Anthony Balsamo and Tommy Mazzella are running for student body president and vice president under the Soar Party in the Student Government Spring 2025 election.

Balsamo served as SG Attorney General for both the Barcal-Davidson and Grosso-Sullivan administrations. Per SG’s bylaws, he had to relinquish his position to run in the election. Tommy Mazzella is the current chair of the Budget and Allocations Committee.

Balsamo is studying information science, and Mazzella is an Honors student studying sport management and marketing. 

Balsamo is the Vice President of Standards for the UNF Interfraternity Council and the Vice President of Chi Phi Fraternity.

Mazzella is the Vice President of Academics and Finance for the UNF Interfraternity Council and the Vice President of Theta Chi Fraternity. He is also a Greek Ambassador and a part of the Sport Management Club.

Below are some questions Spinnaker asked Balsamo and Mazzella regarding the election, SG and the university.

Why did you both decide to run for president and vice president?

Balsamo said he decided to run for president because he “saw the potential in UNF.”

He said that through UNF’s proximity to the beach and downtown Jacksonville, UNF has the engagement, nightlife and academics to become better. 

Mazzella said he ran for vice president because he wanted to improve the parts of campus that students want to see bettered.

“I think it’s definitely important to hear what students want rather than just what the university thinks would be best,” Mazzella said.

What initiatives would you like to introduce during your term?

Balsamo said he wants to allocate some of the money from the Capital Improvement Trust Fund to the UNF Athletics strategic plan. He said he wants to use the Osprey Voice survey to ask students where the rest of the CITF money should be allocated.

The CITF is a trust that is used for different student-related improvements on campus, funded by student fees. Last school year, the CITF fund was used to renovate the Boathouse. 

Mazzella said he wants to improve dining options on campus and bring back a “sense of tradition” to campus life.

What issues on campus should SG focus on?

Balsamo said SG should focus on club funding and athletics to help increase student engagement.

“Athletics and clubs are the heartbeat of our campus,” Balsamo said.

Mazzella said that increasing student engagement at events like sports games or tailgates can help add a sense of community.

In terms of staffing, how would you go about recruiting staff for your cabinet?

Mazzella said he believes recruiting staff for the administration is about talking to people have are involved in SG.

Balsamo said he would like to get opinions from the Senate and clubs when it comes to hiring staff.

How will you support all students, both on-campus students and commuters?

Balsamo said the best way to support all students is by making sure they have a voice. He said the most effective way to do that is through Osprey Voice.

“Osprey Voice isn’t being used enough, so I want to shed light on that because students don’t even know there’s a student government here at the moment,” Balsamo said.

Mazzella added that he would like to have a preliminary Osprey Voice sent out at the beginning of the year where students can pick what topics they would like to give feedback on.

What is your opinion on the OzFest budget, and what would be your goals for OzFest in 2026?

Balsamo said he realizes that the OzFest budget does represent a “sizeable chunk” of the SG budget. However, he said that Student Life runs the event and it is distinctly separate from SG. 

“While the money for Ozfest 2026 has already been passed by Senate, I would want to further our relationship with the Office of Student Life to help push students’ opinion,” Balsamo said.

Why should students vote for you?

Balsamo said students should vote for him and Mazzella because of their three pillars: student engagement, campus safety and accountability.

“There’s a lot of things that we think can be improved upon and that we can work on within the university, and we want to make that happen rather than just saying that’s going to happen,” Mazzella said.

Is there anything else you want students to know?

“We see the potential in UNF, and we’re here to exploit it,” Balsamo said.

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