Several candidates for the senate presented their speeches in the Howard Performing Arts Center on Feb. 19. Each presentation promised their own policies to the campus, but one theme prevailed over all: advocacy for the voice of the students to be heard.
The first to begin was junior Seth McKelvey, the man running for president with a confident and rapid tone. There were many promises he made, such as making a campus community through TEDx talks. He also advocated for reviving Change Day, but what roused the crowd the most was the mention of an all-night soccer tournament. Interviewed afterwards for any final words, he said, “I believe that next year, we can make a big difference on campus, and it can be radically better.”
The two candidates for executive vice president spoke next. First was junior Mariann Forbes, whose main promise was for student voices to be heard. “Make your voice be heard and choose meaningful change,” Forbes said. She wishes to implement anonymous concern stations across campus and anonymous digital concern platforms for students to voice their worries and concerns that will be addressed.
Senior Melody Pemberton, another executive vice president candidate, voiced her main promise to be not only that the concerns of students will be heard, but also to improve transparency and create opportunities for them to communicate clearly. She believes she can bring about real, visible change if she takes office. Though her voice might have been quiet, it was filled with the confidence of someone who has seen and known her way around the office. Pemberton added later that she was passionate about advocating for communication, stating she has been in the senate and knows how it works and wants to be able to expand on it. As Pemberton said, “World changers aren’t created by accident.”
Junior Augusta Larrondo appeared next to run for executive secretary candidate; her speech left the audience cheering her name. “I strive to support in the best possible way I can,” Larrondo said. Her main promise was to make the student body’s concerns tangible and to do her part in order to support the choices that will benefit everyone. Augusta later added that she only wished that students would vote for her fellow candidate and friend, junior Audrey Lim.
Lim came up onto the stage to run for vice president of the interior. In charming humor and joking attitude, the audience found themselves chuckling through her speech. Lim later added that she wished students would vote for her fellow candidate, Larrondo.
Sophomore Dale Patalinghug, running for vice president of religion, spoke next. “It’s not always about more events, it’s about more encounters,” he said. Speaking with charisma and rhythm, Patalinghug preached to the audience of his promises to restore daily lived faith in the students on campus, grow a united prayer, expand on digital evangelism, and a three-day fasting prayer initiative before finals week. Patalinghug later added that he wants to make prayer culture bigger on campus.
Last to speak was sophomore Denisse Mortera, running for vice president of public relations. She began by proposing three key initiatives: club features, faculty spotlights and a visual rebrand of Andrews University. She promised that if she was elected, differences would be celebrated as a strength instead of weaknesses; “Representation matters,” she said.
With promising candidates and even stronger promises, students can be assured that their voices will be heard no matter who is in the office. The ballots will close on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 12:30 p.m. Let your voice be heard and vote for those who wish the same!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.