AS vice president and president Ryan Freudenburg and Janine Marderian announce the AS and SMU presidential candidates. | Olivia Blinn/THE CHIMES

Biola’s annual Election Chapel took place Monday, March 19, marking the start of election week for Associated Students and the Student Missionary Union. Several candidates announced their bids for office and visions for Biola if elected to their respective positions.

Junior Amy Howard, elections chair, opened the chapel with announcements for additional election events in the coming week, including voting, which will take place next Monday and Tuesday by Fluor Fountain from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“We’re here to build up this community in the same way that your RAs are trying to build up this community,” said senior Ryan Freudenburg, current AS senior vice president. “We do it because we love you and because we’re passionate about this community.”

Freudenburg and junior Janine Marderian, current AS president, described the importance of the positions the candidates will be running for and how student leadership has personally affected them.

“I got to the end of the year, looked back and realized that I had learned so much,” Marderian said.

SMU candidates introduced

Senior Chris Johnson, current SMU president, then introduced the SMU candidates and urged students to prayerfully consider each candidate.

Stephen Croft

Sophomore Stephen Croft, a Christian ministries major, has been involved in SMU for the past two years, leading a short-term mission trip and most recently serving as the SMU co-director of prayer. Croft believes that unity and accessibility are two main goals toward which SMU should be striving.

“I don’t think SMU should be a bunch of leaders just talking to the students only,” Croft said. “Our goal is to serve the students first and foremost.”

If elected, Croft desires to enable students’ callings by providing more funding for student-initiated ministries.

In Monday’s chapel Croft chose to highlight the theme of brokenness and the need to be transformed.

“The thing about the body of Christ is that I feel there is something so much deeper than all of us,” Croft said. “We have something that is pure, something that is complete, and we all have that same one Spirit in us.”

Cody Ramaekers

Croft then introduced junior Cody Ramaekers, a cinema and media arts major, to students. Ramaekers has been involved in SMU for the past two years and has recently been involved in planning a trip to Utah for the Evangelical and Mormon Interaction ministry.

“I just want a body of people, as a small representation of the body of Christ who is completely pursuing after Him,” Ramaekers said. “Missions will be the outpouring of that community.”

Ramaekers’ goals are summed up in his campaign slogan, “Run,” meant to suggest running full speed towards Christ. SMU should be a representation of students and should encourage students to pursue missions at home and abroad, according to Ramaekers.

“I just want to ask that as a body, as Biola University, let’s just run. Let’s just run fully at him, whatever that might look like.” Ramaekers said in chapel.

AS candidates introduced

Following a promotional video for AS and SMU, Marderian introduced the jobs of AS president and senior vice president before giving the floor to the the two candidates and their running mates.

“Definitely be listening to see how these pairs work together, as well as what their vision is. Think about who you want representing you to administration next year, and enjoy their speeches,” Marderian said.

Christopher Yim and Laura Cook

Junior Christopher Yim, a communications major, was the first candidate to speak. Yim’s running mate is sophomore Laura Cook, a journalism major, who is currently an RA in Hope North. Yim, who served as small groups co-chair for the International Student Association (ISA) in his sophomore year and is currently the AS senator for Emerson, said his vision is to equip students for their purpose through prayer and partnership.

In his speech Monday morning, Yim highlighted his slogan, “Biola Illuminate,” and the vision of creating a colorful mosaic out of broken pieces of clay.

“We believe each student has a gift, each student needs to be recognized for what they have to bring to the body of Christ,” Yim said. “We want to bring out those talents, bring out those strengths, enhance on those strengths and give students that platform to leave Biola ready to impact the world for Christ.”

Natasha Cheeley and Beatriz Delgadillo

AS presidential candidate junior Natasha Cheeley, a humanities major, then took to the podium to deliver her speech. Cheeley is running alongside sophomore Beatriz Delgadillo, a political science major who is serving as Alpha East senator this year. Cheeley currently serves as AS clubs coordinator and and was Alpha West senator in her sophomore year. Her vision is to know the community better and then serve it accordingly.

“We have a pretty good understanding of the needs of campus and we are able to speak for that,” said Cheeley. “By being in this position, we just want to hear those needs that the students want, and hear their passions, and be able to give them an opportunity to develop those and use us as a resource in any way that we can.”

Cheeley also said on Monday morning that she and Delgadillo want to know what is important to each student and fully utilize the community’s resources, including implementing a community calendar to help students become more involved.

Both presidential candidates expressed a desire to see AS become more accessible to students in the coming year.

Learn more about the candidates

AS candidates will be participating in a presidential debate Tuesday, March 20 at 9 p.m. near the mailboxes. SMU presidential candidates will be hosting a fireside chat Thursday, also at 9 p.m. near the mailboxes.