The second semester of his junior year, Lloyd had the chance to study abroad in Seville, Spain. While in Europe, he also visited France, Portugal, Norway and Germany.
He said that ever since his trip abroad, he likes to speak and talk to people without the television or radio on during his free time.
"I like to sit down and get to know people," he said.
Lloyd also enjoys joining and playing intramural sports on campus.
He said that some of the reasons why he likes working with the sports marketing department is because he can enjoy both going to and working at various sport events.
For his service project, Lloyd plans to start a Valentine's Day party for children at UNC Hospitals and for the Big Buddy program. Lloyd's goal is to get as many people involved as possible in order to raise money for both organizations.
In order to reach his goal, Lloyd plans to incorporate the Dance Marathon and get the students on campus involved.
His strategy is to have students buy a Valentine for a dollar and address a message to the children.
Lloyd said he wants to complete this service project on Feb. 13, a day before Valentine's Day. He wants for the children to feel extra special before the actual day arrives.
If he is elected, Lloyd wants to fulfill all the duties of Mr. UNC to the maximum and make himself known to the people.
"If I am elected, I will be an official representative with the Carolina Athletic Association and also a spokesperson to the people," he said. "I will try to be more out there and noticeable to students on campus."
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- Compiled by Aldesha Gore
<p>
<b> Brandon Lofton</b><p>
Brandon Lofton is a senior from Jacksonville. He is majoring in political science.
He was nominated by the Black Student Movement, which also recently named him Mr. BSM.
Lofton is an active member and chapter ambassador for the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Inc.
Through his work as ambassador for the fraternity, Lofton has branched off into working with other campus organizations such as the UNC chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a Christian organization called Cross First.
He has also contributed his time in working with other students on campus in putting together a voter registration drive though a coalition consisting of Kappa Alpha Psi, BSM, the NAACP and Cross First.
"Through this coalition we developed a drive for voter education and registration, and as a result, we registered over 200 voters," Lofton said.
In addition, Lofton's past activities include serving in the positions of co-vice president of BSM in 1999 and chairman of the political action committee in 1998.
For his Homecoming service project, Lofton has proposed a Diversity Through Action program to be held in early February.
This weeklong diversity and service program will require different campus organizations with varied political outlooks to work together on one service project each day for a week.
"The purpose of this project is to teach different groups to work together despite their differences on certain views," he said.
The Diversity Through Action program will also be open to individual students, Lofton said, allowing them to work with the service project along with student groups.
"These individual students will be called royal ambassadors," Lofton said.
"And from this project my main goal is for these students to be empowered by the act of getting involved in campus events and being able to work with different groups that they would not normally work or associate with."
Besides Lofton's goals and numerous extracurricular activities, he enjoys spending his free time reading and writing about political theories and being with the people that matter the most to him.
"When I have the time, I like spending time with loved ones and friends," Lofton said.
Lofton said that if he is elected Mr. UNC, his main aspiration is to take the title to the next level by serving as an ambassador for the student body and as a resource for student organizations across campus.
Lofton said, "I do not want any questions in people's minds that I am not the best candidate for the position."
- Compiled by Aldesha Gore<p>
<b> Kellie Hash</b><p>
Kellie Hash is a senior business administration major from Winston-Salem.
As a freshman, Hash became an active member of the Black Student Movement, the organization which is sponsoring her candidacy. She served as chairwoman of the Celebration of Black Womanhood Committee, organizing a day forum on issues like physical and mental health and climbing the corporate ladder.
Hash has also participated in CHispA, though she is not of Hispanic decent. "I really liked the cultural experience," she said.
Greatly involved in minority recruitment, Hash has served as a minority adviser and as a member of the Black Business Student Alliance. Last year she served as an orientation counselor for incoming first-year students, and is currently completing her second year as an residence assistant in Manly Residence Hall.
Hash also volunteers her time to Communiversity, working with the Homework Assistance Program. This year she also began working with the organization's literacy program.
Hash's proposed service project is a three-day breast cancer awareness program. "I understand this is a very popular topic - but I personally feel that it can't be stressed enough - it's something that affects both men and women."
The three-day event would entail a variety of activities. The first day would serve as an awareness day. Booths and pamphlets with information on breast cancer would be set up in the Pit all day, in an attempt to educate students about the disease.
The second day, a mobile mammary unit - manned with volunteers from Student Health Service and the Center for Healthy Student Behaviors - would be set up for students to actually learn how to perform a breast self-exam.
Hash also hopes for a forum featuring women who would relate their experiences battling breast cancer.
On the third day, a benefit concert would be held featuring various UNC student musical groups and acts, with all the proceeds going to the Cornucopia Support Center, a local organization.
Hash stressed that she would be active in her role as Ms. UNC. "I want Ms. UNC to be seen as a position rather than as a title," Hash said. "I would really like to serve as an ambassador that addresses the concerns of the student body. I would like to be available to students - if need be I would hold office hours."
As Ms. UNC, Hash would also aim to stress all the great experiences she has had as a UNC student.
