SBVPO Candidate: Joong Ho Choi

Joong Ho (Joshua) Choi, a second-year student studying statistics and data science, is running for Student Body Vice President for Organizations (SBVPO). The role of the SBVPO is to oversee and advise student organizations on campus. The SBVPO also serves as the chair on the Committee on Student Organizations (CoSO), which oversees the process that formally recognizes student organizations on campus.

As SBVPO, Choi hopes to be more directly involved in helping students pursue their interests through organizations. He believes that “People shine the most when they are pursuing their passions,” and, as SBVPO, he wants to be directly involved in “assisting them [to] shine.”

His first priority for the upcoming year is to “prioritize CMU organizations’ ability to hold events in-person under new safety regulations.” He explained that his main goal as SBVPO is to create and maintain a safe environment on campus, where students “can make new friends and laugh together while pursuing their interests.”

Choi has served two years on CoSO. During his first year, he worked as the Director of Recognition for Student Organizations, and during his second year, he worked as the Director of Re-recognition for Student Organizations. Choi said that his experience has allowed him to understand the tasks of the SBVPO “more than anyone,” and that he knows what works well and what doesn’t.

As Carnegie Mellon students get closer to returning to campus, Choi hopes to play a critical role in helping students connect with each other through their interests and organizations. He anticipates working with faculty to help students “regain their past lifestyles” as well as “expand their social networks in-person.” He stresses that this process will be “gradual and slow-paced” and believes students will understand this fact.

For his commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse environment for students of all backgrounds, Choi wants to continue the high standard of evaluating the constitutions of new and existing organizations to meet this goal. This would be done during the recognition process for new organizations and the re-recognition process for existing organizations.

He left voters with a simple final message: “Carpe diem!”