Sophomore stays busy with SUA

Stephanie Altoro brings passion to planning everything from cultural events to live music events

By Hali Baker

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

From serving as a student senator to overseeing Tea Time every Thursday at the Kansas Union, Stephanie Altoro, Bronx, New York, sophomore, has done her share for the University of Kansas. Currently she serves as the cultural arts coordinator for Student Union Activities and next year she will take on the role of live music coordinator.

“I love planning events and putting together events,” Altoro said.

Altoro joined SUA at the end of her freshman year after seeing a sign in Templin Hall advertising an open position for cultural arts coordinator. She was already involved with Student Senate, but she thought the SUA opportunity sounded like fun. Altoro applied, went through an interview and has been in love with her position ever since. The job has influenced Altoro so much that she has decided to switch from being a business major to journalism and communications.

“It’s probably the most valuable position,” Altoro said. “I have a job and have to go to school, so it has forced me to become an adult.”

The amount of responsibility associated with her job is tremendous, and the scholarship she receives from SUA doesn’t begin to compensate for the time Altoro puts in. Just this year, she has had to organize Hip-Hop Week, Project Runway at the Kansas Union and poetry slams. She has also helped with Day on the Hill.

“I like being able to be behind the scenes and be the spokesperson for events. It is really cool,” Altoro said.

She is already starting to think about this coming fall and she’s in the process of finding well-known bands to come to the University. “Everyone in SUA tells me I dream too big, but I don’t let that stop me,” Altoro said.

— Edited by Trevan McGee

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