Youderian seeks to give UA back to the students

Ethan Youderian wants to give the Undergraduate Assembly back to the students. The Wharton sophomore and former UA vice-chairperson wants the UA to follow up its voice with action. Yesterday, Youderian summed up the role he wants to play if he is elected UA chairperson on Sunday by his fellow UA members. "[I plan] to know everything, to know everyone and to work with everyone about everything," he said. In a written resume, Youderian -- who was recently elected to his third term on the UA and second term on University Council -- states that he wants to continue many UA initiatives this year, such as lobbying the State legislature for funding, pressuring the University's Trustees for long-term tuition decrease and following through on the UA's white paper on the environment. He also said that safety and security, particularly the concerns of undergradutes who live off-campus, will be a central issue in a Youderian Administration. Youderian also said that he wants major facility concerns addressed, citing specifically the renovation of Butcher/Speakman/Class of 1928 in the Quadrangle, and the improvement of the high rises which Youderian called "ridiculously expensive." But Youderian said he wants to use his previous experience to counter a problem which has plagued student government all year: a lack of respect. Youderian said the UA must show administrators and students that "we know what we are talking about" and are "discussing issues that students say are important to them." "The way to gain respect is not through talk, but through action," Youderian said. Youderian also said he wants to improve the communication within the UA by having informal meetings and training sessions to "get rid of ignorance in members" and to make the body run more smoothly. To remedy the squabbling that often occurs among the various branches of student government, Youderian said he wants to encourage UA members to visit other groups -- such as the Student Activites Council -- to hear their concerns and learn about what they do.

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