Published: April 27, 2026
During the last issue, future Student Body President Ted Campbell responded to questions regarding how they handle stress, the possibility of incorporating fellow candidates Makayla Morella and Alexa Brann’s focus on allergy safety in the dining hall, and thanked the students of the University of Southern Maine. Originally, Vice President Lukas Turner was also supposed to be included in the article but with deadlines needing to be met, it was decided that Turner would get their own article with their responses.
Turner has been involved in frequent events on campus, you might have seen them running events like karaoke or things along those lines. Even with their previous on campus events, adding running for VP wasn’t something that brought on much stress for them. Turner gives credit to the environment of running not adding stress saying that “Everyone who had been involved during the election cares about the student body and wants to make campus better, so it never felt tense or negative!” Most of the stress about the election came from students taking to apps like Instagram or YikYak when it came to their concerns about the people running. While Turner said that it was discouraging, they also “understand where it comes from”. Although there might not be much stress surrounding Turner at the moment, they were honest about feeling “a little anxious about stepping into this role. Some of that is worry about the stepping stones I may encounter. Anxiety is a very versatile feeling though, and a lot of those nerves are excitement.” Turner and Campbell are looking forward to sharing their ideas with the USM community in the upcoming school year and will be working together over the summer to make sure they start off the 2026-2027 school year strong.
In regards to Morello and Brann’s push for clearly labelled lists of food allergens in the dining hall, Turner, who worked in Lower Brooks at the Husky Hideaway said, “Allergens are a serious concern in any food services environment, and I want to continue pushing Sodexo to improve!” For the students who enjoyed that part of the opposing candidates campaign, it’s safe to say that Campbell and Turner will try their best to include this cause in their time as Student Body President and Vice President.
So, after this campaign and election, what would Lukas Turner like to the people who voted for them? Here’s what they responded with,“This is a really heartwarming question to me. I’ve been extremely busy the past couple of months planning for campus events, managing classes, my internship, and the election cycle. It has all happened so fast! To see how much I have made a presence in this community over the past few years I have worked and studied here… I don’t think I have fully processed it. I’m busy, but it has been a blast doing so much work and interacting with so many people. I have seen my efforts come to light with the many people approaching me and reaching out in support and congratulations. Again, to everyone who has approached me, and to those who voted I may not know or haven’t seen since, thank you so much.”
Turner has always been a smiling face for the people who know them, and they know that they will try their hardest to make the USM community a better place, as will Ted Campbell.
