In what has been a campaign devoid of much real debate, presidential candidate Frode Eilertsen '99 and vice presidential candidate Dave Altman '99 emerge from a rather unspectacular field as the two best people to lead the Student Assembly next year.
Eilertsen appears best able to handle the two tasks that are required of an Assembly president -- earning the respect of the other Assembly members and acting as a leader that students across all sections of campus feel confident will represent them.
Eilertsen's ideas about making the Assembly more effective and increasing the flow of information to students are still nebulous at best. But his service both within the Assembly and as president of the 1999 Class Council, one of the most productive class councils in recent history, shows that he has experience in working effectively with large numbers of students.
However, Eilertsen must be very careful. The Assembly is earning respect on campus as an advocate for students in their constant struggle for more input in the administration's decisions. Eilertsen is capable of continuing this, but only if he actively seeks out student opinion and does so with a zeal that has for the most part been lacking in his campaign.
Scott Jacobs '99 has many concrete ideas for improving the Assembly and his commitment to student government is unquestioned. But the Assembly president must chart a course for the organization to follow and inspire the faith of the student body. It is unclear that Jacobs has the leadership skills to do so. He uses words like "passion" to describe his campaign but it is unclear whether people will be passionate about following his lead.
Unai Montes-Irueste '98 says that he learned from the mistakes of his failed presidential bid last year, and he has given all the appearances of a credible campaign. However, Montes-Irueste's integrity is suspect and it is doubtful whether he can earn the respect of the Assembly, student body or administration.
Kathy Kim '00 knows too little about the workings of the College to be an effective Assembly president, nor is she capable of separating the possible from the impossible in her campaign platform. For example, Kim and her vice presidential running mate Ben Oren '00 propose to fight the conversion of Webster Hall into a Special Collections library -- a completely unrealistic plan given the fact that the issue was decided two years ago and construction on Webster is scheduled to start later this term.
Of the vice presidential candidates, Altman has the most experience and energy, and he would serve as a nice complement to Eilertsen. Like Eilertsen, Altman has served extensively on 1999 Class Council and on the Assembly.
He has suggested many fresh and viable ideas, such as assigning every Assembly representative a list of constituents and increasing the accountability of every Assembly member to the people they represent. Furthermore, Altman took the trouble early on to get his name on the ballot, showing he is serious about his run for vice president.
Nahoko Kawakyu '99 is very well-respected by her peers, but her late entry into the race and her complete lack of any Assembly experience makes her dedication to the job of vice president questionable. Nor has Kawakyu articulated a specific or manageable agenda she would pursue as vice president.
The combined leadership of Eilertsen and Altman would best serve the Assembly at a time when the organization needs someone to continue to build upon the work of this year's leaders. No candidate stands head and shoulders above the rest, but Eilertsen and Altman are the best choices on the ballot.