Kristian Henderson ’09 wants to make virtual reality into physical reality.

“YSAC sends out a lot of surveys to figure out what students want to see on campus,” Henderson said, “and I want to make those surveys a reality.”

Although she has never served on YSAC, Henderson already has extensive experience in the field, having organized the 2008 Black Solidarity Conference, which featured a Lupe Fiasco concert and a presentation by TV personality Tavis Smiley.

“In previous years, the BSC conference cost $25,000 to $30,000,” Henderson said. “But this year we raised over $100,000, so I know what goes into planning a large-scale event.”

A fellow BSC organizer, Donte Donald ’09, said Henderson’s leadership skills allowed her to rally her fellow board members to pull off an effective conference.

“She started planning the conference from scratch, and she was still able to hold the biggest BSC conference in Yale history,” Donald said. “And I think she could accomplish the same kinds of things as YSAC chair.”

Henderson said her connections with the music industry and with media giants like MTV and VH1 will also be helpful in planning a successful Spring Fling.

She said she is not convinced of the usefulness of the Social Cup and would like to re-evaluate its relevance to YSAC events.

“I think the Social Cup is an interesting idea, [but] I don’t too much like the spirit,” Henderson said. “Basically what we are suggesting is that Yale students need a competition to be social, but if YSAC events are well planned, we wouldn’t need a Social Cup.”