Nina Kudlak and Will Vuncannon: candidates for student body president, vice president

Nina Kudlak, a third-year studying political science and student senator for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is running for student body president this year. Her running mate is Will Vuncannon, a third-year studying political science and the chief of staff for current Student Body President McKenzy Heavlin.

Kudlak and Vulcannon’s campaign focuses on mental health, sustainability, collaborating with the Raleigh City Council, campus safety and staying in touch with students. 

Kudlak said mental health and sustainability are major components of her and Vuncannon’s platform.

“I really believe in our platform in terms of how we are going to approach mental health, how we plan on revamping the department of sustainability and changing that into the Department of Environmental Affairs, and really putting a focus on that and holding the University accountable for things like making compost more accessible and phasing out single-use plastics,” Kudlak said.

Vuncannon said their administration would continue advocacy work with the Raleigh City Council, extending the work already done by the Heavlin administration.

“I've been really pleased with the work this administration has done in all kinds of advocacy with the city council,” Vuncannon said. “I think that's been great. I think there are a lot of areas where more work could be done which, of course, is what went in a lot to need on my platform.”

Kudlak and Vuncannon said campus safety, especially for those who live off campus or on Centennial campus, is another focus of their campaign’s platform. 

Kudlak and Vuncannon said they intend to remain as in touch with the student population as possible when in office. They want to remain approachable and in constant communication with advocacy groups and student organizations to make sure that their needs are being met.

“Remaining personable and remaining approachable and accessible for students as an administration is a priority,” Kudlak said. “So there's not that disconnect between Student Government and the general student body which we do see now, unfortunately.”

Vuncannon said his experience in Student Government across multiple positions and branches gives him the necessary experience to not only lead the executive branch, but to also best represent the diverse student body.

“I was a student senator just for a few months and really enjoyed it,” Vuncannon said. “I applied to join the executive branch and became chief of staff. I was able to actually see the position change during my time in office to more of a leadership role which allowed me to grow in a lot of ways in terms of being a leader and working closely with other people in leadership.”

Kudlak said her diverse background across multiple aspects of student life has allowed her to deeply understand what students are most passionate about and be better suited to address them.

“I take a lot of pride in my kind of diverse background of involvement on campus,” Kudlak said. “In my first year, I was a [student] senator, a sustainability steward and a member of the NC State choir. I really fell in love with being able to see people respond to things that I had done that I thought would benefit them, while also benefiting the greater good.”

Kudlak and Vuncannon said they promise to always put the student body’s needs first.

“I can promise that I'll put my friendship and my care for the students before the role,” Kudlak said. “What I care about is I care about making people feel heard. Before my role as President Kudlak, I'm going to be Nina. I'm going to be your friend, I'm going to be your supporter and I'm going to be your fan.”

Students can vote March 6 and 7 through the Get Involved website.