New Faces in Temple Student Government: Owls Unite’s Campaign Strategy
Updated on March 31 at 3:18 p.m.
As the Temple Student Government elections draw near, Owls Unite, led by presidential candidate Christian Grierson and vice presidential candidate Taresh Dunn, is making its case with a focus on safety, affordability, and enhancing communication between the student body and university leadership.
“Students face issues like crime and affordability, and just overall communication,” Grierson stated. “I feel like we can bring big change to Temple.”
Both freshmen, Grierson and Dunn bring a fresh perspective to the table. Grierson majors in political science, while Dunn is an anthropology major.
Despite being on their third probation by the election commission—due to late arrivals and early campaigning—Owls Unite remains determined. “We feel as though it is unfair,” Grierson said. “But we are not going to give up, and we are going to keep fighting.”
The probation restricts their campaigning efforts until Thursday morning, but the team denies claims they withdrew from the race during the Meet the Candidate Town Hall.
During the Town Hall, discussions about adding a financial divestment referendum for Israel to the election ballot were cut short. The Temple Action Solidarity Coalition has been advocating for such a measure.
Owls Unite supports including this issue on the ballot. “I support giving the students the ability to vote on the ballot,” Grierson said, emphasizing a need to address it in their campaign debates.
For Grierson, affordability is the most pressing issue. “I know a lot of students who had to drop out after the fall semester because they couldn’t pay,” he noted.
Their campaign proposes financial support improvements, such as enhanced emergency funding resources and better guidance through financial aid systems. Additionally, they aim to revamp Temple’s meal plan, allowing students more flexibility in using meal swipes and advocating for end-of-semester refunds.
Safety enhancements are also in their plans, with proposals to increase security presence and improve lighting and access to services like the Walking Escort program. “I had to search [the Walking Escort Program] up and figure out how to do it,” Grierson said. “I ultimately didn’t use it because it was difficult to access.”
Improving communication between students and TSG is another priority for Owls Unite. Their slogan, “Your voice, our Temple,” highlights this goal. They plan to actively engage with students via social media, group chats, and in-person interactions to gather feedback and inform the student body.
Owls Unite is also focused on addressing campus dining concerns through student feedback, a responsibility managed by Aramark, a Philadelphia-based food service company. Their campaign also seeks to foster community through tutoring initiatives and events at campus centers like Charles Library and Howard Gittis Student Center.
Facing competition from the Temple Together campaign, led by Vanessa Flores and Dia Gordon, Grierson and Dunn prepare for the upcoming debate on March 31, leading to the election on April 8-9.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Temple Together.
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