This week I had the privilege of sitting down with Rock Choi (freshman, exercise science), the newly elected Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) Senator-at-Large, to get to know him a little better and discuss his plans for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am an exercise science major in the pre-physical therapy program. Some hobbies I enjoy are swimming and cup stacking. However, I haven’t cup stacked in a while because I don’t have the right cups to do it with. Cup stacking was a required activity in one of my P.E. classes when I was studying in Korea for a year and for some reason I really liked it. For the same reason people like Rubik’s cubes, I like cup stacking. It's fun.
How has the school year been for you so far?
It was interesting–in a good way. I made incredible friends that have stuck with me for the entire year and hopefully for much longer. It has been the first place where I have been new and was so easily accepted.
Why did you decide to run for this position?
I felt like it was a good way to get more involved in the school and serve our student body in an impactful way.
How did you feel while campaigning for Senator-at-Large?
Campaigning was definitely weird and nerve-racking because I had to go up to people that I didn’t really know and ask them to do something for me. I honestly didn’t like it very much, but I just told myself that it was necessary and pushed through it. It was something I’d never done before, especially when it felt like I was begging people to pick me. It was definitely an interesting experience.
Do you have any goals for the upcoming school year that you would like to accomplish through the senate?
One of my main goals for next year is to provide sustenance to most if not all of the departments at Andrews. This means providing everyone with something to eat, because who doesn’t like eating? I talked about it in my speech, but a vending machine in the Science Complex would be nice for sure. Some of the seniors I know have pushed for a long time to get one and I want to continue pushing for it. The Gazebo could also have more options in their drinks. Coffee is something I know a lot of people on campus rely on to stay focused throughout each semester, and so having good coffee would definitely be extremely helpful. Additionally, the line at the Gazebo can be very long and inconvenient. These are just some of the ideas that I’ve come up with and I have yet to see what my position will allow me to do and how I can make these things happen.
What kind of snacks would you want to see around campus?
The snacks in the vending machines are perfect as they are. But it’s the availability of these snacks across campus that is the issue. For example, when I’m in the library I have to walk to Buller, which has the nearest working vending machine, just for one small bag of chips.
Are you looking forward to working with the other senate members?
I’m really excited to work with the other senate members next year. I hope that I can have a group of students that have a goal they are determined to reach within the school year and change our school for the better. They are the ones that will help introduce me to new ideas and concerns I didn’t even know were problems in our school, and help further expand my knowledge of what I can do for the student body.
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.