Alex Soltany, candidate for SGA President, and Malia Dickson, candidate for SGA Vice President are running together on a shared platform. Her Campus talked to them this week after they officially announced that they were running. Read on to learn more about them!
Here is a link to Alex and Malia’s website where their platforms are explained:
http://forallofus2017.weebly.comName: Alex Soltany
Class: 2018
Major: Middle Eastern Studies (CIS)
Hometown: McLean, VA (just outside of Washington, DC)
Other extracurricular activities: Davidson Refugee Support, Leadership Davidson, Activities Tax Council, Middle Eastern and North African Students Association, FIJI, AED Pre-Health Honors Society
Name: Malia Dickson
Class: 2018
Major: English and Gender & Sexuality Studies (double major)
Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Other extracurricular activities: Club Crew, Club Lacrosse, Women’s Health Justice Committee, Rusk Eating House
Current go-to song
AS: “Caroline” by Aminé
MD: “iSpy” by Kyle and Lil Yachty, “Rising Sun” by Manse and Chris Jones, and also Avril Lavigne’s entire Under My Skin album
Spirit person
AS: John Oliver
MD: Emma Watson
Favorite campus tradition
AS: The cake race for sure! I’m a super slow runner but I booked it (or tried to) at a chance for one of those townie cakes.
MD: This might not necessarily be a “Campus Tradition,” but I really enjoy Union Board trivia nights.
Davidson bucket list
AS: Somehow manage to get onto the roof of Chambers. I want AJ Naddaff’s cover photo.
MD: I really want to climb on top of Chambers…
Dream job
AS: US Ambassador
MD: Spy in the CIA
Outside of the SGA, what has been something at Davidson you have been proud to be involved in or accomplish on campus?
AS: Back in DC, my Iranian-American community is super important to me. I’ve really enjoyed bringing a part of home over to Davidson every March setting up the haft sin (a traditional Persian table arrangement) in the Union and starting an annual celebration for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
MD: During my freshman and sophomore year, I was a member of the FreeWord poetry group on campus. Although it might not seem like a huge accomplishment for the campus as a whole, for me, performing my work in front of a public audience was a huge step in terms of personal growth. More than that, however, my fellow poets taught me how to embrace and celebrate my identity–something that I had previously struggled with. Working with and learning from such a diverse group of brilliant artists is certainly something that I am very proud to have done in my time at Davidson.
Why did you originally become involved in SGA? Has the reason for your involvement changed?
AS: SGA had always interested me in high school, but I never got the chance to do it. I gave it a try during my first semester running with my friend Elijah Moffe, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Now in my junior year, it’s the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve formed that keep me going. Everyone here has made my Davidson experience incredible and invaluable—I want theirs to be the same.
MD: I was involved in student government throughout high school, and in those first few months of freshman year when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be involved in, I decided that I would give running for senate a shot because serving my classmates was something that I have always been passionate about. When I was elected class president then, I made it a goal of mine to stay true to my word by being involved in projects that directly affect student life on campus. As my time at Davidson has unfolded and I have gotten to know many of the incredible people that make up our school, my involvement with SGA has evolved to take on a more personal meaning to me because the projects that we work on affect our peers and we have a responsibility as leaders to act with and for them.
Why do you think your platforms are feasible? Are there ways you are already working to accomplish these goals?
AS: Malia and I want to ensure that all our platform proposals are tangible, tangible, tangible. We’ve not only identified campus concerns but have also done our best to clearly outline how we plan on solving these issues. We met with Dean Shandley and other administrators this week, and they’re eager to start tackling these problems with us.
MD: Alex and I were very intentional with the projects that we fleshed out and selected for our platform for the very purpose of feasibility. The two of us have been in conversation with other students and administrators about our platform ideas, and we are confident that by working collaboratively within the SGA and also with other campus organizations that we can make necessary changes on campus. Words without action will not mean much in the long run, so we are ready to work diligently for our causes.
There is a portion of the student body that is frustrated by the lack of forward progress that each SGA administration makes. Do you share that frustration? What, if anything, would you change at the institutional level to improve the group’s efficiency?
AS: I definitely share the student body’s frustrations. Malia and I are dedicated to realizing our goals for Davidson, but we cannot do it alone. We need to start taking advantage of our new initiative structure so that each member of the SGA becomes a productive contributor to the organization. I’ve witnessed four different SGA administrations and have expressed these sentiments before. I hope to use my experience to provide each elected official with the tools necessary to enact change and create greater transparency between the SGA and the student body.
MD: Alex and I both do share that sentiment as well. This frustration has been something that former SGA administrations have expressed, and Alex and I recognize that this has to change before any other progress can be made. By delegating tasks directly within the SGA senate body and collaboration with other student organizations, we feel strongly that this teamwork will help to push us in the right direction.
Anything else you want to share with prospective voters?
AS: It’s been an honor serving my class and the Davidson community at large through SGA for over five semesters now, and regardless of the outcome of this election, I want to thank the Class of 2018 for putting their trust in me to advocate on their behalf as both senator and class president.
MD: Regardless of the election’s outcome, I want to take a moment to thank the Class of 2018 and the rest of the student body for electing me to serve on student government for my first 2 years at Davidson. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to represent our year as class president, and I truly appreciate all of the support that you’ve shown me throughout our time here.
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