Name: Allyson Kristan
Year: Junior
Major: Marine Biology
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Allyson Kristan in her campaign profile picture.
HC: What position in UNCW’s Student Government organization are you running for?
AK: I am running for Senior Class President.
HC: How did you first get involved in SGA?
AK: I initially became involved with SGA my freshman year and it has been a chief part of my life ever since.
HC: What benefits are there to being in SGA?
AK: Through student government I have been able to connect with a wide variety of individuals on our campus and in the community. It has been a wholly enriching and fulfilling experience to be able to advocate for the student body and report back on the happenings of our university as it grows. I don’t call myself a representative of the student body for an image or a bullet point on my resume, I truly have a passion for the work that we do and thoroughly enjoy time spent with SGA and for SGA.
HC: What have you done in SGA in the past? What experience have you had?
AK: This past year in SGA I have been the head of our inaugural Sustainability Project Team. We’ve been very active with events such as a bamboo straw giveaway and drafting plenty of legislation in support of sustainable UNCW endeavors, for example, the new Composting Facility in New Hanover County that UNCW will be piloting and the Hope Spot for Hatteras that Plastic Ocean Project is working on. Just this morning we co-hosted a beach sweep with POP and collected 260 cigarette butts on tops of heaps of other trash/recyclables!
HC: Even if you win the election, do you still plan to work with this specific part of SGA and what else do you hope to work on?
AK: I definitely intend to continue working on the environmental and economic sustainability of UNCW. Additionally, campus safety has become a great concern to a high volume of students lately, from cat calling on campus to the recent physical assault to bike-car accidents. It is important to me that UNCW feels like home for everyone. Safety will absolutely be a priority and I have already begun contacting staff and administration about this issue.
HC: Any other projects you are currently a part of?
AK: Currently, I’m also involved with Plastic Ocean Project and am conducting research in Dr. Emslie’s lab regarding stable isotope analysis of penguin mummies found in Antarctica–it’s awesome!
HC: What would you say you are passionate about?
AK: I’m fervently passionate about ocean stewardship, the feminist movement, travel, and (of course) UNCW!
HC: How has your history with and experience in SGA prepared you for the role of Senior Class President?
AK: I am EXTREMELY involved with SGA and I have been ever since I joined. This year, I’m Junior Class President and the lead of Sustainability Project Team. Senior Class President is a position that is heavy with responsibility from running two elections to commencement ceremonies to the Senior Class Gift Campaign Committee. Because of my history with SGA, I am confident that I am the candidate with the highest dedication to SGA and the strongest desire to work to make our university the best it can be every day. UNCW, I got your back.
HC: How and when can people vote?
AK: Voting takes place Monday, February 22nd at 9 a.m. to Thursday, February 25 at 4 p.m. You can vote at this link, and it will be emailed out to the student body: https://itsappserv02.uncw.edu/sga/
HC: Any final remarks?
AK: Keep it real, keep it teal. Thank you for taking the time to read this Q&A!
Photo courtesy of Allyson Kristan.