Thank you!!!
Dear Supporters,
Thank you SO much for all of the support and encouragement you showed us through our campaign! What could have been a stressful week turned out to be really fun, exciting, and surprisingly peaceful at times thanks to all the prayers and help you were willing to give. We are so excited to have won and want to thank you all for your votes and your help in making that happen!
Seeing so many of you wear the shirts and fill in the blank with your own passions was definitely one of the neatest things we saw during the week! Of all the fill-in-the-blank words we saw, “Bible-minoring”, “livin on dreams”, “saving the lost,” and “Bardwell-ing” probably top the list! Way to take ownership!
Biola Together is not over yet; it’s just begun! John and I can’t wait to actually start the job and see how God will continue to lead us and Biola together!
Thanks for all your help! We can’t wait to serve you!!!
Sincerely,
Lizzie Neely and John Drebinger
AS President and Senior Vice President Elect
Why Should You Vote?
Each year, Biola students have the privilege of voting in a new AS President and Vice President to represent the student body. Instead of exercising their voice, however, students behave apathetically toward elections; 60% of students do not even vote. This is unfortunate, to say the least.
Biola students (ie: YOU) should vote for three reasons:
1) AS is designed to serve you, the student body of Biola University. Voting gives you a chance to help shape AS and help AS more accurately represent the student body. It’s an honor to attend a university that develops student leadership not only theoretically but experientially; AS staff are given the opportunity to lead dozens of organizations around campus (including most ministries, intramural sports, and clubs) and to plan and execute major social events, concerts, and lectures. Voting is one of the best ways to exercise your student voice and show you care about Biola, both next year and for the future.
2) Vote because it’s easy (which is not to be confused with unimportant)…really! Many Americans do not vote simply because they don’t want to be bothered with a trip to the voting booth. This is lame. It is even worse, however, to say you are too busy to make a trip to the fountain. Read the campaign statements from both potential presidential teams (which you can find on facebook and their websites), and when you walk by the fountain next Monday or Tuesday, just take the extra three minutes to stand in line and vote. Another reason Americans do not vote is because they feel their vote doesn’t matter. But your vote does matter. It matters because it allows your voice to be heard. If you want changes at Biola, if you want bigger name speakers or concerts, speak up and tell the people who have the power to get that done!
PLUS, being involved in a campaign is fun. Saying you don’t care about who wins is like going to a sporting event and not caring about who wins. It’s always more fun to pick a side and cheer them on and support them. Voting is one of the easiest ways for you to be involved in the race.
3) Vote because AS is committed to changing lives on campus—AS possesses both the manpower and the resources to have a profound impact on the student body. The candidate you choose has the ability to directly effect your daily life in ways like changing the caf hours, increasing service opportunities, creating leadership positions, extending open hours, bringing in excellent chapel speakers, putting on awesome social events, and granting funding for student projects and clubs. By voting for a presidential team, you are voting for the types of changes you would like to see at Biola. Each team has different priorities—so vote for the team who’s priorities are most in line with the direction you want to see Biola go!
Finally, I would like to tell you why I am voting for NeelyDrebinger. Lizzie and John are concerned with utilizing AS to meet the needs of the student body. One of the ways they show this is through their personalized t-shirts that are uniquely designed by each wear-er to show their God-given talents and foster community. Furthermore, NeelyDrebinger’s desire for Biola to respond together is essential to the development of the Christian life. After 30 units of Bible classes at Biola, I have often questioned how might all the factual knowledge actually impact my life? NeelyDrebinger desires to add action to knowledge and increase the opportunity for Biolans to serve both locally and globally.
Friends, as Christians, we are to embark on a journey that starts in our hometown (Jerusalem) and proceeds onward toward the larger community (Samaria) and to the ends of the earth. Neely Drebinger’s desire to have Biola lead, serve, and respond together is a way to support this Christian mandate. If you want to see lasting, sustainable impact to Biola’s community, I would encourage you to vote NeelyDrebinger.
-Chris Munekawa & Danielle Howe
The How
These articles detail the specific ways we plan to carry out our vision. They’ve been published throughout the week and now they are all here! The first is Biola Leading Together, yesterday’s post is Biola Serving Together and today’s is Biola Responding Together. Be sure to take a look and see how we plan to carry out our vision and meet your needs!
The How: Biola Responding Together
Problem: The Coalition for Social Action (CSA) is a new and growing department in AS. Though in its first year as a permanent branch of AS, it is still understaffed.
Result: CSA is able to provide some events and services to students, creating awareness. However, the lack of a paid staff prevents CSA from providing students with opportunities for action.
Solution: Increase the CSA staff from 1 to 3 by making the Activist Staff and Awareness Staff positions (currently held by volunteers) paid positions. By increasing paid position staff, CSA will be able to spend more time on vital research and provide more opportunities for students to make a difference in response to social issues.
