BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Birmingham-Southern junior Kristian Collins of Montgomery will represent student opinions on issues of multiculturalism after recently accepting the crown as the college’s Miss ’Southern Diversity 2003-04 at a coronation ceremony on campus.

Collins, a political science major, was selected by three judges and by popular vote of members of the college’s multicultural organizations following eveningwear and interview competitions.

“Miss ’Southern Diversity serves as the primary student spokesperson for the Office of Multicultural Affairs and is given the opportunity to sponsor cultural programs, promote community building, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding within the Birmingham-Southern College community,” said Josh Vasa, interim director of multicultural affairs.

Collins’ other student activities include serving as president of the Birmingham-Southern Young Democrats and membership in the One-A-Chord Gospel Choir and Black Student Union. She also is treasurer for the Alabama State Federation of College Democrats, served as one of only seven Alabama Democratic Party Vance-Heflin interns ,and, in February, she will serve on the planning committee for Birmingham’s Annual Diversity Symposium.

She is the daughter of James and Connie Collins.

Members of the Miss ’Southern Diversity senior court were Gretchen Deutsch, a junior math major from Alpharetta, Ga.; Stephanie Houston, a senior political science major from Woodland; Victoria Myers, a freshman computer science/pre-med major from Northern Shelby; Avanija Reddy, a freshman biology major from Birmingham; and Sining “Sirena” Wang, a freshman accounting major from Madison.