Last year, there was a problem with Student Union exec elections. This year, there’s another problem, but this is a good one. Instead of there being only one set of candidates, this year there are two slates of very qualified candidates, giving students a tough decision. However, after talking to all the candidates, Student Life has decided to fully endorse the Perspective slate for SU exec positions.
For secretary, Student Life is endorsing Susan Land over Jessica Wasserman. One of the secretary’s major jobs is to communicate with the student body, and as a visual communications major, Land is particularly adept at doing so. Her work as a member of SU’s Public Relations committee adds to her qualifications, and she seemed more approachable than Wasserman. Student Life is also afraid of Wasserman’s status as an insider in the SU clique. After having the same administration in office for so long, a change is necessary to infuse new ideas into SU, and electing Susan Land will help achieve that goal.
Our decision for treasurer was incredibly tough. Both Jason Lewis of Perspective and Aaron Robinson of PerSUnal are extremely qualified, and we are confident that either one would do a great job, but we decided to endorse Lewis. We were impressed with Lewis’ commitment to greater transparency in SU, especially his pledge to release the rationale behind budget decisions. PerSUnal’s idea of a “Personal fund,” a pool of money allocated for individual projects, is a good idea in theory, but in practice, it could bring about substantial corruption. We also agree with Lewis’ assertion that class councils currently get too much money, especially given that he is currently treasurer of the Junior Class Council. While we have very little doubt that Aaron Robinson would serve the student body well as treasurer, Student Life urges voters to vote for Jason Lewis for treasurer.
The endorsement for president wasn’t any easier. Again, both Perspecitve’s Paul Moinester and PerSUnal’s Neil Patel would make great presidents. But as there cannot be two presidents, we are endorsing Moinester. Moinester was one of the most honest, approachable people we interviewed, and as SU has been getting the reputation of an insular body, Moinester is perfectly equipped to solve this problem. We are also confident that his lack of SU experience will not hinder his efforts as president, especially given the experience of Land as a Senator and Lewis in his year’s class council.
Since Patel is also qualified, we are endorsing him as a write-in for vice president over his own slate’s candidate, Bobby Jones. People who know as much about SU as Patel are few and far between. Also, as Perspective is made up of outsiders, an insider like Patel will help lessen the SU learning curve with which Moinester, Lewis and Land will have to deal if they are elected. As Moinester’s approachability will be a giant asset as president, Patel’s knowledge will help the execs get things done, all while increasing transparency – something SU desperately needs.
By endorsing relative outsiders, Student Life hopes to encourage more people outside of the SU to run for office in the future. Competition like this will make SU execs more accountable, helping both SU and the student body as a whole. Hopefully it will continue in the future.