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The Dartmouth
July 19, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Sugahara wants to reform SA

Kenji Sugahara '95, a former Student Assembly member, will soon introduce a plan to completely overhaul the Assembly.

Under Sugahara's plan, the Assembly would have a student-elected president overseeing two independent, separate groups -- one dedicated to student services and the other to campus issues.

"This is not a motion to abolish Assembly. It is a motion to completely change the structure," he said. "To improve, there has to be evolution. This is a step in the evolution toward a highly efficient student government."

He said he will bring the plan to the Assembly because "only Assembly can decide to change itself."

Sugahara began working on his plan in the beginning of January after reading an editorial that appeared in the Nov. 22 issue of The Dartmouth. The editorial was entitled "Dissolve The Assembly" and was written by Michael Anderson '96 and Sara Wasserbauer '95.

Sugahara has been working in close contact with the Coalition of Class Officers, which is made up of the leaders of the four Class Councils. He will meet today with Student Assembly President Rukmini Sichitiu '95.

In his proposal, Sugahara stressed the need for change.

"The Student Assembly of Dartmouth College no longer can serve the student body effectively," the proposal says. "After three years of political infighting and numerous scandals, the student body no longer trusts nor has any faith in the Student Assembly."

The first of the two independently-acting groups envisioned by Sugahara would be called the "Student Services Council."

In his plan, the services council would be in charge of working on student services, like the Dining Guide, the Student Advantage Card, and the Course Guide.

Sugahara proposed 10 students be elected to the services council each Spring term. Anyone wishing to join after the election must attend three meetings of the services council.

The second group Sugahara envisions is the "Student Opinion Council," which would be charged with relaying students' opinions to the administration.

The opinion council would also be responsible for providing information to the student body concerning important campus issues, like the controversial Report on the First-Year Experience.

Sugahara's plan calls for members for the opinion council to be drawn from campus organizations.

Each recognized minority group and each Class Council would elect one representative to the opinion council, as would the governing bodies of the College's Greek organizations.

In addition, two representatives would be chosen from each residential cluster's council, and 10 seats would be chosen by the student body in the spring.

Sugahara said this would make the opinion council more legitimate and representative. Currently, any student can join the Assembly if they attend three meetings.

With open membership, "people who like to hear themselves, like to spout out from their ivory tower or want to practice politics, gravitate toward the Assembly."

"The idea of a closed membership and having only one representative from each group combine to discourage those elements that can be destructive."

The two councils would each internally elect a chair to run council meetings and ensure each council operates smoothly.

In addition to overseeing the opinion council and services council, the president would be the official spokesperson for the student body.

The president would have the responsibility of confirming all decisions made by the opinion council, form task forces and propose legislation.

According to Sugahara's proposal, the president would also retain the power to call opinion council meetings if he or she feels an important idea needs to be addressed.

However, the opinion council may call itself to a meeting of at least five members desire to do so.

Sugahara has not yet finalized his plan. He is still in the process of receiving input from students and administrators. Former Assembly member and Class of 1995 Vice President Hosea Harvey criticized the lack of centrality of Sugahara's proposal.

"What's missing from the plan is a student group to do advocacy for the student body," he said. "Who is the student leader at the moment when we need one?"