On April 9, Student Senate hosted a Q&A with the candidates running for the offices of Student Body President and Vice President. 

With the race uncontested, Student Senate Presidential candidate Pauline Lu and her running mate, Ama Reitsma, had no one to debate during the event, which took place in Commons Square. The unopposed candidates were asked questions by current Student Senate President Alyssa Pokharel, who hosted the event and later opened up the Q&A to the audience.

Lu has served as a senator for three years and is the Student Senate’s current Vice President of Communications and is set to take over as Student Senate President for the 2026-27 school year. Lu,  a junior majoring in computer science, entrepreneurship and philosophy, is president of Calvin’s Girls Who Code Club and previously served as the dorm president of Kalsbeek-Huizenga-van Reken Hall. 

Reitsma is currently in her first semester as a senator and is set to become one of the Student Senate’s Vice Presidents. Also a junior, Reitsma is majoring in English and communication. She is the co-president of Knight-a-Thon, Calvin’s chapter of the philanthropic movement Dance Marathon, and also volunteers with the Student Philanthropy Council, which sponsors events meant to promote generosity in the student body. Both Reitsma and Lu work as tour guides for Calvin.

Through their campaign, Lu and Reitsma are emphasizing trust, empowerment and improvement. When asked about their vision for next year’s Student Senate, Lu and Reitsma both highlighted the importance they will place on communication among the student body, administration and Student Senate, a sentiment Lu also expressed in previous Chimes reporting. Lu said she aims to make Student Senate an approachable space characterized by trust and mutual respect. She also wants to focus on strengthening the relationships between Student Senate and student organizations.

Another goal the candidates focused on was listening to students’ individual voices and experiences. Reitsma mentioned changes made on campus as a reason for running, as she wanted to give a voice to affected students and make communication between the administration and the student body more than just a one-way street.

Lu and Reitsma both expressed their love for Calvin and for Student Senate throughout the event and provided that as their main reason for running. Lu said that she knows that love for Student Senate can be controversial, but she thinks the student body would have a higher opinion of Student Senate if they knew more about how it operates, which is one of her reasons for prioritizing trust and communication.

The candidates agreed that their favorite aspect of Calvin is the community, citing many Calvin traditions and organizations as reasons to love the school. Among their examples were MidKnight Madness, Rangeela, Dance Guild and Earthkeepers. Lu also noted that Calvin feels like a tight-knit community, yet it offers opportunities that are rare for a university of its size.

Speaking on her experience as a tour guide, Lu said she learned to present Calvin as the best version of itself, and since she knows what the best version of Calvin looks like, she has a good idea of how to make that a reality.