Abdelbarr-Garfi talk food insecurity, first-year outreach, and engagement
Abdelbarr: “Historically, a reason the UA has struggled is because of a lack of continuity”
On Sunday, April 6, The Tech sat down with recently elected Undergraduate Association (UA) President Mariam Abdelbarr ’27 and Vice President Francesca Garfi ’29 to discuss their vision for the 2026–2027 academic year.
During the debate, Abdelbarr-Garfi ran on a platform of increasing access to food on campus, transparency regarding the UA’s budget and operations, and continuing the previous administration’s new initiatives. Abdelbarr and Garfi will be holding a town hall on Tuesday, May 5 from 6:30–8 p.m. in 1-190 for students to ask questions and share ideas.
Answers have been edited for clarity.
The Tech: (To Abdelbarr) Could you give us a quick rundown of what you hope to implement next year as president?
Abdelbarr: It boils down to three main buckets. First, expanding everyday student support, especially around food accessibility. We’re very lucky to have a working relationship with the dining director (Andrew Mankus) and an understanding of current food initiatives. We just want to build upon them.
Another thing is making the UA more transparent and accessible. The current administration has taken student feedback in stride. We want to be there for students in whatever way possible and will continue to take steps towards that. For instance, we are starting our term by collecting data and having a town hall.
The last priority is continuing strong advocacy. We want to continue representing student voices at the tables where administrators are.
TT: How has your experience as vice president shaped the kind of leader you hope to be as president?
Abdelbarr: [As vice president], I was supplementing areas where Alice needed and shadowing her when I wasn’t being actively engaged. That has been a really important experience in navigating the UA’s complicated system. In terms of my actual leadership style, my favorite events and initiatives have been the ones where I’ve directly interacted with students or realized that I’ve had an impact on them, such as setting up the grocery giveaway or hearing how students thought the response to the compact was well organized and thought out. I want to channel that perspective and also be open to feedback and change.
TT: How do you plan to differentiate your presidency from Alice Hall’s?
Abdelbarr: Alice’s presidency accomplished a lot and laid the groundwork for more growth. Historically, a reason the UA has struggled is a lack of continuity — it’s a short term [position]. You get the ball rolling over the summer, and you’re assuming this huge, complex system to navigate in a very short period of time. I’m really excited to build on that continuity. I know you asked about differentiation, but it does distinguish us, because we are already starting from a position of understanding the initiatives that are happening and understanding how to navigate the systems.
TT: What does the timeline for all this change look like during your presidency?
Abdelbarr: I am excited about what we can accomplish within this year, [but] it’s hard to map out an exact timeline. Putting together a strong officer team will be a great first start. We’ll hit the ground running with making the budget, and we will try and implement those changes starting next fall.
TT: What specific initiative are you most excited to see come to fruition during next year?
Abdelbarr: Going on the tangent of dining, we had the Baker Grab and Go pilot this year and we want to see similar pilots on the east side of campus. Given my meal plan, for example, I spend a lot of time in Stata without access to food. Other direct student feedback we’ve gotten has been about IAP Flex dollar usage, so those will definitely be the first topics we bring up in meetings with administration.
TT: Are there plans to streamline how students can propose ideas throughout the school year?
Abdelbarr: We’re making the council submission form entirely public. One easy way to get money that we started this year was the Community and Diversity Fund, which also lowers the barrier of entry to getting money. We hope to continue it next year if it gets approval, or do something similar. Proposing ideas seem decentralized, and in some ways that’s helpful. Our website is something that’s also helping students understand how to access these things.
TT: (To Garfi) What perspective do you hope to bring as a freshman to your position?
Garfi: As a freshman, I have an immediate perspective on what the transition to MIT feels like. Students come from a lot of different backgrounds, and it can be difficult getting used to this new environment. I want to focus specifically on making the transition smoother, such as exposing freshmen to campus resources quicker. For example, I didn’t know about Hydrant or CourseRoad until way later.
TT: How do you plan to interface specifically with underclassmen?
Garfi: If you’re a freshman, you feel you can’t approach a student government mainly run by upperclassmen because they’re older — the most important thing for me is being approachable and present for the underclassmen. I plan to do that by spending time in popular places, hosting events for just underclassmen, and having specific meetings for the transition to MIT, major selection, and more.