Students elected Medill junior Alecia Richards as the vice president for student activities for Associated Student Government during the Student Organization Symposium held Sunday.

The election for the position was held at the end of the symposium, which is a required event for all University-recognized student organizations. Richards ran against Weinberg freshman Dillon Saks, and the vote was 312-77.

The vice president for student activities advocates for and develops resources for student organizations, according to the ASG Code.

Before the vote, candidates traditionally give a speech to student leaders, Weinberg junior and ASG chief of staff Lars Benson said. Saks gave a speech, but Benson read a statement written by Richards because she is completing her Journalism Residency in South Africa this quarter.

Richards previously served as ASG’s vice president for public relations. She said in an email to The Daily that her previous experience would help her in her new role.

“I applied for the VP of PR role last year because I wanted to make ASG more accessible,” Richards said in the email. “I wanted, through social media and other methods we use to communicate with students, people to know that we want to improve campus life and truly care about catering to the needs of students.”

Richards is involved in multiple student organizations, including Refresh Dance Company and BlackBoard Magazine.

Benson said he is excited to work with Richards because she’s a “dedicated” person.

“She’ll be a great fit just because beyond being known in the student group community, she’s really respected, I think, as a leader and as somebody who wants to help and as somebody who’s accessible and open,” Benson said.

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