UA freshmen assess their first 100 days

For newly-elected members of the Undergraduate Assembly, the first few months in office have been a mixture of activism, disillusionment and increased responsibility. Dan Debicella, a Wharton freshman, said his UA involvement has afforded him the opportunity to "meet a lot of really great people" and "help students have better lives." But Debicella admitted that working with the University has become an eye-opening, if not disillusioning, experience. "The one thing I run into a lot is that the school is a big bureaucracy," Debicella said, relating a number of incidents when he was given the "bureaucratic runaround." Still, Debicella added, he retains his optimism for the UA and its ability to bring change to the campus. "Here the people in the UA take what they are doing seriously," Debicella said. "They think they're doing a service for the students." This enthusiasm is characteristic of many freshman, former UA Vice-Chair and current Facilites Chair Ethan Youderian said. "Freshmen are a very interesting breed," the Wharton junior said. "[They] have more enthusiasm than any group on this campus. My freshman years were some of my most productive." For Lauren Lazare, the responsibility of the UA has proved to be greater than that of leadership roles she held in high school. "The people seem very serious," said Lazare, a College freshman. "They get dressed up and use parliamentary procedure. It's more serious than many high school governments, and it makes us feel more serious." And serving on the UA has also made her more critical of events on campus, Lazare added. "It has made me more aware to what people are saying. I keep my ears open," Lazare said, adding that being on the UA makes her "feel that there is hope" because she can effect change. College freshman Lance Rogers said he has had similar experiences in his transition from high school to University government. As a member of the UA's public relations committee, it is Rogers' responsibility to "keep people informed about what they are doing" through advertisements and public announcements. Rogers said his UA experience has given him "real life" responsibilities as compared to the role he played during his high school government days. "I'm taking it a lot more serious," Rogers said. "There is more incentive to work harder. It will have an effect on people."

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