Sheryl Kambuni – Running for SA President
What inspired you to run for this position?
Ever since my sophomore year, I have been part of Student Senate. We’ve done a lot of good work, made a couple of good changes on campus; but I feel like it wasn’t really enough.
There’s still a missing layer. After we finished working on all these projects, some of them weren’t able to get done. So, I feel like running for Student President gives me a chance as a student to move things along for other students – being that voice with faculty, and just making sure that things are getting done.
What changes do you want to make?
There are a couple different ones. One of them is making community service count as cultural credit. Another one would be funding for small clubs on campus so they can have more opportunity to do things. Another one would be a mentorship program with Alumni Relations. The SJC does Roundtable, which is a conference for students so they can build relationships with alumni; so that when they get out of here, they have job opportunities. Another one would be working with the Collegedale [Police] Department to put lights on the Greenway and more lights on campus just so that students can feel more secure.
What kind of spiritual activities do you want to implement?
I feel like it’d be good to help students develop a more personal relationship. I feel like most people who come here have had a background with knowing God, but then haven’t had time to delve into what it really means to be Adventist or what it really means to be Christian; so, having vespers that are basically Bible studies, or if you’re into music, a vespers that’s like a music vespers.
What kind of leader do you hope to become?
I would say the first word that comes to my mind is “compassionate.” Somebody who can listen to other people, because a lot of the time it’s not just about you and what you have to offer the school. But it’s about what other people have to offer and the ideas that other students have and how you can help organize and implement those. So, somebody who listens to other people and listens to God. Because without God, I feel like we can’t do anything.
Why should students vote for you?
I care. A lot. And I want that to come through. Not just doing this as a resume booster, but a way to show students that I care and that things they care about matter to me. I would be down to do the work— I’m down to get dirty and do what’s required of me.
Luis Moreno — running for president
What inspired you to run for this position?
I feel like it’s kind of been a progression for me. I started off as a senator my freshman year, and then I went up to parliamentarian, And now I’m vice president, and so the next step up is to become president. I want to put myself in a position where I can make positive change on this campus, and I feel like, as president, I can make a lot of really good change. Even more so than now as vice president.
What changes do you want to make?
My campaign slogan is “Equals” because I believe there are a lot of things we are not equal in. A lot of students aren’t seen as the adults that we are. We’re still kind of seen as high schoolers. And I don’t blame a single person for that. I blame the system that encourages that. And so I plan on changing that system and creating more open access and creating more equality with students and administration, and students and dorms. Because we’re all in this together – we are Southern.
What kind of leader do you hope to become?
I want to be a leader, but I also want to be a part of the people because, at the end of the day, I don’t believe that I’m above any person. I believe that I’m working alongside an amazing group of people and working with the student body in general to help make change.
What kind of spiritual activities do you hope to implement?
I’ve been struggling with that because I feel like this campus is turning dead. I feel like a lot of people are okay just being Christian and just saying that they’re Seventh-day Adventist, going to church, getting just their minimal required credits. And so we just kind of need a whole revival. I personally I want to work on that. However, that’s not one of my main focuses, but I hope to work with the religious vice president, which we should have next year, hopefully. And they’re the ones that are supposed to help me create a plan with that.
Why should students vote for you?
Well A) students should vote period. Let’s just put that out there. But students should vote for me if they really want change – if they want someone who will work the extra hours. If they want someone who is passionate about them, who loves them, who wants to see them grow, and who wants to see the school grow.
Marcus Abejar – running for Executive VP
What inspired you to run for this position?
I really wanted to see a change on campus and I’ve been on Senate for the past two years. The Vice President this year is actually my next-door neighbor, and I went to talk to him about it one night, and he said, “Yeah I think you’d be a good candidate for it, and you should really pray about it.”
The next morning, I prayed about it, and I’m like, “God is this your will?” So I went to Student Development, and I picked up an application and passed all of the qualifications.
What changes do you want to make?
I want to first have a pitch competition for students to implement their ideas towards SA events. For example, what type of theme they want for a party.
Another idea I have would be having a smoothie station in the cafeteria. I’m a part of a committee on Senate that’s working to have different foods on campus. So I’m wanting to have a bi-weekly or once-a-month event where local restaurants can showcase their foods.
Another one would be an anonymous page for ideas that the Student Association officers could assess. I’m also wanting to create more opportunities for students for job security. Trying to secure more partnerships or places for students to get internships and eventually get a job.
What kind of leader do you hope to become?
I hope to become a leader that’s willing and adaptable. I think it’s very important that whatever my actions are, are not for myself, but for the school. And whatever I do is constantly helping other people like student life, acquiring job security off-campus, making things easier on students, finding scholarships for them too. Whatever’s thrown at my plate, I want to do it for students, not for myself.
Why should students vote for you?
I never really had a big leadership position in high school, but I really wanted a chance to showcase that. I want to be the voice for students on campus. I want to learn their needs and assess them. I want to give back to Southern after being here for three years. Basically, this is something that I prayed about and it’s a passion I want to pursue.
Nadine Peteros – running for Social VP
What inspired you to run for this position?
Ever since I was in high school, I’ve always been a part of leadership. I’ve been in SA for two years, and I really enjoy planning events. So, when I was coming to Southern, I got more experience and was exposed to more clubs and events. I thrive on planning and organizing, and I really enjoy the stress of the hectic-ness. And getting to put on something for the students to enjoy. I really enjoy seeing other people happy.
What changes do you want to make?
I would want the events to be marketed better, and I want them to be where all the students would want to come. I like when students say, “Oh, this is something new. I want to come experience it.” There have been events that have happened before, but I want to bring something fresh and new that they haven’t seen in a while. And I want everyone to come out.
What kind of leader do you hope to become?
I’m not sure what I’m expecting to get from this position, but I hope what I can get from being Social Vice President is the experience of listening to others, getting to hear their ideas and then bouncing off of that, and being able to put on something that they want to happen. I want to be a leader that listens to others and is able to please others and just make them happy. There’s a lot of different types of leadership: there’s authoritative and there’s democratic. I really want to be a leader that is able to delegate rather than doing everything myself. I want to work with everyone to make the events possible.
Why should students vote for you?
I’ve had a lot of experience in leadership, and it’s all trial and error. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I’m still learning. I’m not a perfect leader. With everything that I’ve been a part of—Asian Club, Senate, Enactus— I really hope I can use what I’ve learned from other experiences and do the best I can in this position. And I want to plan events that students want to see happen. Events that they would enjoy and not just what SA puts on because SA is for the students, not for ourselves.