Current PRIDE!Kent president Kevin Casimer counts the ballots at elections last night in the Governance Chambers.

Caitlin Prarat | Daily Kent Stater

Credit: Ron Soltys

Last night PRIDE!Kent elected its executive board for next year.

Each of the six new board members had one major focus for fall — raising attendance.

Colleen Eltibi, freshman sociology major, was elected president; Emily Costa, junior anthropology major, was elected vice president; Ashley Dill, sophomore sociology major, was elected treasurer; Ally Oulton, sophomore sign language major, was elected secretary; Leora Rzepka, sophomore school health education major, was elected allies chair; and Theodore Trimm, junior education major, was elected programming director.

“With the current state of PRIDE this year, everyone has gone through struggles,” Eltibi said. “We want it to be much more of a collaborative effort in the fall.”

As treasurer, Dill said because PRIDE!Kent doesn’t have a lot of money, she wants to work with KSU Programming to do more fundraisers.

“Fundraising will make PRIDE money to be able to hold programs and up attendance,” she said.

Receiving the respect of the Allocation Committee is something else that’s important to Dill.

“You need money to run a good organization, and you need the allocations board to respect you as an organization to do that,” she said.

Rzepka’s focus was a little bit different. She said she hopes to bring more straight allies into the PRIDE!Kent community.

“I want to get word out that it’s cool to be straight and come to PRIDE. We like you,” Rzepka said. “I want to show that PRIDE isn’t just an LGBT organization, it’s straight too.

As PRIDE!Kent’s new programming director, Trimm had many ideas to boost attendance.

He said he wants to incorporate PRIDE!Kent into other student organizations.

“In the past we’ve always started out well but dropped off by spring semester,” Trimm said. “I know other groups are willing to work with us to boost memberships and support for us and the other groups all over campus.”

High attendance is not Trimm’s only goal for next year. He wants to bring guests and hold events that all students at Kent State will be interested in.

“I want to bring things here that everyone wants to go to, not just the gay community,” he said. “Working with other student groups to do this will put us out there as one of the stronger organizations.”

Even though the new board members have their own hopes and goals for next year, all of them agree that the need to restore PRIDE!Kent to it’s former self is great.

Eltibi said, “I feel like with the people on the board with me for next year we can really do a lot for PRIDE.”

Contact minority affairs reporter Elise Franco at [email protected].