chungBwog presents the first in a three-part series of interviews with CCSC Presidential candidates, Rebel CC’s Tracy Chung ’08.

How have you been doing?

I’m tired but good – I’ve been up late revamping our website, www.voterebel.com.

How has campaigning been going?

It’s going well. We dorm-stormed John Jay and Carman; freshmen are so open to new ideas. I love meeting new people. We also did the CPU endorsement meeting, which went well. We have been having some trouble with student endorsements – SEEJ endorsed One Columbia without hearing from Rebel. And many groups do not endorse at all, which is really indicative of how CCSC is viewed by the student body. It’s a difficult thing when something that can be a vehicle for change and is not met with a positive reaction.

What made you decide, as a CCSC outsider, to run?

I was going to run for CCSC, actually, as a freshman, but I wanted to take advantage of internships. I’ve done those every semester, but I also sat back and observed how Student Council works, and I noticed problems. The website hasn’t been updated in a year – there are certainly ways that CCSC could be more responsive. People call us “outsiders,” but if you’re accepted to Columbia College, you have shown leadership, you are intellectually capable, you are probably socially capable.

Seth Flaxman had been a CCSC outsider before being elected. How do you think he has done?

He has done an amazing job. It’s funny – students involved with CCSC, when they’re talking to you, give you policy and rhetoric, but they don’t give you specifics. Last semester, I wanted to Pass-Fail a class, but thought I could still keep the grade, so I did. At the end of the semester, I had an A, and tried to keep the grade, but I found out that the policy had only been approved by CCSC, not enacted by the administration.

So you think you can do an effective job?

I know I have the passion and the dedication for it. I think my platform speaks for itself. Having “experience” is always an easy card to play. I understand, from observing, the shortcomings of Student Council. I’m not a complainer who just complains. I’m a complainer who gets things done.

What made you decide to run, and how did you assemble your ticket?

Katrina [Ciraldo ’08] and Paul [Soto ’08] are two of my running mates – I was in Los Angeles with them this summer. And you have to understand, this is something I’ve been talking about for years. My time here has gone by fast, and my friends at other schools have had a lot of events – like Spring Fling at Penn. They come to visit, and I take them downtown. I like exploring the city, but I didn’t want to leave here without trying to change it for the better. Paul encouraged me to run, I got encouragement from friends – one of my friends is on the E-Board right now, and she and the other E-Board members gave me a crash course.

-DPD