By: Jin Peng
Smoke Signal: What changes do you want to implement/what do you want to do differently if you are elected as ASB Secretary?
Alton Lin: I would like to have more effective communication between ASB and the student body. I really would like to see students give more input and feedback and to overall nurture a stronger relationship between ASB and students. I wish to achieve this greater connection so that more people can get involved and more people can understand how this school runs and in turn get better feedback for questions that they may have.
Grace Lee: My main focus would be improving student-body involvement and bridging the gap
that I currently see between ASB and the student body. For two years, I was able to experience high school from a normal student’s standpoint. After talking to several different groups of people for the past two weeks, I’ve realized that not enough people know about ASB and exactly what it does, causing a rift between the student body and ASB.
If more students were to be involved in school activities and events, more students would appreciate its importance, and in turn, cause more students to be involved with the school. It would be a domino effect.
SS: What do you think sets you apart most from just an ordinary candidate? This can be like a certain trait, attitude, anything special and unique to you.
AL: I think that the greatest potential I have in running for ASB secretary is that I have solid experience. Being sophomore class secretary, I already have hands-on-knowledge on what the job takes, so I can successfully fulfill my role as ASB secretary. Having a good idea on what a certain task takes helps one get both physically and mentally ready, and because I already know what being a secretary is like, I feel I am prepared to fulfill my duties as ASB secretary right from the start.
GL: My energy. An ASB officer can’t be afraid to constantly get his or herself out there, to reach out to people, and to create close friendships with the student body. My energy and persistence complements my open-mindedness, friendliness, and approachability–to me, the ideal ASB officer is the one that can be “everybody’s friend.”
SS: What do you think would be your greatest weakness as ASB secretary, and how would you work to improve such a weakness? This should be something unique as well and not something inevitable (experience as actual ASB secretary, etc.)
AL: The greatest weakness I would have as ASB secretary would probably be taking risks. There comes a point for all leaders in which they have to make a difficult and important decision, and the decisions we make may not always be right. However, I understand that these mistakes we make are actually opportunities to grow, and so I will learn from them and treat them as chances to improve myself for the better.
GL: My greatest weakness would be my tendency to get easily worried. I end up spending a lot of time working on something when I could be moving on to something else. Yet, this great weakness of mine is also one of my greatest strengths. Because I am worried, because I care, and because something matters to me, I give it my all to make myself the best that I could possibly be.
SS: If you were elected as ASB secretary, what would you value most in doing your job?
AL: I would value serving the school and doing my job. I am here for all the students that make up this wonderful school, so I will work to the best of my ability to represent everyone and make sure their needs are heard and if I can, ensure their needs are met. A leader is nothing without his people. I truly value all the students here atMission and will do my best do serve all of them.
GL: I would value the advantage that being an ASB officer has in reaching out to people. Like I said before, my main focus would be improving student body involvement, and that starts with the ASB officers. I would use the knowledge people have about my position to create relationships with many different groups of people within the student body. The different things that people say will reflect the various perspectives of the student body, which I would use to improve school unity and student body involvement.
SS: If you could choose anything at all to represent who you are going into this position, what would it be and why? You can make it serious/funny/however you would like it to sound.
AL: I would choose a long-lasting battery, since I can always be counted on to help or to make things work. You can be sure that, as ASB secretary, I will always be there to make sure things work out and provide assistance wherever and whenever needed.
GL: Hmm, this question is somewhat confusing, but I would have to say… a rubber band. Although a rubber band may be stretched out, pulled apart, and be beaten up, it will always return to its original form. A rubber band is resilient, no matter what adversity it may face. Through the hardships and losses I’ve faced in the past, I was always able to recover and learn from the mistakes that I made, and better myself as a person, as a friend, and most importantly, as a leader.
