Editor’s Note: The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board interviewed three candidates for the position of Student Council representative. Each interview lasted approximately 30 minutes, and all candidates were asked the same baseline questions. The endorsements below are based solely on the content of these interviews.
For the upcoming 2026 elections, The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board is endorsing two candidates running for Student Council College representative — third-year students Jackson Sleadd and Ian Travis. Each of these candidates has positively influenced student life on Grounds by fronting initiatives for accessibility and transparency. Bargaining with administration on behalf of the student body remains their central priority, with both candidates going the extra mile to make sure students' concerns are heard. As the University transitions to a new president after a year of stakeholder disempowerment, we are confident both candidates possess the experience, judgement and institutional awareness to advocate for students and hold leadership accountable.
Sleadd has held the position of Student Council College representative, as well as Class of 2027 Class Council President, since his first year — experience he has used to cultivate a wide-ranging and fine-tuned knowledge of how Student Council processes can deliver benefits to student lives. Whether it be working with the University to ensure broader student access to the Hill at Scott Stadium or expanding UTS bus services to provide free transport to Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, Sleadd’s dedication to supporting students has never faltered. We feel confident that Sleadd’s commitment to listening to the desires of students at town halls and communicating these desires to University administration will be expanded should he be reelected. In addition to a clear desire to advocate for and empower students, Sleadd also demonstrated a mature consideration for Student Council’s finances. His participation in the Interim Endowment Committee, desire to see this Committee made permanent and aspiration for improving alumni relations all indicate his vision for how Student Council can raise an endowment that ensures their financial independence and institutional stability. We are confident that Sleadd possesses the experience, expertise and determination to create meaningful change for both students and Student Council.
Travis has served as a College of Arts and Sciences representative for two consecutive terms. Currently, he is the Chair of Community Concerns, where he has found creative solutions to daily challenges. Ranging from working with Sleadd to expand the free University Transit Service bus system to ensure reliable transportation to strengthening Student Council’s IT infrastructure to improve its accessibility, Travis is devoted to leveraging his position to improve student life on Grounds. Travis’s plans for his next term keep the improvement of student conditions a top priority, particularly by lobbying for a voting student member on the Board of Visitors. These initiatives reflect Travis’s view of Student Council as a vehicle for collective bargaining, one in which he will elevate student concerns directly to University leadership and create impactful change. His steadfast commitment to his constituents empowered him to act decisively, authoring a resolution towards the Board and supporting the no-confidence vote in the Board after the resolution was soundly ignored. Student Council would benefit from the leadership qualities Travis portrays — a genuine desire to understand student perspectives and a firm commitment to student advocacy.
The last year over which Sleadd and Travis served on Student Council has been one of profound tumult, in which the willingness of the University administration and Board to bargain with and respond to students was called into question, necessitating a clearly articulated and actionable vision going forward. The first step towards this vision is to enhance student buy-in into this organization. Less than 12 percent of students voted for Student Council President last year, a damning statistic that reflects the disconnect many students feel towards the organizations that represent them. Consistent and considerate outreach to students is essential to improving engagement and buy-in for the future. Beyond this, boosting student support empowers Student Council to promote stakeholder concerns and pressure the University to make changes. Lastly, Student Council must ensure its own financial stability as a prerequisite for maintaining its student advocacy. While promised financial gifts from University President Scott Beardsley and former University President Jim Ryan reflect important signals of support, the disempowerment of Student Council over the last year clarifies the necessity for the organization to secure its own financial independence — an objective obtained by creating and fundraising for a sustainable Student Council endowment.
This vision — encompassing improved student buy-in, strengthened Student Council advocacy and guaranteed financial independence — is an essential yet challenging mission, necessitating determined and deliberative champions. This Editorial Board endorses Sleadd and Travis with the confidence that they possess the desire and ability to achieve these goals — and will help to deliver a future where student sentiments, resolutions and organizations are never subjected to flagrant disregard again.
The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, the two Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.
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