By Dan Yount
The Cincinnati Herald
In early March, following a week of campaigning, two Cincinnati area juniors at The Ohio State University, Bobby McAlpine of Liberty Township, and Madison Mason, of Fairfield, were elected to two of the highest offices in the university. They were elected the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President and Vice President, respectively.
The couple ran as a team, historically winning 73 percent of the vote, beating Michael Taylor and Ming Lei who had 23 percent.
McAlpine, a graduate of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, is an electrical engineering and political science major. Mason is a graduate of Hilliard Darby High School, majoring in political science. The two met at a gathering at OSU while in high school. They both obtained one of the highest scholarships at the university, The Morrill Distinction Scholarship.
They were inaugurated into their new offices April 11 and have already started efforts to bring the University’s student body closer together following several years of on-campus stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. “When we came to OSU in 2020, a lot of community programs had been put on hold. “We wanted to bridge that gap,” said McAlpine.
McAlpine and Mason campaigned on the slogan “Bridging the Gap,” specifically the gap between USG and the student body. “We are ready to make Ohio State the best it can be,” McAlpine said. “We are really excited to work advocating on behalf of all students, and putting into action the things we’ve said through this campaign.”
One of the first things they have done was to survey students about their priorities regarding recently introduced, controversial Senate Bill 83, which resulted in McAlpine and Mason delivering powerful testimony at the Ohio Statehouse seeking to share student prospectives with the Ohio Workforce and Higher Education Senate Committee.
He added they also are creating tangible items to get into students’ hands to tell them that the Undergraduate Student Government is working for them. “We want to ensure that all Ohio State students have they tools they need to succeed.” Mason said.
The pair is commissioning the student government to purchase bike and steering wheel locks, finals care packages, safety devices, and more for all students to succeed.
Another goal is to end the “unacceptable” late night (9 to 10 p.m.) exams, McAlpine said.
“We want OSU students to know that their student government is working directly for them,” he said.
Both he and Mason were 2 of 24 students inducted into the 117th class of OSU’s SPHINX honorarium, the highest and oldest senior honorary at THE Ohio State University.
McAlpine had previously started the first Black History Month Gala at Ohio State.
McAlpine’s parents Drs. Bobby and Patricia McAlpine, of Liberty Township have doctorates in behavioral science.
“We are so proud of our son,” said the McAlpines. “Bobby has always been passionate about serving other people and helping others. He is not only a servant leader, but a perfect son.”
Tim Reilly, president of St. Xavier High School, said of Bobby, “It is no surprise to us that Bobby McAlpine has been elected to be the student body president at The Ohio State University. It was clear in the time that Bobby spent at Saint Xavier High School that his combination of drive, talent and deep deep desire to serve others would lead him into top leadership positions.
“During a board meeting once while Bobby was in attendance here at St Xavier, the principal and I were asked about our emergency leadership plans in the case that both of us were unavailable. All kidding aside, our answer was if the principal or I are not available there’s nothing to worry about, Bobby and a friend of his, AJ Wessel, are in the building and they would know exactly what to do.”
Bobby was on the track team during his four years at St. Xavier.
He has been active at his church, Cathedral of Praise, led by Dr. Oscar J. Underwood. Madison has been active at New Jerusalem Baptist Church, led by Reverend Damon Lynch Jr.
McAlpine served as a legal intern at Duke Energy Corporation and was a summer intern at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP . Other employment includes Project Coordinator and Business Developer at Food Forest, and Project Management Intern at Bansal Construction Inc. Mason has previously served as a summer intern under Judge Stephen McIntosh of Columbus, Ohio and a legal intern for Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are both active in their communities, taking part in the Summer Work Experience in Law (S.W.E.L.) Program.
Bobby and Madison are two up and coming Black leaders making a difference and shaping history as we know it, today.
