These interviews have been edited for length 

Presidential candidates: 

1.) What has been your most significant accomplishment during your time at NC State?

2.) What are the top 3 goals you want to accomplish if you were elected ?

Chris Becker

1.) Tradition wise, I think it’s been said I’m not the most school spirited, because I don’t have photos of me at sporting events and stuff like that, but I really do care and I think that’s shown by last year, Aaron Sugar and I created our own Dance Glow which benefited over 2,500 residents in the first year it was created and it took us six months of dedication in addition to our other duties. It was something where we wanted to think of a way to bring something that students really don’t think is possible to campus, so we figured what’s one of those things? There was a Glow Run and a Day Glow Concert.

2.) I want to prioritize my relationships with other leaders of campus organizations, so not making Presidents’ Round Table just a monthly occurrence, and also creating and establishing a functional roundtable to benefit the academic interest. Whether it’s me sitting on the Student Media Board as student body president to get a feel for what’s going on, I want to extend myself into those circles intentionally so I can represent the interests of the students. Second, Kelly and I try to be very realistic. We understand that students expect immediate results. We are trying to establish a culture where students are able to see, along with student leaders, a larger picture, and I think that larger picture entails long-term projects. So one of those for Kelly and I is working to build a strategic plan. And I think one of the things Kelly and I are personally very passionate about is that at Georgia Tech, one of our peer institutions, they have a program called Vertically Integrated Projects Program and I guess we’re really trying to find a way to make something like that applicable to NC State’s campus. So allowing students who come in to immediately find a group of like-minded, passionate, peers who go through this kind of collegiate experience but it’s geared around an academic interest, giving students who come to State something to be incredibly proud about.

Khari Cyrus

2.) One, there is this new program called You, Me, We … It’s Time to Talk, it’s being pushed through the diversity commission, which I currently serve on and as far as getting it off the ground it’s been a little, it hasn’t had the impact that I’d like for it to have. So I’d like to bring it back and implement it alongside a spring diversity week.

The second thing is I recognize that the Bell Tower is, for me at least, the most recognizable NC State symbol. I see the Bell Tower on ties, or just anywhere across North Carolina and I always think NC State. I don’t know if a lot of people know this, but currently, there are no bells in the Bell Tower; there’s a sound system. And one of the things I would really like to pick back up—and this goes along with our traditions segment of our platform—we would like to raise money so we can finish the Bell Tower. And that’s an official project, there’s a website and everything, ‘Finish the Bell Tower,’ and with that we’ll be raising money to make the structural changes that need to be made on the actual Bell Tower and then purchasing the remainder of the bells. 

The last thing I would like to implement if elected is a tangible thing for students so they can see that Student Government is doing something for them. I think revitalizing a UNC rivalry week where we can work with alumni associations, so that goes along with support and collaboration, and then just host programs where we can talk about the rivalry we have with Chapel Hill. I think just exploring ways that we can kind of make that week a really big deal where tons of students come out, kind of similar to Camp Out, in a similar fashion, have students come out and see that Student Government is visible and active, they’re having giveaways, they’re kind of pumping up the campus for the UNC-Chapel Hill game. 

Gavin Harrison

1.) I think that would go back to being the Director of Tradition. Last year we had quite an interesting year— we definitely were not as efficient as we could have been. This year we had meetings on a weekly basis. As a whole, making sure we are back on track and keeping student interests in mind. 

 2.) There are quite a few things. I would like to see tuition and fees not be increased as much as in the past — obviously that is a hard battle to be fought with the Board of Trustees and the General Assembly. As SBP, I hope to advocate alongside the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor to the General Assembly not to raise tuition and fees here at State. I would like to see UNC basketball tickets guaranteed to all Campout participants. I worked obviously very closely with campout and NC State Athletics this year and I think this is something that is very feasible. I would also like to work on the accessibility of dining—there is quite a lot within that. We are trying to get meal equivalencies on Hillsborough. We are working to change dining hours and to bring down prices in places like Talley, the Atrium and the Oval. 

Vice Presidential candidates

1.) As candidate for VP, what experiences do you bring to the ticket?

2.) How do your own skills and experiences complement those of your running mate?

Kelly Elder

1.) I was in Student Government this year, and although it was my first year, I was the Legislative Secretary which was voted on by the Senate, and I was also the chair on the Committee on Government Relations and Oversight, which is a newly formed committee as well as the committee on rules and statutes which was like a semester-long committee to basically go over all statutes. So in addition to Student Government I’m also in Pi Beta Phi and I’ve served as an officer basically since I’ve been initiated. I was the webmaster and the alumni chair where I planned events for the alum and also was in charge of making the website. Then I was the ice president of event planning, which sounds really frivolous, but I actually had to do all the managing and contracts and talking to people so basically I am looked upon as a leader in every organization I’ve been in.

2.) Well we both are kind of big-minded thinkers, but we know that it takes small steps to get things done so we always have a big picture in mind and whenever we want to accomplish something, we know what the end goal is so we always try to make sure everything that we will be doing will be in line with that goal. I also think that everyone sees him as a leader within the organizations he has been in as well, so I think the combined leadership styles make us successful together.

Nate Bridgers

1.) For the last two years I served for the Student Senate. My first year, I was elected by my peers. This past year I was vice chair of leadership and development and secretary of tuition, so I’ve done a lot of work with administrators and pretty much every group on campus, so I have a lot of connections around campus and even went to some faculty senate meetings this past year and listened to them. So as far as working with administrators and being able to reach out so like student help for the recreation center, any of those groups I’ve done a significant amount of work for and I think that as far as working with Student Government I’ve got the connections, I’ve got the experience, I know what’s expected of a vice president position. 

2.) Khari and I have known each other for a long time; we actually went to high school together. I met him during my sophomore year of high school and we’ve been friends ever since. So Khari and I even last year, too, we served this incident together. We had a leadership mentor program and he was actually considered my big mentor and I was his mentee. So everything I’ve really learned about government I’ve learned from Khari. So like I said we have a long-standing relationship together, a very good friendship, so I think if anyone out of these candidates, if any two can work together, it would be me and Khari and we’ve proven it in the past.

Meredith Mason

1.) My experiences are really diverse. I am a member of Greek life, a Park Scholar, as well a member of Student Government. I have a lot of opportunities to be involved in a many different things. In Greek life I’ve been the director of sisterhood and I have also been selected as a Rho Tau. Through Park Scholars, I have been able to work on the Diversity Academic Planning Committee, so I really have some experience knowing how to train others in being more aware of diversity. Being in Student Government, I served as a senator my freshman year and this year I have been able to work as executive assistant with the student body president and vice president, as well as being a co-director for Wolfpack Pick Up.

2.) When I first decided that running for student body vice president would be something that I was interested in, I really thought long and hard about who I wanted to pair up with. I feel like it’s important that when you pick a running mate, you pick someone that you know you work well with. The reason that I decided to run with Gavin was because when we first started to think about running, I said, “Hey, I really think we could work well together. Let’s talk about it.” We spent a lot of time just discussing who would fit what role best. We have been able to work this year very closely on the executive cabinet and we learned that we work well together and we are just a really good team.