As students entered the PUB they were guided to the small dining room by the smell of fresh pizza. After obtaining pizza and Capri Suns, students settled to hear from the associated student government (ASG) presidential candidates, Everett Lockhart and Lina Chung. Before voting, please consider educating yourself by learning about voting, watching the open forum and reading the article about each candidate. Yesterday marked the opening of the polls for ASG president. Click here to vote.

Open Forum:

The open forum was hosted by The Student Life team with current ASG President Chole Mok facilitating the event. During the first half of the event, Mok asked the candidates questions related to the role.

Staff writer, Cheryl Amelia, interviewed Mok on her opinion of the open forum, “I thought it went really well and the turnout was very good. The candidates’ answers were very constructive and personalized answers. It really shows you their personality and how they would deal with issues academically or socially on campus. Which I think was very well rounded.”

The last half of the forum was open for students to ask questions. “One of my favorite questions that was asked was by ASG Vice President, Anna Fong. She asked a very unique question, what part of a pizza would you like to be? I think it is very unique because it shows how the candidates react to a question that is unexpected but gives a deeper meaning to something that is very trivial,” said Evander Hartanto, an SCC Student.

Many students stayed a little after the forum to communicate directly to each candidate. “This event was very insightful. It is nice that we as students are able to ask questions and directly reach out to the prospective ASG president,” said Hartanto.

The event mirrors what one would expect to see at a local government level. “I think this event was very professional. You can find the candidates talking about their mission and what they will do if they were chosen to become the president. And I respect that they are able to say it out loud in front of a lot of people,” said Charlotte Angeline Liman, an SCC Student. As time progressed students dispersed, the room that once was filled with energy turned still and silent as though nothing had happened. Want to know a little bit more about the candidates? Read some more down below.

Meet the Candidates:

Everett Lockhart

Looking at Lockhart the first thing that catches your eye is the two dragon tattoos on his arm. Lockhart doesn’t define himself as an extrovert but is open to sharing about his life. His family is originally from Fiji then moved to Australia for better opportunities.

Music has always been a focal point within his life. Lockhart decided to move from Australia to Japan for high school due to the bigger music industry. His passion for music eventually led him to America. But from there the decision was where to live. Texas, California or Washington? Lockhart chose Washington for its history in the grunge scene and the beautiful nature.

“Australia is so flat. When I got here I went to Best Buy in Federal Way and Mount Rainier was right there. And I didn’t really know. So I went to Best Buy and there was this huge Mountain there. A massive enormous thing in your peripheral vision. It’s so cool and we don’t have that in Australia,” said Everett Lockhart.

Lockhart’s leadership abilities originated from a dark place, specifically from a bad breakup. The split gave him the confidence to change his life for the better, starting with his health then moving toward confidence. Lockhart prioritizes a more participation style of leadership, where everyone has a communicative role to play. His main goal is to build a relationship with other members of the ASG to solve complex problems on campus.

Lina Chung

What stands out the most about Chung is her many years of experiences within student government. Chung started young, being the class president at elementary school. Her duties consisted of helping students in the classroom. Originally from South Korea, Chung embarked on her heftiest journey of all, coming to America. As a high school international student, Chung had culture shock.

Chung commented that American high school isn’t what people see in the movies. Living in Minnesota, she became the vice president and president of her high school. Where her duties consisted of talking to faculty and creating a positive campus environment. After high school she moved to Washington for college.

“Before I came to Washington, I heard that it got a lot of rain here. And that is exactly true. I love the rain so much. If I stay at home, I can hear the sound of rain. Also, listening to music on a rainy day is the most awesome day. It’s kind of hard to take the bus in the rain. But I still love it,” said Lina Chung.

At first glance Chung might not seem like an extrovert, but as you sit down with her that is far from the truth. Chung prioritizes deep dialogue and bringing people together. Although Chung feels more at home with SCC’s international community than at her old high school, she wants to break the division of cultures. She’s observed many students choosing to hangout with people that are from their native country. Chung’s goal is to bring peace to SCC’s diverse student body by having more interactive activities.

Students can vote online here today! Reminder, the polls will close on May 12.