The OU Student Government Association inaugurated Christopher Firch and Emelie Schultz as its 2023 president and vice president Monday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
Firch, finance and accounting junior, and Schultz, business management and psychology sophomore, named their campaign FAR, which was built on the idea to foster the OU family, amplify diversity, equity and inclusion and represent student concerns, according to their campaign Instagram.
The Firch-Schultz ticket obtained 1,578 votes, or 51.75 percent, in the 2022 SGA presidential election over Carson Poupore, economics, political science and business management junior, and Beth Felkner, economics and letters junior. Firch and Schultz will replace outgoing SGA President Zack Lissau and Vice President Denzel Akuffo at the beginning of spring 2023.
“We are so thankful and so grateful,” Schultz said in an interview with OU Daily. “We’re really excited for this next year to come, and it’s going to be amazing to see what we can do, but also to meet and work with so many great people.”
Firch also said he appreciated those who came to the ceremony and is ready to start working come January when classes restart after winter break.
“I’m excited to be fully president next spring,” Firch said. “Today was just filled with a sense of relief. … I’m excited for the learning experience and challenge the presidency will present.”
Schultz said what she’s most excited about for her time as vice president is to work with different communities in SGA and on OU’s campus to help foster a student body where students feel proud they belong to it.
“When we won, it was such a big feeling of gratitude to know the student body also wants to see a more integrated OU family,” Schultz said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to try to bridge those gaps … and strive for a place where everyone here feels safe, valued, heard and appreciated for who they are.”
Firch said he had a “good nervousness” going into the inauguration and echoed Schultz’s message.
“When you’re a little nervous, that means you care a lot, and I wanted to say something that was honest and truthful for how I felt, but also something hopeful and optimistic,” Firch said. “There’s been a lot of challenges at OU, and, unfortunately, we’re still going to have plenty more these next few months. However, the OU family perseveres and conquers, and I think that’s something I’m inspired to do and happy to be part of.”
The two weeks prior to their inauguration felt strange as Schultz said she was so used to the fast-paced cycle of the campaign. Firch said he was happy he got two weeks to catch up on sleep and decompress following their victory, and he felt fully prepared mentally for the ceremony.
“(SGA president) is certainly not a position I take lightly, and I’m happy I was able to celebrate with family and friends,” Firch said. “It’s been a very stressful past couple months, but just being able to celebrate with the people I love and really care about today was amazing. Today was a good time for me to slow down and enjoy being in the moment.”
Firch’s parents and his 13-year-old brother visited from Allen, Texas, to celebrate his victory. Firch said they went to Neighborhood Jam after the ceremony with Lissau, who he considers a friend and has been walking him through the presidential process.
“These past weeks have been more of a transition period where Zack and I are doing a good amount of things together like events and meetings,” Firch said. “I get to see what he does and learn how I can really make this role my own and play to my strengths.”
