We’d like to start our letters to you with the two most underutilized words in the English language: “thank you.” Thank you to the previous administration, especially Allan, Matty, and Alix, for all your hard work, which has put Notre Dame in a position to succeed. And thank you, students, for allowing us to serve as the next Student Government administration. We are looking forward to an exciting and impactful year.

From the start, Student Government will be more active and communicative. We will work hard to build trust between the Student Union and the student body by embracing transparency and accountability. We hope that you’ll visit our website (studentgovernment.nd.edu) and check out our platform tracker — an interactive tool designed to let you know what we’re working on and how far we’ve gotten. We’ll also increase our communication by starting a podcast, revitalizing our social media efforts and posting video updates. 

Before our term started, we added departments more directly in line with the needs of our evolving student body. We’ve expanded the Department of Gender Relations to include Title IX and Women’s Initiatives and LGBTQ+ Advocacy, and we’ve increased our attention on the rapidly evolving space of Diversity and Inclusion, which now features the Departments of First Generation/Low Income (FGLI), Race and Ethnicity and Disability Advocacy. We’ve also narrowed our focus on specific areas of the Notre Dame experience by re-defining the Department of Faith and the Department of South Bend Engagement.

All of our Departments, both new and old, will focus on you — the student body — and your experience. We remain dedicated to bettering student mental health, increasing community partnerships in the South Bend area, and amplifying student voices through the Student Life Council. 

Our time in office has just begun, yet we already have a few exciting successes to share. On Tuesday, April 19, our Department of Gender Relations – Title IX and Women’s Initiatives will celebrate “Denim Day History & Solidarity Card Signing” to promote action against and awareness of sexual assault. We look forward to walking with the FGLI students of the Class of 2026 through a summer newsletter and one-on-one peer mentorship. Our Department of Diversity and Inclusion – Disability Advocacy is working with the Senate to pass a Resolution celebrating Limb Loss and Difference Awareness Month and providing feedback on shortcomings in the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report.

We cannot wait to see what the rest of our term holds. Know that we are working day and night to better your experience, and we couldn’t be more grateful to serve this incredible student body. Come visit our office in 203 Lafun anytime — no goal is too ambitious and no concern is too small.

Let’s have a great year.

Irish by a Million,

Patrick Lee and Sofie Stitt