Confident Hong ready to lead ASLC

Working the crowd like an MC at a club, an earnest confident voice echoes from the quad reverberating throughout the Laney College campus.

It draws you in before you even get a chance to witness its source.

As the sun beats down from dead overhead, the center of campus has become a crowd of people gathered for this school year's Welcome Back event. Mixing the tracks of music, tablers, and students, is Ju Hong, aka "The Beast," aka "Lucky Charm." Yet you probably know him better as your ASLC president.

"If you have any concerns, please come talk to me," says Hong as he concludes the event. "I'll be more than happy to help you out."

The crowds dissipate and students leave for class, yet I still must patiently wait my turn to talk to our president as many have heeded his words.

Two female students who were tabling the Asian American Association were the last to approach him.

"You're so awesome!" says one woman in a sunny yellow shirt and an equally beaming smile. After congratulations, small talk, and a party invitation, my patience finally pays off.

Laden in a grunge-like flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of black, white-striped vans, Hong's appearance harkens back to a generation of music when small do-it-yourself bands from Seattle broke through the maelstrom of corporate-crappy hair metal to let their voices be heard, hence connecting with a whole new generation of young adults.

Perhaps Hong is subconsciously channeling these moments where a voice from the masses speaks for the masses. In this case, increased communication is key to his agenda for the upcoming presidential term.

Faculty communication with the students will be one of the challenges Hong hopes to tackle this year. As ASLC president, he will be a funnel of information from the faculty to the students, and he will be the voice of the student population.

Yet Hong says that in order for him to do his job well, he needs students to participate and let their voices be heard.

This generation of students is on the Internet in unprecedented numbers. It's the only generation to grow up with cell phones and high-speed Internet access; and Hong is well aware of this.

He encourages students to check out the student government blog (http://elaney.org/wp/studentgovernment) to keep informed of issues and to use the comments box to give feedback.

There is also a Laney College Facebook page as well as a Twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/laneycollege10)

"Tell the professors, faculty and staff they have to respect the students," says Hong as his serene demeanor turns to sincere compassion. "Students are the king."

Having come from South Korea in 2001 when he was 12 years old, Hong has faced difficulties with discrimination as well as learning English.

Although you wouldn't expect it by the way he hosted the Welcome Back event, he communicates across cultural lines with all the students while thoughtfully articulating his words. Yet this might also be a tribute to the vast cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Being an immigrant himself, he has plans this school year to reach out to immigrant and international students and encourage access to English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

As a compassionate advocate for immigration reform, Hong wants to reach out to undocumented students with financial aid opportunities by setting up scholarships geared toward them.

Undocumented students must pay the higher fees of an international or non-resident student. The non-resident fee is $190 per unit compared to the resident fee of $26 per unit.

"Students first," says Hong, "Respect the students."

At 19, this sophomore in political science may be the youngest ASLC president ever; however, he is not green to the political scene.

Last year he was the president of Laney's Asian American Association as well as an ASLC senator. Hong felt the presidency was the next step to expanding his audience.

The one figure Hong finds the most inspiration from is civil rights and community leader, Martin Luther King Jr. King had the ability to engage not only African Americans, but also reach across cultural lines to bring everyone aboard.

"I don't want to focus on just immigrants, nor just Asians, but on all the community college students regardless of race, religion or background," says Hong, who already seems to embrace this when he tells all the participants in the "You're a JERK" dance contest, "Thank you guys. You are all winners."

When asked whom he thought won the dance contest, a true political answer comes out. "Everyone's a winner, no one is a loser," he says without missing a beat. "Have fun in participation."

It is this attitude that exemplifies the compassion Hong has for students and the inclusive goals he has for this school year.