The Indiana University Student Government Student Body Congress held its Organizing Day on Monday night in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. The meeting marked the start of the 2026-27 Congressional session and focused on electing leadership and planning for the upcoming year.
At the start of nominations for leadership positions, Luke Carman, former chair of the congressional committee on oversight and finance, nominated Leo Cavinder for Speaker of Congress.
“I’m not running because I think our work is finished,” Cavinder said in his nomination speech. “I’m running because I believe we can do even more.”
The Speaker leads Congress meetings, guides discussion and debate and helps keep representatives focused on student advocacy and the goals of the session.
Cavinder said he wants Congress to remain a place where disagreement is welcomed, while also focusing on mentorship, student advocacy and getting more students involved with Congress. He was the only nominee and his election was uncontested with 39 votes, before being sworn in by Luke Saxton-Stivers, chief justice of the IUSG Supreme Court.
Congress also elected Carman as recorder, a position responsible for keeping records of Congressional meetings. His election was uncontested, receiving 40 votes from Congress, and he said he wants to improve the recorder position’s operations and make the role more manageable for future members.
“My goal is more to allow for a role that doesn’t have so much work in the future and offer a transitional period that allows for better operational success,” Carman said in response to a question during the nomination.
Receiving 41 votes, Caden Walden’s election as parliamentarian was uncontested, a role that helps guide members through parliamentary procedure —the standing rules and processes Congress uses to conduct meetings, debate issues and vote on decisions. Walden said he wants to make parliamentary information easier for newer members to understand and encourage members to ask questions.
“All of these documents can be very intimidating for people,” Walden said in his nomination speech. “If you take the time to sit down and read through them, they are a lot easier than you think.”
Maddi Sponsel’s election as press secretary was uncontested, receiving 41 votes from Congress. In this position, Sponsel communicates Congress’ work to the student body.
Sponsel told Congress she sees the press secretary role as a connection between Congress and the student body and wants to improve Congress' presence on social media, specifically Instagram.
“I see myself as a link from this body to the student body, and from the student body back to us,” Sponsel said.
With its new leadership elected and sworn in, the meeting moved into its final phase — the introduction and light discussion of several resolutions pertaining to parliamentary procedure.
Beginning the following week, Congress will move into its regular legislative work for the 2026-27 session. Carman said the standing committee chairs have not yet been appointed by the speaker. He expects those appointments, along with the appointment of committee members, to be made within the next week.
The next congressional meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, where representatives will debate and vote on legislation, nominations and other matters.
