Presidential candidate Tyler Williams to the left, and his running mate, Haran Mahesh, to the right. ORACLE PHOTO/RACHELL ROSS
Instead of taking a business-casual approach to their presidential campaign, Tyler Williams and Haran Mahesh chose a different route — touring the Marshall Student Center in onesies to appear “more personable” to students.
“If I walk around with a suit, people will be intimidated to come and talk to me,” Williams said. “I want to hear from students, so being approachable is critical.”
Williams, a 21-year-old junior political science major, is originally from San Diego, California, and moved to Florida for high school.
Williams said the ticket’s slogan, Bulls4Better, represents their belief that students deserve a higher quality of life and more transparent leadership.
“The way we spend our money and the lack of leadership that we have seen is terrible,” Williams said.
Mahesh, a 20-year-old sophomore political science major, said he moved to Florida from Kentucky four years ago to attend USF.
Williams and Mahesh are running for student body president and vice president, respectively.
Mahesh said the ticket will advocate for improving the student experience by connecting with students and listening to their needs.
He said the three main “pillars” of their campaign are to create sustainability on campus, fairness in fees and ensure student voices and needs are heard and represented.
“Right now, students deserve better,” Mahesh said. “That’s what we’re trying to give them through our actions.”
Related: USF SG senate president resigns amid ‘toxic’ climate, seeks freer advocacy
Williams has served in SG since spring 2024 — beginning as a senator and later being elected as senate president for the sixth consolidated term last spring.
“Being senate president really allowed me to understand the inner workings of Student Government,” Williams said. “Having that insider perspective allows me to see where all the faults lie.”
Williams resigned on Feb. 9 due to a “toxic” social environment within SG and a desire to advocate more freely.
However, just under two weeks after his resignation, Williams was removed from the senate on Feb. 20 due to an “unexcused [absence] during roll call” for a meeting, according to an email obtained by The Oracle.
Every senator starts with 15 points at the beginning of each semester, according to SG Rule of Procedure 7.1. Williams was removed from the Senate for dropping to zero points after his absence.
And while Williams has the option to appeal the decision until Feb. 27, he said he does not plan to do so.
“I felt no need to appeal because I believe that my focus right now should be on student needs,” Williams said. “This removal just shows me that insiders don’t want us in there.”
And while Mahesh does not have experience with SG, he has served as a leader for various student organizations at USF — including GenCLEO, a climate advocacy organization.
The pair met through campus political events, eventually connecting through their work with College Democrats, where Williams is president and Mahesh is part of the coalition policy team.
Williams and Mahesh said SG is “the least efficient department on USF” when it comes to budget allocation from Activity and Service fees.
Activity and Service fees are included in student tuition rates and fund SG boards, programs, organizations and activities, according to USF Student Affairs.
Therefore, Williams said he plans to cut senators’ pay because he believes they should serve and advocate for the student body rather than hold paid positions.
“I don’t think [SG funds are] being spent for student needs,” Williams said. “I think they’re being spent to enrich the pockets of senators.”
SG senators earn $15.00 per hour for seven hours per week, with 40 senators in office, according to SG.
Williams and Mahesh said their leadership styles complement each other — as Williams will “fight for everyone” and Mahesh has the strength to lead teams and focus on students.
“Together, we create a really well-rounded perspective and a really well-rounded leadership for USF students,” Williams said.
Related: USF SG sees fewer voters but zero grievances after ending online voting
Williams and Mahesh said their platform advocates for sustainability, including pushing USF to reinstate its Office of Sustainability and make all three campuses more accessible to students.
“We believe in a sustainable and healthy campus,” Mahesh said. “We need to support sustainable measures, as well as measures to increase accessibility, walkability and bikeability.”
Williams and Mahesh said students should care about this election because SG controls A&S fees, which affects everything from the Campus Recreation Center to funding for student organizations.
“Every part of the student experience comes back to Student Government,” Williams said. “I would say to students, consider voting in a Student Government election because your student experience is directly affected.”
Williams and Mahesh said their campaign is focused on serving the students rather than building their own resumes.
“Right now, students deserve better, and that’s what we’re trying to give them — a better USF for every student,” Williams said.
Editor’s note: The Oracle suggested all candidates wear professional or business-casual attire for interviews. Williams and Mahesh chose to wear onesies.
This article is part of a “Meet the Candidates” series for all tickets running in the presidential election.
The other tickets running in the race are:
Hunter Rabinowitz (student body president) and Mia Riley (student body vice president)
David Zahn (student body president) and Titan Sanchez (student body vice president)
Caio Esmeraldi (student body president) and Maria Julia Mussa Martins (student body vice president)
Muhammad Kamil (student body president) and Linda Kahok (student body vice president)