By Kiersten McCollum
Results are in, the baton has been passed, and a new Mister and Miss Xavier University of Louisiana have been elected. Chosen by the student body, Jaden Crump and Brayanna Jones will serve as the schools 9th Mister and 88th Miss Xavier. Being in the public eye is not always an easy task but both candidate-elects have expressed their excitement and readiness to step up to the plate and serve Xavier’s student body.
“The role itself is just to be an advocate for Xavier, to be someone who promotes Xavier in a positive light and wants it to be a positive environment,” said Jaden Crump, Mister Xavier-Elect.
Crump is a junior biology pre-medicine student from Hazlehurst, Miss. Running on the platform “The Motion” dedicating his campaign to the elevation of mobility, inclusivity, and awareness on campus for all students. Being involved in several co-curricular activities at Xavier, Crump expresses that he feels he has an accurate understanding of the needs of students all over campus, not just those who are most visible.
“We want all of the organizations on campus and all the populations of students on campus to be represented equally, so that’s something that I feel is important and that’s something that needs to be worked on,” Crump said.
Another aspect of awareness and visibility that holds significance to Crump is mental health transparency. He spoke on his desire to make Xavier the type of environment that radiates positivity and is encouraging for its students. One way he plans on doing this is through the revitalization of Xavier’s sense of service. Crump believes in placing a priority on equitable service opportunities which falls well in alignment of the platform and intentions of his partner on the royal court.
Miss Xavier-Elect Brayanna Jones is a junior biology major from New Roads, La. She ran on the platform of “Xavier Forever” dedicating her campaign to not only maintaining the school’s standard of excellence but finding new ways to better it.
“I’m very big on just amplifying what’s already here. And in that in that position of mine, I just want to continue to grow I want to continue to go beyond our potential and reach beyond the maximum you know, let’s maximize, just elevate,” Jones said.
In her campaign, Jones spoke about implementing a “helping hands” initiative during her reign designed to act as school wide community service in collaboration with different organizations on campus. Her purpose is to get more students involved in their community so they can be both seen and heard. The student body voice was a large part of her platform, Jones plans on serving the school by amplifying the needs of the student body to pave the way so everyone has the opportunity to be their best selves.
“I’m not looking at the school as a whole. I’m looking at the individual that makes up the school. That’s where you start out. You start at the individual, and then from there as a community we can grow into that amazing intellectual, illustrious, great school,” Jones said
