In an uncontested race, the Editorial Board endorses Malcolm Stewart for fourth-year trustee president. Having served as president of both second- and third-year councils, Stewart approaches the position with a wealth of experience.
While Stewart does benefit from two years of service, there are stark differences between his previous presidential duties and those of the president of the fourth-year trustees. In addition to service during their fourth year, trustees serve a five year term following graduation. During these five years, trustees work closely with the Alumni Association to provide programming for the recent graduates. Stewart discussed his long-term commitment to the Trustees, stating that such responsibility requires forethought and not just a narrow platform for a year-long position.
Stewart laid out several ways that his presidency would benefit fourth-years. As president, Stewart plans to provide avenues for support during such a stressful time and also to serve as a connection between fourth-years and the resources they need to succeed. He plans to implement programming that celebrates his class’s time at the University.
The Editorial Board endorses Diane D’Costa, also running unopposed, for vice president of the fourth-year trustees. D’Costa stressed the importance of a smooth transition post-graduation and stated that as vice president she would maximize students’ access to resources such as the career center.
We believe Stewart and D’Costa show valuable insights into their class and its needs as they prepare for graduation and life after college.
Third Year Council
The Editorial Board endorses Galen Green for resident of third-year council. Currently serving as vice president of second-year council after an internal election, Green stressed her ability to increase transparency between Third-Year Council and the Class of 2019 through weekly Facebook Live updates. Green believes in an action-oriented administration, where she would listen to students and synthesize their goals into tangible results.
We also endorse Rebecca Soistmann for vice president of third-year council. Having served as the chair of the Academic and Wellness Committee of Second-Year Council, Soistmann created programs to develop students’ professional skills as well as their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. As vice president, Soistmann wants to work with CIOs to facilitate a tight-knit community. In addition, Soistmann believes that an event’s target audience should be included in the event’s planning. She also stated that ring ceremony should focus less on the ring itself and should act more as a celebration of the class’s hard work in order to foster a more inclusive community. Because third-years are looking towards the future, Soistmann wants to establish a relationship with the career center that fosters personalization for each student’s goals by incorporating advising on non-traditional career paths. In addition, Soistmann wants to provide effective personal wellness support through initiatives such as a “Fight the Stigma” week.
Batten Undergraduate Council President
The Editorial Board endorses Kelsey Keverline for president of Batten undergraduate council. Keverline has served on both the External and Social Committees for Batten. She noted that since Batten has grown and is becoming increasingly selective, the role of Batten Undergraduate Council has also changed. The selectivity has resulted in an extremely competitive application process and therefore students start their time at Batten with a combative stance towards each other. While competition can benefit some aspects of their curriculum, Keverline argued that such a stance does not foster Batten’s community-focused policymaking, which is so vital to effective results. We were impressed by Keverline’s insight into Batten’s mission, and believe she would appropriately represent the school. Keverline plans to implement initiatives that will encourage effective policymaking in order to combat the current political climate of strawman argumentation and denigration of experts.
Keverline’s opponent, Uhunoma Edamwen, stressed collaboration between Batten Undergraduate Council and councils of other schools at the University as the most important aspect of his platform. Students come into Batten with many different aspirations, and Edamwen believes Batten Undergraduate Council should reflect all of these interests. Although we appreciate the desire for inclusivity, Edamwen does not offer enough depth in any of his ideas to earn our endorsement. He has a lot of potential actions he would like to implement during his term, however he failed to offer clear prioritization of ideas.
Commerce Council
The Editorial Board endorses Lauren Fogel for president of the Commerce council. Fogel said that although she has not worked on the council before, she has been critical of the school since her admission and identifies with many of the frustrations of her fellow students. Textbook costs, for example, could potentially add up to $1,000 during a single semester. In order to account for varying socioeconomic classes amongst students, Fogel has proposed a textbook library where students can check out the necessary materials for their classes. This and other practical proposals showed Fogel’s ability to represent Commerce students.
Correction: The article previously misstated that Lauren Fogel, candidate for president of the Commerce council, had worked on the council before. She worked with her class council before not the Commerce Council.
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