The Muslim Student Organization held its Executive Board Elections Friday in the MU Student Center.
MSO welcomed its new president, sophomore Yusuf Raja, who ran unopposed.
Raja hopes to use his new role as president to unite MSO members and bring the community together.
“I don’t want to have one person running everything,” Raja said. “I want us to work as a team because it’s a group organization.”
The new president said he thought a lot before he accepted the nomination as the organization’s leader, saying that he talked to his parents before he agreed to run.
“Accepting this position is a lifestyle change,” Raja said. “You have to be sincere. Nonsense is not a part of it.”
In addition to unifying members of MSO, Raja hopes to work more with other campus groups.
“I think it’s a good thing to network,” Raja said. “It shows we have their backs and I think good comes from it.”
The president and the rest of the executive board’s positions took effect immediately after elections.
Former President Taha Hameduddin, will help Raja make the transition, although the new president is not nervous.
“I’m not afraid; I’m used to things changing up and that’s how I work,” Raja said. “A lot of things happen that aren’t planned, but I’m not scared. I’m really confident and just looking forward to getting started.”
And with an ambitious plan to bring MSO students and the campus community together, new vice president Fareeha Amir is ready to assist Raja.
“I’d like to do more events that involve other groups on campus and build our membership,” Amir said. “Membership has doubled this year but I’d like to see it grow even more.”
Also running unopposed, Amir hopes to see MSO organize more events that coordinate with other student organizations, like the multicultural event “The Horn of Africa Fundraising Dinner.”
Elected to other positions were Tahura Lodhi as treasurer, Samiah Khalili as secretary, Ahmad Raja as brothers’ social chair, Soumaya Necibe as sisters’ social chair and Farah El-Jayyousi as public relations chair.
For senior Hameduddin, the role of president has included a variety of responsibilities.
“You have to ensure planning events and have a vision and a game plan,” Hameduddin said. “You have to look at the year ahead and plan what you want to accomplish.”
Hameduddin said he is proud of what he has accomplished during his term.
“Our executive board did so much work and we had a lot of member involvement, a lot of people took interest and that’s how you sustain the group,” he said.
Over the course of the year, Hameduddin and the executive board shifted the culture of MSO, both to members and the community.
“We’ve shown that we’re here to do community service,” Hameduddin said. “We’ve become a more open and inviting organization to the public with the amount of work we do.”
Both Hameduddin and Raja stressed the importance of unity within MSO, and as Raja led the new executive board and it’s members in thanking Hameduddin for all of his time, Hameduddin left the organization with a few words.
“The time for clapping has elapsed,” he said.
