Letter from the SGA president

Dear Lions Family,

My name is Joe Contreras, and it is my honor and privilege to serve you as student body president. I want to take a moment to share the three words God has put on my heart this year: echo, authenticity, and revival.

Have you ever been in an empty room or cave and shouted with all your might to hear the vibration of your voice bounce off the walls? Your voice is unique and it matters. It has the power to build people up or tear people down while influencing others to create effective changes on campus.

As the Student Government Association (SGA), it is our responsibility to echo the voice of students to the administration. To do so, however, we need to hear your voice. When concerns come your way, I encourage you to share them with us because we want to hear them. We currently have 12 representatives in SGA to do exactly that in the following areas:

Huntington Hall

Laguna Hall

Balport Hall

Catalina Hall

Vanguard Centre

2 Commuter Reps

Female Athlete

Male Athlete

Transfer

STEM

Fine Arts

Your representatives, who have been elected by you and your peers, desire to help make your Vanguard experience the best it can be. Our theme for the year is echo, as we strive to empower the student body by communicating their voice to the administration. In doing this, we hope to harvest effective change that can be observed in the next century of our university.

Have you ever felt like you sent word to God about a situation and He was silent? Currently, I personally face a season in waiting for Him to speak, and I choose to believe that my current situation is not my final destination. I am constantly reminded that my subjective reality is not my eternal destiny. From this, I will worship through the pain, anticipate the breakthrough, invite God into my situation, and be transparent with Him until this reality aligns with my eternal destiny. I believe that breakthrough is right around the corner of actively waiting for God to move. Within this process, I want to encourage you to be authentic and honest with God (just like Mary and Martha were with Jesus in the story of Lazarus) because He deeply cares about us—even to the point of weeping.

This brings me to the point of thinking about what exactly makes me weep. As a man in American culture, it has been difficult to embrace and acknowledge my emotions. However, one thing I know that makes me weep is seeing broken people chasing after broken things, myself included.

Almost 100 years ago, our school was founded from the Azusa Street Revival—when those who were the broken came together in unity. Is it too much to believe that God can and will do this again? I would go as far as saying He is even now. Revival is often thought of as an event but I believe it is in the Holy Spirit, and He is here. I want to challenge us as a student body this year to be expectant for God to move as we meet Him in the daily moments of our lives because He is doing a new thing.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing;

Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19 ESV)