Year after year, enthusiastic and determined students pledge to bring "real results" to Dartmouth as the president of the Student Assembly. Whether the candidate is an insider running on the basis of experience or a student who promises to reform drastically the Assembly as an "outsider," the story has been the same. In past years, hotly contested elections have raised the rhetorical heat and have led to great expectations of sweeping and overdue change. Sadly, Dartmouth students find themselves still waiting for results after the lackluster presidencies of Julia Hildreth '05 and Noah Riner '06. The Dartmouth Editorial Board recognizes and applauds the hard work of Student Assembly members in bringing some successful programs such as the Campus Readership Program and additional BlitzMail terminals. Yet the past presidents who promised to make Assembly more relevant and more effective had the opposite effect: Assembly is widely viewed as a self-serving, insular, inefficient and irrelevant organization.
Throughout this year, Assembly has been plagued by internal problems -- poor membership (a likely result of student body apathy), misdirected leadership and infighting have rendered the organization impotent. As we considered our decision to endorse a candidate, the pervasive campus dissatisfaction with Assembly was readily apparent. Neither the organization's structure nor its campus role is acceptable, given the dedication, hard work and generous funding with which the organization is endowed by its members and the College. As we considered the candidates, it was quite clear that this group, though sincerely enthusiastic, did not have a solution to the increasing apathy with which Assembly is regarded.
Therefore, we chose not to directly endorse a candidate, but instead emphasize the need for a radically different version, perhaps a complete replacement of the Assembly. Though we recognize the importance of student participation in this election to ensure that whomever is elected represents the campus as a whole, our endorsement of a particular candidate is secondary.
The most recent overhaul of Dartmouth's Student Assembly changed the organization to become a more decentralized version of student government. The Assembly lacks the teeth seen in other Ivy League student governments, some of which often include student representation on committees analogous to Dartmouth's Committee on Standards or the Committee on Student Organizations. With real power, the student body elections become far more relevant. Though we do not believe Dartmouth should mold its student government directly after a university such as Harvard, a different version of the Assembly would likely become more pertinent to the student body. One compelling possibility for an alternative form of the Assembly would be a student government conducted by town meeting, in which all Dartmouth students would have equal status. Whatever the form a new student government would take, the necessity for such an overhaul has become painfully clear. Regardless of whether the blame for the Assembly's inefficiency lies with the College, which created the most decentralized student government in the Ivy League, or upon the members and leaders of Assembly, radical change is imperative.
Though we are very clear about our lack of confidence in the current institution, we recognize that the results of the election remain relevant to Assembly's current form. Accurate representation of the student body and leadership potential will be important factors in a reorganized Assembly. Of the three candidates for student body president, we endorse David Zubricki '07. Zubricki's three years of experience, personable approach to leadership and connection to the student body make him the best candidate this year. Zubricki's Assembly accomplishments , such as the Town Hall meeting and the Student-Faculty Brunch are notable, though perhaps seem lackluster at first to the average student who remains apathetic toward the Assembly. Most importantly, Zubricki has the administrative knowledge and connections that are crucial for a successful student body president.
While Adam Patinkin '07 presents a compelling choice with regard to his plan to overhaul Assembly's committee system, we believe that Patinkin does not go far enough. Moreover, we are concerned about the scope of his proposals --- which often exceed the power of the student body president-- as well as his inability to present clear action plans for his proposals. In an interview with The Dartmouth, Patinkin evaded a question on how to change College policy concerning kegs versus cans. Patinkin's extensive campus and community commitments raised the additional concern of burnout.
Chrissie Chick '07 brings an enthusiastic and fresh perspective to a number of issues, particularly that of Assembly co-sponsorship of events organized by campus groups, though her lack of experience and understanding of some Assembly issues hurt the qualification of her candidacy.
An outspoken alternative to these three candidates is "write-in candidate" Tim Andreadis '07. Andreadis should be commended for his focus on important and regrettably overlooked issues on campus -- including sexual assault --- but his agenda-driven candidacy can be divisive, which is not a quality for someone who represents the entire student body. Moreover, The Dartmouth cannot take seriously a "candidate" who is likely running because he lacked the sense of responsibility to file his candidacy papers on time.
Andreadis sent alarmist e-mails to the campus claiming that Dartmouth "is in trouble." Though there are certainly important issues to debate, such an inflammatory tone is inappropriate and divisive at a time when the College is generally strong and students are generally satisfied. His lack of regard for facts in his campaign, some of which involve this newspaper, shows a disregard for truth in favor of the advancement of an ideological agenda. For instance, Andreadis and his supporters continue to claim that The Dartmouth -- which has neither editorial nor fiscal ties to the College -- is nonetheless "supported" by the administration.
Finally, we endorse Jacqueline Loeb '08 for student body vice president. Assembly will benefit from the fact that Loeb is a woman who can advocate women's issues within the group. While the other vice-presidential candidates had good ideas and were willing to work hard, their platforms in general were too ambitious and far-reaching for the position's scope. Loeb's energy and enthusiasm could be a great asset to Assembly, while her recognition of the system's flaws are a step toward enacting the reforms which Assembly desperately needs.
