Perhaps you have noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything on the blog for the last couple of days. I have been on retreat with my RA staff in beautiful Idyllwild since Friday, but now it’s nose back to the grindstone.
Over the weekend, I was discussing my ideas about the amendment of the Biola contract with my fellow RAs, and their response to simplification was very positive. My boss, the Resident Director of North Horton, indicated that it would likely be an idea that Residence Life would want to collaborate with Alex and I to implement.
In my spare time I was able to write a series of new posts. Their topics include a word about our excellence of experience, the plausibility of RECAPTURE, and the genesis of the vision.
A couple of reminders: Tomorrow (Monday 4.2) is election chapel. Alex and I (along with the rest of the candidates) will give our speech in both the 9.30 and 10.30 am chapels before voting commences over Monday and Tuesday (4.2-3). Don’t forget to support RECAPTURE when you go to the polls!
THE ISSUES
Sunday, April 1, 2007
THE GENESIS
Alex and I are currently big pushing the RECAPTURE campaign because we are running for AS President and Vice President, but the ideas behind it have a much older origin.
Last summer Alex and I collaborated on the documentary project “Quoth the Raven,” a film about one man’s struggle with faith, Christ, and Christianity. This experience brought us into many discussions about the role of faith in today’s society. It was much to my excitement that I had at last found another who shared my views on what the Church was doing right and where the Church could improve.
January found Alex and I at Denny’s, having a midnight discussion about our vision for Christianity at large and the similarities we found at Biola. During the course of our conversation, we realized how strategic Biola is for the vision of RECAPTURE—the University is a microcosm of Christianity; the problems Biola faces are the same that the Church as a whole faces, and the steps of RECAPTURE for each entity echo each other.
It was then that Alex and I decided that the proper thing to do would be to take the enormity of the vision and begin at Biola, running for the AS Presidency. The specifics which we have to chosen to advocate spring out of the widespread vision of RECAPTURE—being a forward-thinking global center for Christian thought and action.
Thus when we say we want to improve internet at Biola, we are not merely complaining about perceived inadequacy of delivery of a felt need, but we are advocating the proper equipment of the current generation of Biolans to RECAPTURE our culture. The same idea informs our stance on mail service, food service, the endowment, the NCAA, the facilities, and everything else we have chosen to stand for.
Each of these is just a tiny portion of the grand vision of RECAPTURE; though the details may seem mundane, they are a series of simple and strategic elements of a vision that will forever shake the way the world turns.
Last summer Alex and I collaborated on the documentary project “Quoth the Raven,” a film about one man’s struggle with faith, Christ, and Christianity. This experience brought us into many discussions about the role of faith in today’s society. It was much to my excitement that I had at last found another who shared my views on what the Church was doing right and where the Church could improve.
January found Alex and I at Denny’s, having a midnight discussion about our vision for Christianity at large and the similarities we found at Biola. During the course of our conversation, we realized how strategic Biola is for the vision of RECAPTURE—the University is a microcosm of Christianity; the problems Biola faces are the same that the Church as a whole faces, and the steps of RECAPTURE for each entity echo each other.
It was then that Alex and I decided that the proper thing to do would be to take the enormity of the vision and begin at Biola, running for the AS Presidency. The specifics which we have to chosen to advocate spring out of the widespread vision of RECAPTURE—being a forward-thinking global center for Christian thought and action.
Thus when we say we want to improve internet at Biola, we are not merely complaining about perceived inadequacy of delivery of a felt need, but we are advocating the proper equipment of the current generation of Biolans to RECAPTURE our culture. The same idea informs our stance on mail service, food service, the endowment, the NCAA, the facilities, and everything else we have chosen to stand for.
Each of these is just a tiny portion of the grand vision of RECAPTURE; though the details may seem mundane, they are a series of simple and strategic elements of a vision that will forever shake the way the world turns.
THE PLAUSIBILITY
A note to those in doubt:
The vision of RECAPTURE is enormous—world changing in both scope and depth. Therefore, the ideas that are a part of the AS campaign are huge; some will change this year while others may take a decade to come to fruition.
However, whether or not a certain idea may or may not be immediately fulfilled is not a fair criterion for judgment. This limited thinking has plagued the Church (and hence Biola) for far too long, leading to today’s fragmentation and cultural irrelevancy.
A key tenet of the RECAPTURE philosophy is to be forward-thinking. It is not only a wise modus operandi but it will be necessary to create and implement a strategic plan for excellence among Christians if Christianity (Biola at the forefront) is to regain its place at the forward echelons of human civilization.
Let’s bring this in to the current topic: the AS Presidency. Practically speaking, the President is charged with a) leading the Associated Students organization, b) being the voice of the students to the administration, and c) communicating both back to the student body. We have high goals for each area, but they are appropriate given the position in which Biola finds itself.
We will lead the Associated Student organization toward greater collaboration between all of its services, the departments, clubs and organizations on campus, and the students themselves in the specific ways we have mentioned elsewhere in this blog. This can be accomplished immediately; it is our challenge to ensure that the process continues after our administration.
We will voice the concerns of both current and graduated students to the administration over services, facilities, athletic competition, fiscal preparedness and responsibility, and overall quality of education immediately. It will then be the responsibility of the new President and his staff to respond to those concerns if Biola is to continue as a student focused organization.
We will implement the aforementioned plan to increase communication from both AS and the administration immediately. Our plan is so simple yet effective that it is nearly certain that it will continue through years to come.
Again, Alex and I have formulated the RECAPTURE campaign as a specific way to begin a paradigm shift that will influence the global panorama for the cause of Christ beginning right here at Biola University, and you can rest assured that we will not rest until every measure has been taken to give life to that vision.
The vision of RECAPTURE is enormous—world changing in both scope and depth. Therefore, the ideas that are a part of the AS campaign are huge; some will change this year while others may take a decade to come to fruition.
However, whether or not a certain idea may or may not be immediately fulfilled is not a fair criterion for judgment. This limited thinking has plagued the Church (and hence Biola) for far too long, leading to today’s fragmentation and cultural irrelevancy.
A key tenet of the RECAPTURE philosophy is to be forward-thinking. It is not only a wise modus operandi but it will be necessary to create and implement a strategic plan for excellence among Christians if Christianity (Biola at the forefront) is to regain its place at the forward echelons of human civilization.
Let’s bring this in to the current topic: the AS Presidency. Practically speaking, the President is charged with a) leading the Associated Students organization, b) being the voice of the students to the administration, and c) communicating both back to the student body. We have high goals for each area, but they are appropriate given the position in which Biola finds itself.
We will lead the Associated Student organization toward greater collaboration between all of its services, the departments, clubs and organizations on campus, and the students themselves in the specific ways we have mentioned elsewhere in this blog. This can be accomplished immediately; it is our challenge to ensure that the process continues after our administration.
We will voice the concerns of both current and graduated students to the administration over services, facilities, athletic competition, fiscal preparedness and responsibility, and overall quality of education immediately. It will then be the responsibility of the new President and his staff to respond to those concerns if Biola is to continue as a student focused organization.
We will implement the aforementioned plan to increase communication from both AS and the administration immediately. Our plan is so simple yet effective that it is nearly certain that it will continue through years to come.
Again, Alex and I have formulated the RECAPTURE campaign as a specific way to begin a paradigm shift that will influence the global panorama for the cause of Christ beginning right here at Biola University, and you can rest assured that we will not rest until every measure has been taken to give life to that vision.
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.
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.
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