Dylan Kowlessar / The Avion
Sophomore, BS Aerospace Engineering
"Hey, everybody! I am Dallas Balentine. I am a sophomore in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics) with a minor in Space Operations. I enjoy weightlifting, trying different foods, filmmaking, nature walks, and traveling. I am the Treasurer for First Class and Film Director for the UnReel Media filmmaking club. I am your current Student Life Senator. I have been in student government since seventh grade. Being a community servant, socializing, and supporting others has been a lifelong passion of mine. I am running for reelection to continue my mission and passion to make this campus more culturally diverse and inclusive. I will work with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Office to plan events and provide student resources to improve cultural inclusion and awareness. Other goals include Title IV and Wellness Awareness. I am on the Senate Wellness Committee, and we aim to improve students' mental, physical, and spiritual health. I will work with Campus Safety and the Title IV office to improve campus safety and awareness of drug/alcohol abuse and sexual assault."
What makes you a qualified candidate for this position?
"I am the perfect candidate for this position for several reasons. Firstly, I have seven years of student government experience from seventh grade. Throughout those years, I have learned many lessons about how to conduct myself as the best student government official possible. That is by being a respectable team player with a great reputation. But passion comes before all of that. Passion gets me through hard projects and dealing with unruly colleagues/students. I am passionate about supporting all and making the right moves to improve this campus each day, week, month, and year. Anyone who knows me knows I take my role as SGA Senator very seriously. Lastly, I have many connections throughout campus and am acquainted or friends with many people. I am a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), UnReel Media Film Club, and First Class. I am affiliated with many other organizations. Being social and well-known are major factors in being a senator because senators are the voices of their representative groups. I am known to be a very approachable and conversational person. That is the type of people we need in the SGA Senate."
What is the purpose of the SGA Student Senate?
"The purpose of the SGA Senate is to be the student body's voice. Senators should be on campus regularly promoting SGA, helping students, and creating solutions to problems and concerns. Senators should work with other Senators, SGA branches and divisions, faculty, third-party organizations, community organizations, and more to help complete their individual or group goals. People who are incompetent, lazy, selfish, unorganized, and unruly should be a Senator. Senators need to be the opposite of that. Senators need to be selfless, passionate, heavily involved on campus, social, approachable, team players, and willing to dedicate lots of time and effort to help Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University become a place that can be called “home” by its students without any doubt. The Senate needs to be composed of people with a good, positive reputation, honesty, and trust so that doing their jobs is feasible. Senators must also be willing to work together and become a close-knit family."
How do you plan to elevate and communicate issues that your constituents are concerned about to the Senate?
"I plan to elevate issues and concerns through various methods. I currently use some of these, and some will be implemented if reelected. I have my phone number, social media, and school email open and available for students to contact me for any questions, issues, or concerns. If I am busy, I respond within the hour or at a reasonable time. One method I tried to use but wasn’t too successful was visiting RSOs to speak about the SGA and then providing a QR code that led the user to a Google form to voice their issues. A couple of methods I want to implement is tabling in the Student Union during lunch hour. As it is known, between 12-3 pm, it is packed in the Student Union. I plan to set up a weekly or biweekly tabling session in a visible area where students can approach and speak to me face-to-face. This will not be difficult for me to do as I socialize with dozens of people daily. I will compile a document with issues and bring it to the appropriate Senator (if academics-related), the appropriate SGA branch/division, ERAU department, or meet with the Dean of Students, Dr. Koller, and discuss ways to alleviate these issues."
How will you improve the ERAU experience for your constituents?
"As mentioned before, if reelected, I will continue my goal and passion to help Embry-Riddle become more culturally diverse and inclusive and more aware of social issues such as drug/alcohol abuse, health, and sexual assault. For diversity and inclusion, I want to work with the DEI Office, the International Education Department, and the Student Union and Student Engagement Department to bring events and resources that promote diversity and inclusion. I will continue my work with the Senate Wellness Committee and work with the Counseling Center, Fitness Center, academic advisors, professors and Deans, and others to ensure that students are encouraged to be the best mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually/religiously (if applicable). I will continue to work with Campus Safety for security, the Emergency Response Team, the Title IV Office for protection against assault, and others to ensure that our campus is safe and welcoming for every student and that every student is protected."
