Third-year business and computer science student Andy Lin wants to “bring God’s love to campus,” after crediting Christianity for “changing his life” and “giving him hope while being bullied growing up.”
Along with preaching the gospel himself, Lin aims to accomplish this goal by working with groups on campus to host inter-faith dialogues, Christian speakers and apologetics courses. But he doesn’t have a specific policy that he wants to change or implement — he noted that his platform is message-motivated rather than policy-based.
“It’s clear from the scripture that believing in the gospel gives eternal life and I want to bring that good news to all students,” Lin said, quoting Bible verse John 3:16.
“So I’m here to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether it’s through the Internet or through the campaign materials. Once I get elected, by changing culture, the policies will naturally change themselves.”
His focus on cultural change is also based on observations of student apathy toward the AMS, in which he referenced the historically low voter turnout for the society’s elections and the success of President Alan Ehrenholz, who started his campaign as a joke candidate. Lin himself has had no involvement with the AMS beside voting.
“I want students to not be apathetic about the community and come together, but I disagree with the way [Ehrenholz] did it because he ran as more of a joke and he only went so far as to show students are apathetic,” he said.
“I have a solution and it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
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On other issues like discrimination and sexual assault, Lin believes that they can be fixed or prevented through faith in the gospel, in addition to concrete policy implementation.
“Policy 131 — that is only damage control,” he said during the Great Debate. “If you want to be preventative, you need the gospel.”
On the topics of housing and tuition, Lin wrote on his platform that he would work with the AMS, the Board of Governors and Senate, but did not give concrete advocacy strategies. Regarding sustainability, his main point is wanting to see a change from styrofoam package to more sustainable packaging in the University Village Food Court.
“Beyond policy, if you believe in Jesus, He has a promise that He will take care of us,” Lin wrote.
When asked about how he would reconcile his platform with supporting a diverse student population and AMS services like the Pride Collective, Lin said that he is willing to answer their skepticism.
“If they bring up objection, I will answer them,” he said. “But it’s not like I’m going to condemn them for what they believe in.”
At the Great Debate, Lin has clarified that he is not a joke candidate.
This article has been updated to clarify Lin’s stance on Policy 131.