Editor’s note: This story has been updated in the online version with correct pronouns for Kayla Ramirez.
Kayla Ramirez and Masha Mogylevsky were inaugurated as the new president and vice president of the Associated Students of Oregon State University for the 2025-2026 academic year June 1.
Due to the current pause on ASOSU functions and the suspension of the ASOSU constitution, the start of their positions remains unclear. The shutdown was initially planned to end on May 2, but was extended indefinitely on that date instead.
Kayla Ramirez is a third-year pre-law student majoring in psychology and political science and has a long history working with student needs. They started their career working in the Basic Needs Center in fall term, eventually being appointed as the liaison for the BNC in the Student Fee Committee.
Since then, they have continued to be proactive for student needs. Recently, they went to Salem to lobby at the Capitol on behalf of the basic needs for those pursuing higher education.
Masha Mogylevsky is majoring in digital communications arts and minoring in philosophy and writing. Mogylevsky has been working at the Hattie Redmond Women and Gender Center for the past two years.
While she specializes in graphic design for the Hattie Redmond Center, she’s involved in several areas, like event planning and working with other organizations on campus. Mogylevsky is also a part of AYA, the center’s Women of Color Initiative.
Prior to and upon being elected, Ramirez and Mogylevsky had several clear priorities for their term, including expanding student access to mental health resources, supporting gender-based violence prevention and advocating for students’ basic needs.
According to Ramirez, trust is very important in this process: “Something that I envision for the near future for our administration is just working, before any of these initiatives get off the ground, to restore trust within the student body for the student government.”
The future of their plans is currently unknown due to the shutdown.
When asked about their thoughts on the extension of the shutdown, Ramirez said, “I believe it to be an egregious attack on student rights and student democracy. It has prevented Masha and I for advocating effectively on behalf of the student body.”
According to the pair, this shutdown has led to a situation where student issues cannot be properly addressed. Recently, some international students have seen their visas suddenly revoked by the Trump administration, but due to the shutdown, ASOSU is currently unable to find a solution for these students.
“The fact that the senate couldn’t even meet and talk about how to provide resources for that through student government was just really frustrating and disappointing,” Mogylevsky said. “And the fact that we don’t even have anything to show for all that we have been working is just not giving me a lot of hope for results of what can come from this unprecedented pause.”
Furthermore, they said the shutdown is already causing major issues with the hiring process. Alongside elected officials, ASOSU also employs several people for unelected duties, usually approved by the president and vice president following a process outlined by the ASOSU constitution.
However, according to Ramirez, the constitution has been suspended due to the shutdown, meaning there are effectively no guidelines or set processes for hiring and approval.
Since the extension of the freeze, Ramirez and Mogylevsky have shifted their priorities towards restoring ASOSU to its full function and are trying to work with Oregon State University administration to do so.
According to Mogylevsky, while ASOSU is trying to solve the shutdown, OSU administration currently holds control over the future of the student government.
“Although it’s good to get together and talk about these issues, (the work groups) don’t have any actual say in what is going to happen to the constitution and the governing documents, unfortunately that decision is going to stay in the hands of the administration,” Mogylevsky said.
While the shutdown has been a significant obstacle, Ramirez and Mogylevsky claim they do not intend to stop advocating for students. While the future of this shutdown and ASOSU is unknown, Ramirez and Mogylevsky are ready to continue putting student voices first.
“Am I optimistic that this will be solved in a timely manner? No. Am I optimistic that students will continue to fight, continue to organize, and be in community with each other? Yes,” Ramirez said.“I know this community, and I know that they are strong, and resilient, and intelligent. And I know that they’ll be right there with Masha and I, continuing to fight for what students deserve and what they need at this university, the state level and at the federal level.”
The ASOSU shutdown is currently still ongoing. Readers who are interested in learning more or following the situation can refer to The Daily Barometer’s website for more details as the story evolves.
