2024-25 USUSA Logan Campus Student Events Executive Director
Ashlynn Smith
What year are you in school? What are you studying? And where are you from?
I am a junior this year, and I am studying both communications and psychology with an emphasis in organizational leadership. I am from Herriman, Utah.
What is your favorite USU event and why?
My favorite Utah State event is Mr. USU, which is one that I planned earlier in the fall semester. It’s my favorite just because you get a ton of different guys from all areas, each college and they get together. They do — it’s just honestly all fun. They — we — get to do an opening dance. We get to do interview questions and kind of just goof off; we get to theme it. Some fun stuff. I don’t know, it’s just a classic. It’s a tradition, and I am obsessed with it.
How do you plan to create an inclusive, safe and fun atmosphere at USU events?
USU events are interesting because there’s not — with the variety of events that we do, there’s not just like one way to keep it safe and inclusive and fun for everyone, which is something that I love. There’s many things you can do to include, you know, everybody. Keep it safe, keep it friendly, but also make it memorable. And I plan on doing this by doing individual director trainings. So one thing that this position would be able to do is pick the next student event directors, and those are the people that are going to be planning the majority of the student events that we go to. And I would choose strong and passionate directors that are also going to plan strong and exciting events. But I want to include different kinds of trainings that are going to allow you know, inclusion and safety. There are big events like the Howl and there are smaller events such as like, you know, maybe a Moonlight and Music or maybe even, you know, there are other ones like Sweater Swap we just did. So there are a couple of different ones. The scale is different, but with individual director trainings, people will know what to look out for and know what to prioritize when planning these events.
Why do you feel events are important for the college experience?
I feel like events are not only important but crucial for not only student retention but just the benefit of student life. There are tons of studies — as a psychology major, I’m a nerd on studies — but there are tons of research that shows that with student events, students are more likely to stay within their college, but also have a higher college experience. And it actually turns out, you think that maybe by doing the most studying, you’d have the most like academic success. It’s actually the opposite — like if you in participate and get involved with student life and student activities, you’re more likely to reflect better and positively in your academic work, which is really exciting.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
I would do everything I could even in the academic sense to keep involved. One thing that’s different about Utah State and other college campuses at that there’s not like one point blank, way, you know, get involved and meet people. I think I would probably get more involved into the communication department and see what other ideas I can, you know, move over in there. One amazing program I love is just that each college has its own individual council, where they get to plan their events and be successful in that area. so I would pursue probably within my own college and plan events that way.
If you were to perform at PoBev, what would you do?
So I actually did perform at PoBev not too long ago, and I played my kazoo and I sang “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. And it was epic. I think if I were going to do it again, I would probably reenact some kind of like iconic movie scene like probably the scene from “Mean Girls” when they’re like screaming at each other in like a moving car. I will probably reenact that, but like with a one woman show.
Kelsey Lamb
What year are you in school? What are you studying? And where are you from?
I’m a junior. I’m studying elementary education with a minor in human development. I’m from Washington, D.C.
What is your favorite USU event and why?
My favorite event at Utah State is Festival on the Quad because it’s the biggest event at Weeks of Welcome, and it’s just a great way to meet people. And students just love to go out — it’s warm, it’s fun and there’s so much to do. There’s so much variation, and there’s something for everyone.
How do you plan to create an inclusive, safe and fun atmosphere at USU events?
One way that I want to create an inclusive atmosphere is by making the student events office committee application process super transparent and accessible for students so that they feel like they have a home here at Utah State and have opportunities to get involved. Another way that I want to make it a safe environment is by looking at the events that we have and look at ways that we can improve them by looking at surveys and past feedback, and look at ways that we can improve them and make them a little bit more safe, especially around big events like the Howl and Viva Las Logan, where safety can sometimes be a difficult subject. I think we do a great job, but it can always be improved.
Why do you feel events are important to the college experience?
When I was looking at schools from all over the country, I looked at Utah State and I saw the time, money and resources that they pour into the student experience here. And I just think that student experience makes Utah State so special, and we have events that are so unique and aren’t found anywhere else in the country. And I just think that that Aggie experience is just so unique and so special to enjoying your time here at college.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
That’s a good question. I would love to continue to do student events. My opponent has the same passion as I do, and I know that both of us are great candidates for what we’re trying to do. And I would love to keep doing student events. I’m also super involved with the College of Education, and I know that they’ve been wanting to work on pushing events and unifying the college as a whole, so I would probably try to do events in addition to helping that unity in the College of Education.
If you were to perform at PoBev, what would you do?
Oh man, I had this performance when I was probably like five or six, and it was to “Oppa Gangam Style.” And I would perform it for my mom in order for her to let me sleep over at my friend’s house, because my mom’s a dance teacher so she would really like it. And it worked every time, so I would probably revisit that choreography and bring it out again.