Eric Pattison, the vice president of the Interpersonal Leadership Council, is in his third quarter at BC. He said that is one of the main influences of his interest in involvement with Student Programs. “I see what getting involved can do for people,” said Pattison.
Pattison seeks to strengthen the Bulldog community and encourage active student participation in the decisions being made that directly affect them. Pattison wants to make extracurricular programs more inclusive by allocating more funding for established student organizations as well as the new ones. He believes “everyone should feel welcome here.”
Pattison proposes that there be a student panel implemented to help ASG officials listen to student preferences and fulfill their interests. He seeks to lead through active representation.
Pattison’s qualifications include 400 hours of volunteer experience, business experience and even experience as a communications specialist on a political campaign.
One of his role models is former Port of Seattle CEO Tai Yoshitani. Pattison admired Yoshitani for being a good listener who was able to process a lot of info and use it to make quality decisions. “Yoshitani really got a lot of momentum,” Pattison said.
If elected, Pattison wants to focus on receiving factual information from the student body so that he can actively and accurately represent the community.
He wants to lead decisively and dynamically, and thinks he can best serve if he has the best team. By balancing all levels of leadership and making meetings and discussions more open and public, he hopes to make an impact that will set the ASG on the right track to success.
“There are some 30,000 students seeking to better themselves here,” Pattison said. He believes that by fostering an open and comfortable environment, he can help all students get involved.
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Joel Allen has been attending Bellevue College since winter 2012. He is interested in studying communications and believes communication is important as a student body official.
Allen lists issues that are common points of contention among students such as a lack of varied cafeteria meals and parking. He said that more students need to know what is going on to avoid issues that stem from a lack of information.
He wants more student participation at forums such as the board of directors meetings, but he also wants the meetings to be accommodating to a wider number of students attending. “They need to be accessible, but not boring,” said Allen.
Allen, if elected, hopes to learn how to effectively deal with individual and personal conflicts as well. He wants to compromise and diffuse issues while sticking to beliefs and working through the issues with the end goal in mind of helping the student body.
Allen feels inspired by George Washington Carver, an inventor who refused to patent most of his discoveries so he could give back to his community. “He saw the things he discovered as for the world,” explained Allen.
“I want to connect [students] so they can see what they contribute to,” said Allen of one of his goals as president. For Allen, BC is not just a commuter school, and he believes his as coordinator of the PALS center, and as ASG Chief Justice, has given him a certain insight into the BC community.
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Gebriel Amare has been attending BC since winter 2014. For the past year, he has served as ASG’s Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Representative. If elected, Amare wants students to work as a united front. “I’ve worked very hard the past year and I’ve realized we can do more on campus if we engage and organize,” said Amare.
“I want to make parking ticket appeals more transparent,” said Amare, who wants students to be more informed about the reductions and waivers available, since everything is currently at the discretion of the traffic court. “I want to truly represent students. We are getting ripped off.”
“Most of the people I surround myself are very positive, which influences me to be proactive,” explained Amare. His role models and influences include his parents, family, friends and enemies, whom he says give him ideas on self-improvement.
Amare has represented BC at several events and conferences, which include the Student of Color Conference earlier in April, the International Model United Nations conference and last year’s national debate competition. He also placed in the top 12 at the recent Global DECA Competition. “I’ve worked so hard to represent my school and peers at the highest level possible,” shared Amare.
“College or any other situation is what you as a student or staff make of it – how you utilize the resources,” said Amare, who stated that over 80 percent of students are not taking advantage of what BC offers.
He said that if he is elected, he will advocate for student rights, protections against extra charges and fines and establish new support systems. However, he said it ultimately depends on how students use what is available to them.
“I don’t have a political philosophy, I have a life philosophy,” shared Amare. “To do the right thing, to respect others regardless of any situation, and to work hard.”