nandi Myhand
Council Secretary: Erin Chapman
CNAHS HUSA Senate:
Evan Favors
Laila Lawson
Samuella Adu Boahen
CNAHS Undergraduate Student Assembly:
David Luchdor
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION (SOE):
Miss SOE: Parisia Hutchinson
Mr. SOE: Marcus Fields
SOE Executive Council:
Council President: Anastacia Samuels
Council Vice President: Jada Carter
Council Treasurer: Tia L. Ford
Council Secretary: Gillian Parris
SOE HUSA SENATE:
Position unfilled
SOE Undergraduate Student Assembly:
Mikayla Duncan
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS (COFA):
Miss COFA: Nia Potter
Mr. COFA: Uchenna Ukonu
COFA Executive Council:
Council President: Skylar Wilson
Council Vice President: Alphonso Evans Jr.
Council Treasurer: Ty’Ree Davis
Council Secretary: Jabrielle K. Shalem
COFA HUSA SENATE:
Efeoghene Rhonor
Morgan Tate
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES (COAS):
Miss COAS: Eden Boles
Mr. COAS: Jordan Williams
COAS Executive Council:
Council President: Bria Nartey
Council Vice President: Daunté Evans
Council Treasurer: Victoria Matthews
Council Secretary: Blaire Jones
COAS HUSA Senate:
Jeremy Allman
Leah Peterson
Justyce Reed
Loren Spivery
Devon Selmon
Trey Bennett
Alex Blocker
Marlee Williams
Zion Eldridge
COAS Undergraduate Student Assembly:
Lauren Foley
Janiya Allen
Preston Jones
GRADUATE ELECTION RESULTS:
SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY:
DENTISTRY HUSA SENATORS :
Nnam Akunne
Jaliyl Jones
Dentistry Executive Council:
Executive President: Cliff Enklers
Executive Vice-President: Noah Williams
Executive Treasurer: Henry Shelton
Executive Secretary: Keith Barnes
SCHOOL OF DIVINITY:
Divinity Executive Council:
Council President: Kimberly Broome
Council Vice President: Kimberly Seward
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY:
Pharmacy HUSA Senate:
Sommore Robinson
Pharmacy GSA Representative:
Jacob Krah
Council President: Christopher Bratcher
Council Vice President: Kwinci Britt
Council Treasurer: Position unfilled
Council Secretary: Alexandria Rodriguez
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE:
Graduate Student Association Representative:
Chelsea Faison
Chisom Ogbuchi
Eunice Boateng
Director of Community Affairs:
Nanda Nana
Director of Alumni Affairs:
Joy-Lloyd Montgomery
Director of Finance:
Ashley Thompson
Director of Education:
Nurupa Ramkissoom
Medicine Executive Council:
Council President: Enyinnaya Kamalu
Council Vice President: Diamond Williams
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK:
Social Work HUSA SENATE:
Yao E. Odamtten
Antoinette Kirkpatrick
Social Work Graduate Student Association Representative
Carmen Ross
Social of Social Work Executive Council
Council President: Jaylyn Andrus
Council Vice President: Jamerson CS Watson
Council Treasurer: Adachi Selas
Council Secretary: Juwan Carlos Rosa
SCHOOL OF LAW:
Law Graduate Student Association Representative:
Nadya Wutoh
Jackie Buie
2L STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION Representative:
Karla Bonnic
2L Executive Council:
Council President: Savannah Mangram
Council Vice President: Kei Laribo
Council Treasurer: Jordan Dawson
Council Secretary: Ama Fosu
3L Executive Council:
Council President: Justin Blankson-Phipps
Council Vice President: Clarisleida Mateo Lebron
Council Treasurer:
Council Secretary:
STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Council President: Jaden A. Cody
Council Vice President: Chayse Williams
Council Treasurer: Leila Young
Council Secretary: Zaneika McNeil
GRADUATE COUNCIL :
Graduate Student Association Representative
Lauren L. Taylor
Graduate Council HUSA Senate
Courtney McClain
Fiscal Coordinator:
Lauren Currie
GRADUATE SCHOOL COUNCIL EXECUTIVE
Council President: Oluwafemi Femi Oladosu
Council Vice President: Antoinette L. Robinson
Council Treasurer: Position unfilled
Council Secretary: Niyah M. Lewis
Copy edited by Alana Matthew