Blake Stayton
Blake Stayton - president candidate
Junior political science and African American studies double major
From Memphis, Tennessee
1. Why are you running for student government?
The reason I am running for student government is because I finally figured out a way to channel my passions, and my passion has always been to help the underdog out and to help people who have been told they can’t do things do them, so breaking cycles is what I’m all about as a first-generation student. Being raised by a single mother, everyone always doubted that I would even go to college, so I want to be the voice for every other first generation student, or anyone who is raised in a low-income household, that you can accomplish anything if you work hard and are passionate about what you do.
2. What is the most important campus issue to you?
The most important campus issue to me would probably have to be making sure that the cost of this university is low and making sure that we are accessible as a university. So I would say that if our university becomes an exclusive place where only people with money can afford to attend, then it completely loses the purpose of what it is here for. I believe this university is here to foster upward mobility within the city of Memphis, and I think as an SGA president, that is something I will always advocate for, making sure that our university is accessible.
3. What do you think of the pedestrian bridge to begin construction in October?
I definitely think it is a great way to make the university nicer. I think it’s going to be beautiful, and it’s going to be great. Now, I do recognize that it is quite costly, but I think with pushing the original recreation center back a year and a half, it will make the sequencing of events a lot better for containing the costs. I’m definitely excited for it, and I’m definitely happy that we decided to pursue that project in a financially responsible way.
4. What do you think about the new recreation center?
Well, that’s definitely the hot-button issue on campus right now. I would just like to say that I am all for a new rec center, and I am as excited about it as every other student. And just like everyone else, I was disappointed when I heard the news that we wouldn’t be getting it as soon as we originally planning. But with that being said, I think it was a great decision by President Rudd to push it back a year and a half, simply because I can go without a new rec center, but some student’s can’t take the increase in tuition, so if I have to lose out on my access to a recreation center for a year and a half, that’s okay because it will protect a lot of low-income and first-generation students.
5. What do you want to accomplish during your time in student government?
During my time in student government, I think the number one thing I would like to do is just make sure that we are representing the people who need to be represented. A lot of these people are the low-income, first-generation students. Simply because they are working and going to school and doing a lot of things, they don’t necessarily have time to be sitting in the involvement zone and chitchatting all day, so we want to make sure their needs are met. So by improving the health services on campus, I think that’d be something huge we can do for our uninsured population here on campus, and also safe trails, making the university a safer place. I think with everyone trying to make the University of Memphis a college district and somewhere where there’s a lot more on campus (residents) as opposed to commuter (students), it’s not going to work unless we have people feeling safer on campus all the time.
6. Do you do any volunteer work?
The volunteer work I have done is a lot of the philanthropies on campus. I have also done a lot of work with first-generation students. Basically, a lot of my volunteer work has just started within the last year, and the reason why is because I have found it hard to volunteer because I was working so much and doing school and trying to pay bills. But now that I have a better job and a little bit more of a stable environment, I’ve been able to give back to the community a little bit more. So, I’m definitely excited to be doing that.
7. Organizations you are involved with and role you serve:
I am a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity where I serve as the fraternity educator. I am an orientation guide, and I am also a Frosh Camp counselor. Additionally, I serve as an SGA senator and am in the process of becoming a first-generation ambassador.
8. Three fun facts about yourself:
1. I am extremely superstitious. I have this thing where, on important days, I put the exact amount of change in my shoe. So like today is the 27th, so I have a quarter and two pennies in my shoe.
2. For my entire life, I’ve grown up doing roofing and construction, and I think that is definitely one of the things that helped instill my work ethic is being out on a hot roof all the time. It helped me learn how to work hard.
3. My mother had me when she was 19 years old, and she worked as a maid for 20 years to get me where I am today, so I’m definitely a huge momma’s boy, and I love that woman more than anything in the world.
Allison Nguyen
Allison Nguyen - vice president candidate
Sophomore biology major
 From Memphis, Tennessee
1. Why are you running for student government?
I am running for student government because the opportunities here are really big, and I want people to utilize them here, but not having Memphis accessible to all students that want to be successful is a really big thing. I want to be accessible to all students because if you have passion for it, then that should be enough to drive you.
2. What is the most important campus issue to you?
I think the most important issue is our vision here. Our vision here is our education and success in our careers. It’s easy to lose that vision through all the fun stuff we get to do — not that I don’t want to have fun or anything like that, I do. But first and foremost, we are here for our education — for that degree.
3. What do you think of the pedestrian bridge to begin construction in October?
I actually think that it is a really good thing. It creates a designated area for people to walk over. I used to park on Southern (Avenue), and it was dangerous to jaywalk across the street. I park in the garage now because it was that dangerous, and I would leave the tech hub really late at night. So, having a designated area for that would be good.
4. What do you think about the new recreation center?
I think the new recreation center is a great idea, but the thing about that is I don’t think it was a financially responsible decision because now that project is pushed back. But, we still had to pay that in our tuition, so at what price for nice things? Yes, it’s appealing, but what we have now, there’s nothing really wrong with it. It’s a place for us to get our exercise, which is what the rec center is there for. It’s fine the way it is right now.
5. What do you want to accomplish during your time in student government?
I want to make sure that the university is accessible and that it is safe here. I am probably here more than I am at my own house. So, I want to make sure it’s safe no matter what time it is because we have a 24-hour tech hub. I want to make sure all students can get opportunities that Memphis is offering by containing the costs and tuition – things like that. That’s what I want to do. I want to make progress in the things that matter so that we are able to get our education and our degree.
6. Do you do any volunteer work?
For my church, we do little daycare things while the adults are in church.
7. Organizations you are involved with and role you serve:
I’m in Frosh Camp. I’m a counselor, and that’s really it for this semester.
8. 3 fun facts about yourself:
1. I’ve been a dancer since I was 2 years old.
2. I am fluent in Vietnamese.
3. I really love juice and ice cream.
