Senior class president candidates speak out: Chen, Currie promote ‘Carolina experience’

She is known to many of her friends as “Su-Chin” after the character from the movie “Juno.”

But Susan Chen may soon earn herself a new title.

Chen, an African-American studies and communication studies double major, is joining Omar Currie, an elementary education major, to run for senior class president and vice president, respectively.

“If you would have told me a year ago that I would be singing and dancing in the Pit, I would have thought you were crazy,” Chen said.

She and Currie spent the majority of their afternoons campaigning in the Pit last week, dancing and singing while holding up a wooden cutout of a cupcake, which they said represents their campaign.

“People just flocked to the cupcake,” Currie said.

According to their campaign website, the cake part of the cupcake represents a student’s classes and memories, or the foundation of their UNC experience.

The icing represents the exciting finishing touches of the “Carolina experience.” They said they hope their candidacy will bring seniors that finishing touch.

Robert Lapp, their campaign manager, said the duo plans to organize a senior spring break trip, a “Date and Dash” night, semi-formals and weekend day trips to volunteer in needy areas of rural North Carolina.

“It touches close to home,” Lapp, who is from Rocky Mount, said.

Currie is from St. Pauls, another rural region in North Carolina.

“It’s sad that sometimes we forget about rural North Carolina, which is where I’m from,” Currie said.

Even though they had about 200 more petition signatures than their opponents, Dean Drescher and Mohammad Saad, Chen said she doesn’t think she has an advantage.

“Five hundred and forty one signatures is great, but it’s only about half of the senior class,” Chen said. “We want to reach out to the entire senior class.”

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