AS Elections 2016: Meet Director of Sustainability Candidate Anthony Hengsathorn

Nineteen year old architecture major with an environmental emphasis Anthony Hengsathorn is a current candidate running for the Director of Sustainability position in the Associated Student elections. Although it’s only his second semester at SMC, Hengsathorn has club experience with the Model UN (United Nations) Club here on campus, which has helped him lay the foundation for his goals if he were to win.

He said his primary goal is to “make sure the students are aware that sustainability is not just about efficiency but it is most importantly about the student's or people’s needs, and how we can improve the environment.”

He is happy that there is competition with other candidates running because it shows a great interest in the topic. He said, “If there wasn’t competition, then I think it will be scary and I am happy to have these other people as competitors.”

Hengsathorn wants to get students to work together, especially the “very high percentage of international students,” he said. According to SMC’s website there are over 3,300 international students. It is this enormous amount of diversity with students from all over the world that makes him want to create a community with clear communication regarding consciousness about the environment and sustainability practices on and off campus.

Leading up to the elections, Hengsathorn has been involved with the AS hoping to learn more about the processes involved in student government.

“I’ve just been attending the meetings. They are doing a great job actually. It is not just about what they’re doing wrong or right. I think that it’s more how they get students involved," he says. He wants students to fill up the empty chairs at meetings and he wants "part-time and full-time students to have their position in the AS" so they can have ultimate communication with their college and city that put forth effort into sustainable practices.