Since the start of my freshman year, I have been one of the most dedicated members of the Student Assembly. I have served on the Executive Committee and on five standing committees -- from Academic Affairs to Diversity Affairs -- working tirelessly on behalf of the student body to change Dartmouth. But as one of its leaders, I know that it needs serious reform. Power and money are decentralized between the Assembly, Programming Board, the Council on Student Organizations and the Class Councils. This causes inefficiency and prevents student government from reaching its full potential.
I recognize that the Assembly and PB play very different roles and that combining them would probably not work. Instead, I propose creating a Student Governing Council, chaired by the Student Body President, and composed of the vice president, the co-chairs of PB, representatives from COSO and the class presidents. The council will foster close ties between the governing organizations, provide oversight and advice, and coordinate financial co-sponsorships.
We also need to overhaul the distribution of the Student Activities Fee. Currently, the Undergraduate Finance Committee distributes all the money to the major governing organizations before the year begins. This system doesn't work because financial needs are unpredictable. Instead, we should keep part of the Student Activity Fee in a "reserve fund," managed by the Student Governing Council, who will allocate the money when necessary.
To become truly relevant at Dartmouth, the Assembly also needs to become much more proactive. We can rebuild confidence in student government by building closer ties with groups around campus. When students and organizations have questions or problems, Assembly should always be ready to help them.
In order to reach out to the community, Assembly members should be appointed as liaisons to administrators and prominent campus organizations. Having a direct contact person would make communication much similar and easier, and would create a tangible connection between Student Assembly, student groups, and the administration.
Student Assembly should also put together an advisory board, consisting of a wide range of leaders from groups around campus. Some of Dartmouth's best leaders are not in the Assembly -- we still need to hear from them.
The biggest reason for supporting reform is that we have little to lose and a lot to gain. We know the system doesn't work -- it's time to do something about it. As the most experienced candidate, I acutely understand the Assembly's flaws and problems, and I am passionate about fixing them.
