THE EXPERIENCE

RECAPTURE is about harnessing excellence in everything and applying it for the cause of Christ. When it comes to the Associated Students, excellence in experience is integral to the success of the organization itself and by extension the whole of Biola.

Allow me to describe my own experience, starting at the beginning. In High School, I was a member of Student Government all four years. After graduation, I was a Legislative Assistant to Oregon State Representative Jim Thompson. My chief duty for the representative was correspondence with his constituents, collecting opinions from and writing letters/emails to those he represented. In Fall 2005, my first semester at Biola, I created the sketch comedy show LATE. Within six months, I found myself at the helm of an organization of over fifty people that was regularly delivering a valuable service to the Biola community. This past year, I have been an RA, in the trenches with the students, walking alongside my peers in their Biola experience. This extensive resume proves:

-Excellence in student government. The only differences between high school and college are budget and student population. Robert’s Rules of Order (the guidelines generally accepted for parliamentary procedure) are universal.

-Excellence in vision casting. With LATE, I was able to find a need of both the film department and the Biola community at large and fill it. The idea seemed impossible, too big to accomplish, but not only did it come to fruition, it has been sustained.

-Excellence in uniting and inspiring for a common cause. LATE was a huge vision, and I was able to draw together members of several majors to put in the 200+ man hours necessary for the proper execution of each show without spending a dime on any member of the staff.

-Excellence in empowering students. In addition to numerous examples with LATE, my short film Winston shines as an example of empowerment. Winston was recently nominated for five awards from the Biola Film Festival, tying Be the Man for most noms. Four of these were best of craft (Best Editing, Production Design, Sound Design, and Score). I collaborated with the excellent members of my crew, allowing them to merge their vision with mine and create a project that was recognized for uniform excellence.

-Excellence in organizational leadership. LATE has allowed me to manage a vast staff of students, developing students in craft and fostering both personal and technical growth. Similarly, as an RA I have worked among my peers on the floor to create a brand new community in Horton while identifying and empowering the leadership of the next generation.

Excellence in communication. Members of AS (Presidents, Senators, and Service Chairs) have had the opportunity in their incumbency, yet the accomplishments simply state the status quo. I have been the main liaison for a State Representative, counseled my peers through ResLife, and have used all manner of new media to promote both LATE and this campaign.

I will let my proven track record of excellence in leadership serve as my case for why I have lived up to the call of RECAPTURE. It is up to you, my friend and fellow student to decide whether this is worthy of the position of AS President.