Benjamin Smith sat down with Allison Pope, a Homecoming Queen candidate, to talk about her platform.
Smith: Please introduce yourself with your name, major and hometown.
Pope: My name is Allison Pope. I am a senior advertising major from Edmond, Oklahoma.
Smith: What are you involved with on and off campus?
Pope: On campus, I am an assistant team leader in the Center for Service and Leadership for Big Days of Service. I’m also an associate justice with the Academic Honor Council through the College of Communication and Information Sciences. That’s all on campus besides honor societies and things like that.But then, off campus, I’m involved in the Student Retention Council, which is an initiative with the Higher Education Partnership, and that is a statewide program. College in Alabama has this whole issue of brain drain. People go to college in Alabama and then go elsewhere to the Dallases, the Atlantas, and the Nashvilles. So we’re trying to educate students about all of the 14 public universities [in Alabama], and how to find what they want from an Atlanta or a Nashville in Alabama. We really have all the resources and everything in Alabama. It’s just people don’t know about it, and they go elsewhere. And so we’re losing all of our greatest minds, essentially.
Smith: Why did you decide to run for homecoming queen?
Pope: I’m an out-of-state student, and I really wanted to get plugged into like everything I can when I’ve gone on to campus. And so, throughout the past 2 ½ years, I’ve been like, “Oh my gosh. I love The University of Alabama. I love Tuscaloosa. I love Alabama as a whole.” So the position for Homecoming Queen really resonated with my values and my love for this school.
I also wanted to be a voice and an amplifier for the needs of our students on campus. And so, through my campaign, I’m really excited to share all of the important things that I’ve learned and the importance of service through this platform.
Smith: What is your platform, and why did you decide to run on that specific platform?
Pope: The platform is focused on meeting the needs of food insecurity and hunger on campus through involvement with the SGA and different organizations on campus, like Big Days of Service. I realized that there are so many students that are fighting against food insecurity every day, and that’s a massive barrier in the way of student performance and student wellbeing. We’re here in this place to find home, find community and learn. We can’t really do that if we’re wondering where our next meal is coming from, “will I have dinner this Saturday night,” things like that. Our food pantry is doing the best that they can with what they have, but I just want to call out the importance of food insecurity on our campus and how big of an issue it is.
We have 40,000 students, right? And if 20% of those are facing food insecurity, that’s a lot of kids. So I’m just highlighting that need and then sharing how important service is to meet that need.
I’m doing that through my four platform points, which are action, leadership, learning and impact. And so I think it’s so important that we not only learn about what students on campus need, but act to fix those positively. Leadership is something I’m so passionate about. Obviously, leading others to build community and become engaged on campus is so important and valuable to me. And then, with impact, a lot of people do a lot of little things that they push out to the world that really do nothing. It’s super important through my campaign to actually make a difference, no matter how big or small it is and actually make a difference in people’s lives, so people are getting more meals and things like that.
Smith: How have you served your community during your time as a student?
Pope: So mainly, I would say my involvement is with the Center for Service and Leadership. That’s where most of my community service has been based in. My favorite site around town is The House Tuscaloosa. Essentially, they are a bookstore that serves West Tuscaloosa with books at a cheaper rate. They provide classes and things like that, and it’s on Stillman’s Campus. It’s a really awesome place to spread the value of literature, and I love that. But through service on campus, the Center for Service and Leadership has given me the opportunity to plug into mentoring groups. I serve at Oakdale Elementary every week, and I also serve at Skyland Elementary. Also through the West End Food Bank, I did a lot of service through that. It’s been a paramount of my college experience so far.
Smith: Finally, why do you think you are the best choice for Homecoming Queen?
Pope: The Homecoming Queen knows about her community, she loves The University of Alabama and is passionate about making it a better palace, making it feel like home for everyone that’s here. I think from all of my leadership positions, I have met a diverse range of people and gotten to know all walks of life. I feel like I really have a grasp on what the University stands for, what its students stand for more than the University: what we value, what we need, and what we can do to grow and become greater in the future. I’m really excited through this platform to meet this need of food insecurity so that we can lift all boats. I love the phrase “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and it really does. I’m so excited about that.
Homecoming campaigning begins on Oct. 13 at 7 a.m. and goes until Oct 22 at 7 p.m.
Elections are on mySOURCE on Oct. 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The 2024 Queen will be announced on Oct. 25 during the Homecoming pep rally and bonfire.
