SVSU students last week elected Lauren Kreiss as the next Student Association president.
Kreiss, a third-year business management major, received 588 votes to defeat second-year communication major Nancy Haddad, who received 457 votes.
Kreiss will assume the role of president on May 1, and she said the campaign experience allowed her to meet a large variety of students while addressing many campus concerns.
“Running for president has given me the perspective that every great leader comes from great followers,” Kreiss said. “Having a constant support team and having students believe in me was a great motivational tool to continue my race for becoming president.”
The polls opened on Monday, March 20, at 7 p.m. and closed on Friday, March 24, at noon. The vote results were announced shortly after noon Friday in Doan 103.
Kreiss received just over 56 percent of the total 1,045 votes cast.
Her platform was based on three topics she felt were the most apparent and concerning on campus, and she is prepared for the implementation of ideas.
“For expanding the new bus route, I will be in constant contact with the company that oversees the procedures and routes,” she said. “I will also be working very closely with the Office of External Affairs to brainstorm ideas about how to continue this bus line to different destinations.”
She said to complete her second platform topic of having future election days off, she will begin by collecting nationwide data samples that detail which institutions are closed on election days.
“As well, I will be conducting a survey to students and faculty members if they believe having the day off is beneficial,” she said. “I will then present my findings to the committee that approves the academic calendar.”
Lastly, she said that in making SA more external, she will contact the new presidents of RSOs on campus toward the end of the semester to talk about future collaborations.
“Next, I will be implementing a town hall -style president cabinet for the next academic year with these RSO presidents,” Kreiss said. “Lastly, once the Student Association speaker is elected, I will be working closely with that individual to change the overall structure of the association to become more involved on campus. This will be done by setting up policies that have the representatives and leadership committee attending more events and having a more visible presence.”
Haddad ran on making SA more inclusive, clearing racial barriers at SVSU, limiting textbook costs and bringing Student Defender Programs to campus.
She said the race was a great opportunity for her as she had never run a race for herself, and it was her motivation to see change for the students.
“This race allotted me the opportunity to meet with so many new faces on our campus,” she said. “Aside from learning about what those groups felt were concerns, I also gained a new appreciation for learning about the struggles of others. Listening is so crucial to making things happen, and this race gave me the best opportunity to listen.”
Kreiss is excited to begin her SA presidency and is looking forward to working with students.
“I would like to thank the students of SVSU for putting their trust in me by electing me as the next Student Association President,” she said. “I am thrilled to start this incredible journey.”
