Rising junior Kris Hart won the Student Association presidency and became the leading voice for GW’s student body following a narrow election in March. The SA functions as the student government, providing resources for students, allocating money to student organizations, sponsoring events and catering to students’ needs.

Although the Springfield, Pa. native is younger than some presidents in the past, he said he is ready to take on his presidency, despite initial doubts from some other students.

“Yeah I got criticism coming into (elections). But I don’t think I got as much afterward because of the vigor we took over the office with,” Hart said.

Hart, a business economics major, recently sat down with The Hatchet to discuss his background, upcoming SA plans and why it’s OK to be a “Georgetown reject.”

H: I’ve heard you did something different for high school. You got your diploma by taking night classes?

K: I became a sophomore in high school, and I applied to be a page in Congress. So my junior year I spent working in the U.S. Congress. I didn’t want to go back to Philly so I applied to work at a senator’s office in Washington, and I was hired. I really did bullshit work. Then I was taking night credits and that sort of thing. So that’s how I kind of got through high school without actually going.

H: What are some of your big initiatives for the year?

K: There are a whole bunch. Under funding is a Foggy Bottom entertainment guide, which is a coupon book that we’ll sell to students for about $5. We’re doing a “21 Means 21” campaign. We’re going to say ‘Look we understand kids are going to drink, but be smart and know your limits.’ We’re probably going to have a liquor list party on campus, and we’ll invite Captain Morgan and Bacardi to have give-aways. But we’ll only be serving Coke and non-alcoholic beverages to show everyone you can have a good time without all the alcohol.

H: What are some funding priorities?

K: We’ve got to pay for the Academic Update (an online resource with student evaluations of courses and professors) from last year, which is like $6,000. But we’re paying for the entertainment guide, the freshman handbook – which we’re going to do in all color this year and take pictures at all the CIs. We’re going to buy CI give-aways this year because we don’t have the GWopoly boards (which the University decided not to give out the GW version of Monopoly this year because of budgetary reasons). Then at the closing ceremony we’re going to raffle them off. We’re getting more proactive – barbecues on campus and other things.

H: How are you going to make yourself known at CI?

K: I’m going to speak at the opening session, and then at all the dinners at lunches we’re going to have six SA officials walking around. We’re trying to get shirts, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen. And the whole time I’ll be there walking around.

H: What positions can incoming freshmen hold in the SA?

K: Assistant vice presidents, assistant directors. Right now we need a vice president position filled, where if someone is really good at graphics they can become Vice President of Public Affairs.

H: What are some other things the SA does?

K: The administration really listens to us when there’s a real complaint. We’re the perfect venue to express your concern and we can take it right to President Trachtenberg if need be. We also offer resources like the Academic Update. We’re looking at providing an online internship catalog where you can go online, and employers would post on our Web site what types of internships they have available.

H: Are you working on any other new resources?

K: Yeah, another thing we’re doing this year is like an Ebay for text books … it’s like doing a book exchange online.

H: How’d this idea come about?

K: I got something like 26 bucks back after spending over 400 on books, and we said, ‘What can we do about this?’ So (the SA) looked at other universities to see what they did, and for 500 dollars we can put up a Web site and have an online book exchange.

H: Everyone knows the GW stereotypes – Georgetown rejects, everyone’s from Long Island or New Jersey. Which do you think is most untrue and why?

K: The most untrue with the students here right now is that GW doesn’t have any sense of community or spirit. We really do have a sense of pride about the city we’re in and the school we go to. We have exciting people who have done exciting things, though we might not all have a 1350 or 1400 SAT … So I guess if anything it would be the Georgetown reject-type ideas…

H: Are you a Georgetown reject, Kris?

K: I myself was a Georgetown reject … But GW is really where it’s at, and I think people realize that once they get here.