Name: Ayana Crawford
Major: Psychology
Minor: Women and Gender Studies
Year: Senior
Hometown: Lexington, South Carolina
Tell me about DSU and what it is.
DSU stands for the DiGiorgio Student Union which is Winthrop University’s Campus Programming board. We attend conferences and have interests in acts such as poets, comedians, singers, hypnotists, and even dancers that we see at conferences, YouTube, TV, etc. and we bring those we feel the student campus would enjoy and learn from. In other words, DSU gives a variety of programs and events to keep students active and engaged in learning as well as entertainment.
What inspired you to become president of DSU?
My inspiration and motivation behind running for president of DSU were encouraging other students to grow within themselves academically and professionally. I never saw myself as president when I entered in as a committee member my sophomore year but when junior year came around I loved being chair and delegating tasks to my committee. However, I saw that year that I had a lot of potential in growing as leader of this great organization. It was a scary decision for me to make (being in charge of 30 members can seem overwhelming) but it was the best decision I’ve made by taking a chance and believing in myself. In result, I have grown as a person and as a leader.
What changes did you want to bring to DSU when you became president?
I wanted students to be excited to stay on campus during the week and weekends and engage more in student life and activities. I also wanted students to grow from being on the board like I did when I first joined.
What made you decide to join DSU your sophomore year?
I knew I wanted to get involved on campus and have a big impact on leaving a legacy here at Winthrop. I considered other prestigious clubs and organizations that Winthrop offered but thought that being a part of DSU was more suiting for me and more opportunities for growth and experience as a student leader.
What are your hobbies?
I love blogging! I also have a deep passion for the arts, race issues, and women’s rights so anything involving those will make me a happy person… and food! I enjoy eating!
What is your dream in life?
My dream is to do activism work towards race and women equality. I also would love to mentor young women and empower them to be themselves and not conform to societal expectations of how they should look, dress, and act. It would be a dream come true if I owned my own organization/non-profit and also traveled the world.
So since you’re president of an organization that brings entertainment to our campus, you have to be a huge music fan. What was the first concert you ever attended?
The first concert I ever attended was at the South Carolina State Fair when Ruben Studdard and Mario performed. The concert was pretty good but that next year I went to Summer Jam in North Carolina, a concert with 20+ artists all day and got to see Jazmine Sullivan, Pleasure P, Bow Wow, and Soulja Boy. That was one of the best concerts I’ve been to… besides the One Music Fest, I attended last semester (that’s by far the best ever!). Clearly I love concerts but do not get the privilege of going often.
If you could bring any performer to campus with no restrictions or budget or anything, who would it be and why?
OMG, THAT IS HARD! I am a huge fan of TDE (Kendrick Lamar, SZA, etc.) and Childish Gambino as well as Chance the Rapper. They are all unique and changing music as we know it! They all are so multi-talented and promote positivity, love, and education. They don’t talk about sex, drugs, and money like everyone else does but they talk about the DEEP stuff to make you think.
I heard you went on a social media fast. Why did you decide to do it and would you recommend other people to try it?
Yes! I recommend that everyone in this generation does it. I think we become so consumed by social media and depend on it too much whether that’s showing off what we are doing or when we are bored, or even looking through other people’s accounts to find out what they are doing. It’s too much of a distraction! I did it for spiritual purposes and I found myself closer to God and closer to my peers because I actually had to converse with them to find out what was going on in their lives. This was the good AND the bad; the things you do not see on social media so I did a lot of praying for others and self-reflections during my fast.
I’m going to ask you some completely random questions now because random is what the people want to know. What’s your favorite 90’s jam?
Oh no! They all are soooo gooooooooood!!!!! I’ll listen to that era before my own because I’m SURE I was born in the wrong generation (everything happens for a reason; I’m an old soul). My favorite 90’s jam though would be anything from A Tribe Called Quest. Look them up!
If you were a box of cereal, what kind would you be?
I randomly crave cereal ONLY on random Saturday mornings but I would be something sweet and a mix between chocolate and vanilla. Something you would consume more than my random Saturday mornings lol.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Oh no!!!! Lol, I have a list and I can’t choose one!! I do not discriminate so my top 3 RIGHT NOW are Drake (when he’s dancing), Michael B. Jordan, and Dylan O’Brien!