It has been an unconventional Student Assembly election season, to say the least. With only one officially registered presidential candidate on the ballot, a write-in candidate who is off campus and another write-in candidate who has been declared ineligible to run by the Election Planning and Advisory Committee, this election has been complicated and defined by a series of peripheral arguments. The true question, however, is not who is eligible to run, but which student is best suited to lead us through the next year a year sure to include further discussion of alcohol, sexual assault, diversity and gender balance issues on campus. Although all three candidates boast significant experience in Assembly leadership roles, Max Yoeli '12 has the record for success that our student body president needs.
Last year, Yoeli served as the co-chair of the Student Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee, which produced a comprehensive report about alcohol use on campus. Yoeli's roles on SPAHRC and the Committee on Standards sexual assault review board have provided him with the opportunity to earn the respect of key College administrators, including College President Jim Yong Kim. Yoeli's success as a co-founder of Green Team, the promising new student-run program that sends sober student monitors to campus parties, also demonstrates that he has the leadership skills and institutional know-how to achieve the Assembly's goals. Clearly, Yoeli understands how to forge effective student and administrative partnerships.
While write-in candidate Aaron Limonthas '12 has the charisma and experience necessary for an effective presidency, Limonthas' naivete regarding campus politics suggests he is less prepared than Yoeli to tackle the broad, campus-wide issues on the Assembly docket. At a time when one of the student body's biggest concerns is a lack of administrative transparency, the next student body president must understand the ins and outs of Parkhurst from the start.
Throughout his campaign, Yoeli has spoken candidly about his lack of personal and policy-making experience related to campus diversity issues. He has fully acknowledged that he, unlike Limonthas who is an active member of campus minority groups, will need to draw strongly on other Assembly and community leaders to address such issues. He has demonstrated awareness of his strengths and weakness as a leader, and seems genuine in his commitment to seek others' input.
That said, we wholeheartedly endorse Amrita Sankar '12 for student body vice president. Sankar has demonstrated a nuanced understanding of the issues facing Dartmouth's minority communities, and has presented a clear agenda for combating those problems. The vice president's most important job is ensuring that the Assembly is an inclusive, broad-based organization, and Sankar has the skills, personality and experience to realize that mission.
Our next student body president and vice president will have the opportunity to hit the brakes on Student Assembly's path toward irrelevance. Given the candidates' expertise, enthusiasm and balanced interests, students should vote for Max Yoeli and Amrita Sankar to be the next liaisons between the student body, the Assembly and the College administration.
Don't forget to vote online today before 8 p.m.
