Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Major: International Affairs
Year: Sophomore
Credentials: Event planner for Thurston Hall Block Party, editor of Cherry Tree, president of Students Helping Students, director of Student Involvement for the Student Association, STAR
Web site: www.gwu.edu/`abbylest

The Student Association showed little luster in the last year and a half to Abby Lestition.

But she said she wants to change all that.

There wasn’t anyone out there that I thought would make a change, Lestition said.

The apathy Lestition saw among other SA members inspired her to run for president despite being a sophomore, the youngest person in the race.

My time is now, she said. She said she could not imagine spending another whole year waiting to run for president because her whole GW life, inevitably, would become a yearlong campaign.

Lestition said overcrowded classrooms are one of the first problems she would tackle if she were to get elected. As a STAR, she said she used to make excuses for the University’s decision to hold classes in Thurston Hall lounges. But that did not last long.

How do you explain classes in Thurston? Lestition asked.

She applauded GW for purchasing residence halls such as the Hall on Virginia Avenue to handle the extra freshmen arriving last fall. But she said administrators failed to make the same preparations in other parts of GW.

It’s like they said, `we gotta house them, but let’s not worry about academics,’ Lestition said.

Dining services is another important part of her platform, Lestition said. She said she was disappointed to see only fast-food options in J Street. Lestition said students need healthier options and variety in their meals.

I do the walk (in J Street) at least once a week, she said in reference to having to search for something different to eat. Lestition said she would like to see the return of Colonial Grill-like menus.

Lestition is running with Pat McLaughlin, a candidate for executive vice president. She said she chose to run with McLaughlin because they complement one another. Both have different strengths and know different parts of the GW community, Lestition said.

She said she hopes both win because the politics between opposing SA parties can create a stalemate. Lestition saw many of the difficulties earlier this year when former President Phil Meisner was impeached and removed from office.

Lestition supported Meisner until the end. She said she realizes that Meisner made many mistakes.

It’s such an honor, and I think he sometimes forgot that, and it upset me as a person, she said.