Concerning her campaign, Hash plans to stick to stressing her service project, and feels greatly supported. "I personally have a strong support network that has been willing to volunteer."
- Compiled by Joanna Housiadas<p>
<b>Jennifer Santhouse</b><p>
Jennifer Santhouse is a senior political science and public policy major from Raleigh.
She was nominated for Ms. UNC by the Residence Hall Association, of which she is currently a member of the executive board and the external relations committee.
Santhouse's involvement in RHA did not begin this year - she has been actively involved since her freshman year at UNC, when she worked as publicity chairwoman for Hinton James Residence Hall.
She went on to serve as the RHA social chairwoman last year.
In her experience with RHA, Santhouse has attended various leadership conferences and coordinated activities with many student groups on campus.
She's worked with Greek Affairs, the Carolina Union Activities Board, intramural sports and the Senior Class to co-sponsor campus events.
After a successful RHA-sponsored Halloween bash with the Big Buddy program, Santhouse and other members of RHA are focusing their efforts on a tailgating party at Hinton James before the first men's basketball game this season.
But Santhouse's involvement extends far beyond RHA. She is also the co-chairwoman of the Senior Advisory Board, a group of seniors that oversees the activities of the senior marshals.
"We give them some input and make sure they're on their toes," she said.
Outside of the University environment, Santhouse works as a head coach for a Rainbow soccer team of first- and second-graders, sharing her experiences as a soccer player with the group of boys and girls. "I've played soccer longer than some of these kids have been alive!" she said. "I really enjoy coaching - it's a great way to hang out and really give back."
Santhouse is also the social chairwoman of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She works with its annual 5K run and provides other members with volunteer opportunities.
Project Uptake - an ongoing mentoring service to work with the homeless in Chapel Hill - is Santhouse's proposed service project.
"It seems that there's a number of people in need but there's been less funding," Santhouse said.
Her project would pair a UNC student with a homeless person, with the help of the Inter Faith Council. The student mentor would talk to the person and help with interviewing skills, as well as serve as a reference, Santhouse said.
"It's like we're in school learning how to get a job - this lets you use those skills and help somebody else with that," she said. "There's so much more that can be done."
Santhouse also applies that philosophy to herself and her possible role as Ms. UNC.
She said she thinks Mr. and Ms. UNC should become more visible on campus and use their positions to benefit the University community as a whole.
"One of the dilemmas this position faces is that `it's yea, I'm elected,' and then they just disappear," she said. "(Mr. and Ms. UNC are) kind of celebrities -they should stick out in a good way."
And that is what Santhouse intends to do if she becomes Ms. UNC.
Right now, she is counting on the support of her sorority sisters and fellow RHA members as she campaigns for Ms. UNC.
"It's people I've known for a long time and people I've just met - the support is just phenomenal."
-Compiled by Lauren Beal<p>
<b>Mimi Patel</b><p>
Mrudula "Mimi" Patel is a senior biology major from Jersey City, N.J.
Currently the president of Theta Nu Xi multicultural sorority Inc., Patel has been very involved in the Greek system. She spent 1 1/2 years serving on the Chancellor's Committee for Greek Affairs, and for the past two years has worked as part of the Specialty Greek Alliance Council - a group composed of UNC's nontraditional fraternities and sororities.
Patel is also the founder and director of Mezmerhythm - a multigenre dance team - serving as both president and lead choreographer. This year she is serving as the team's mentor.
In addition, Patel has danced with Sangam since her freshman year, and last year joined the South Asian dance team Bhangra Elite.
Since her sophomore year, Patel has participated in Masala, serving as the organization's representatives for both Theta Nu Xi and Mezmerhythm.
Patel served on Amanda Greene's 1999 campaign for student body president, and on Jason Cowley and Sherilynn Black's campaigns for senior class president and vice president in spring 2000.
Patel has also tutored with the Math and Science Education Network since her freshman year, and has served as a mentor to elementary students through the BCC and Communiversity. This semester Patel became a big pal in the Campus Y's Entering America Smoothly through Enrichment program.
Patel is also a resident assistant in Spencer Residence Hall this year.
Project Kaleidoscope - a three-part event focused on educating roughly 100 ninth-grade students from Orange, Durham and Chatham counties on cultural diversity - is Patel's proposed service project. "The project is based on my deep belief and passion for diversity ad multicultural communication," Patel said.
Following performances by multicultural dance groups on campus, a multicultural fair showcasing UNC cultural organizations would help students learn more about various cultures.
Students would then break off into small groups to engage in a workshop about a specific culture, also led by student organizations. Each group would present a skit and end with a wrap-up session address the students' questions and comments.
As a part of her campaign, Patel plans to reach out to all the friendships and networks she has built at UNC, and drum up support in the Pit and on campus with fliers, handbills and buttons.
Patel said she had lots of encouragement to run, including support from her sorority and dance team. "Even when I asked others, there was no doubt in their minds that I should run."
-Compiled by Joanna Housiadas
