Student Assembly needs immediate, radical and effective reform. By simply implementing new programs, improving existing services and changing its focus to serve the Dartmouth community, a new student government could bring about a revolution in campus life. But Student Assembly has concerned itself so much with self-aggrandizing gestures of support that it has lost sight of its true purpose -- serving the needs of Dartmouth students. Our current student government has failed us and I would be remiss to stand by any longer and watch as we fall further victim to Student Assembly's inadequacy. I seek the presidency of Student Assembly to make our government effective.
Student Assembly must radically change its culture to improve our quality of life. Given over $60,000 this year to improve campus, Student Assembly has squandered its resources in a vain attempt to focus on advocacy without first fulfilling its responsibility to attend to the needs of the student body. Student Assembly has sadly mistaken uninformed, empty gestures of support for progress and, in an effort to drain its budget, has resorted to supplying free pizza, BBQ and Mai Thai at every executive and general meeting. Instead of feeding itself, SA should be setting up new BlitzMail terminals and Green Print stations or putting DASH in the vending machines. It should be using that money to help us.
Student Assembly desperately needs to refocus on student initiatives and advocacy that matters. I believe that to make Student Assembly able to produce lasting change, it must work directly with Parkhurst. Without constant, direct student contact, all a "statement of support" will ever be is a piece of self-important paper passed on to a dean who could care less what Student Assembly thinks. Change comes from students working in a one-on-one relationship with the administration, advocating on behalf of student needs, not incessantly whining over Ramuntos with accompanying music by the Rockapellas. Student Assembly must make a renewed and concerted effort to work with the administration and improve the quality of life on this campus.
The immediate problems I seek to fix may seem small, thus deserving small solutions. However, Student Assembly refuses to act on common sense; it is so bloated with hot air that it cannot make the intuitive changes necessary to improve our quality of life. This is why Student Assembly needs sweeping reform. To change the small, we must focus on the big, and I feel I am the most qualified candidate to do this. As the parliamentarian of Student Assembly for two-thirds of my Dartmouth career, I understand the inner workings of Student Assembly. However, I have been but a referee, able to understand the problems but unable to make the necessary policy changes to fix them. As Student Assembly president I will look to ensure that, on day one, everything does change.
I will not back down, I will not waste our money, and I will not make campaign promises I cannot keep. This campus deserves better. Make May 7th a day of change. Support Jaromy Siporen for Student Body President.