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Problem: Sometimes students feel like awareness is focused on issues that they can do nothing about, leaving them with nothing but guilt or disillusionment.
Result: Students attend few events focused on improving awareness because they don’t think they can do anything in response.
Solution: Help CSA host events that bring awareness on issues that students can interact with on a consistent basis. For example, whether its necessities or luxuries, all of us buy things. CSA can partner with students by researching companies, determining whether or not they operate under fair trade and treat their employees appropriately. This information can, in turn, be provided to you in order to help you make everyday decisions—like which companies you should or shouldn’t purchase from—and respond together in ways can make a real difference across the globe.
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The How: Biola Serving Together
Problem: While students at Biola have demonstrated a true desire for service, the kinds of service opportunities provided don’t always fit into students’ busy academic schedules.
Result: Instead of acting on their desire to serve, some students don’t get the chance to get involved in the community.
Solution: Increase the amount of Serve Days from once per semester to 4 per semester. Serve Days were started under Mark Heath and Justin Devesta and are service opportunities that only take a few hours, and they’re close to home. They also count for chapel credit. By increasing the amount of Serve Days busy students can still have the opportunity to serve and make God known within the community.
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Problem: Under the current system clubs can get money to sponsor a service project but often times planning a project takes more time than club leaders can afford.
Result: Clubs miss out of the unifying opportunity of serving alongside one another.
Solution: We will provide clubs with service projects and opportunities if they want to participate in them, so that they don’t have to plan as much. Also we will expand the current club service initiative, which allows clubs to fund service projects, and reward clubs that participate in a service project with extra funding. This will not change normal club funding but is rather added on top of the usual club funding. The result will be a more unified club because of the service accomplished together with the added benefit of extra funding.
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The How: Biola Leading Together
Problem: Every year, the new President and VP’s campaign platform becomes the vision for AS during their term. While it is important that the administration carry out their campaign platform, if it becomes the vision, then the AS vision is inconsistent every year.
Result: Instead of spending time helping students make God known and use the tools they’ve been given here to glorify Him, AS spends its time redeveloping its vision year after year.
Solution: Form committees consisting of President, Vice President, VP of MarComm, VP of Finance (Executive Leadership Team), Service Chairs, Senators, and a student vision panel to investigate/define the function and purpose of AS and to prayerfully write a simple vision for the entire organization to be established as a lasting part of the organization. Once the vision for AS has been written, send it to the Senate for a vote of approval. After the Senate approves it, work to cast the new vision and begin evaluating everything we do to determine whether or not it matches with that vision.
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Problem: Under the current system, Senators don’t receive significant training throughout the year. This means that connecting with residents is difficult.
Result: Students are not represented as well as they could be and do not always know their senator.
Solution: Provide training sessions throughout the year so that senators understand their job well, can become better communicators, and can be more comfortable relating to their residents. Provide time in Senate meetings for Senators to meet in committees for projects that bring real results to students—similar to the tv’s in the Gym, Hope sidewalk, Serve Day, and the Horton sound boards.
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Problem: Aside from senate rounds, there are currently few systems to actually hear the student voice.
Result: AS often comes up with good ideas, but sometimes these are out of touch with the student voice; students may not want certain events or may not want their money to be spent certain ways.
Solution: Meetings with marketing professors and experts on campus to develop good methods of research and ways to use that research to help AS grow. This may include starting focus groups, surveys, and outside research.
The Vision
NeelyDrebinger is committed to glorifying God—making Him known. Our passion is to use AS to equip students to glorify God together at Biola, in our local community, and around the world.
There are three specific ways in which NeelyDrebinger seeks to make God known as we direct the future of AS and expand student spheres of influence:
First, NeelyDrebinger wants to see Biola Leading Together by creating a lasting impact on student leadership. By rethinking the function and focus of AS, we will enable AS leaders to institute effective change for the student body. AS will empower you to take initiative, and to provide you with the opportunities to use your God-given abilities and make God known through events, dorms, and majors.
Secondly, NeelyDrebinger wants to see Biola Serving Together by making God known to our local community. We will do this by expanding the current Serve Day initiative and instituting other neighborhood outreach events. Serve Days are a great way for you to make God known in your own backyard and to bless the community by being the hands of Christ.
Lastly, NeelyDrebinger wants to see Biola Responding Together by preparing students to make God known globally as we expand the Coalition for Social Action. Not only will we increase awareness of God’s work around the world, but we will help CSA offer opportunities for you to get involved. CSA will empower you to respond issues across the globe and to make God known through them, right here from Biola’s campus.
Please join NeelyDrebinger in developing Biola Together.
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