EDITORIAL: In the driver's seat

Students have shown theyStudents have shown theyare not always apathetic. It'sStudents have shown theyare not always apathetic. It'stime for the University PresidentStudents have shown theyare not always apathetic. It'stime for the University PresidentJudith Rodin to take her cue.Students have shown theyare not always apathetic. It'stime for the University PresidentJudith Rodin to take her cue.___________________________________ At a school where most students don't vote in national, state or local elections, where less than one-fifth of students cast ballots for their own student government, an overwhelming presence of students like the one we saw last Wednesday provides a tangible reminder of how many lives so-called "administrative decisions" can impact. It also proves that students do care about their rights and responsibilities within the campus community, and that they are willing to physically stand up for their beliefs. At the same Council meeting, University President Judith Rodin told UA Chairperson Lance Rogers that "there are more important things going on at the University than the judicial charter." If that's the case, we'd like to know what issues Rodin thinks Rogers -- and by extension, the rest of us -- should be concerned about. And we'd like to know her stance on them. Even if Rodin thinks it does not merit placement at the top of students' agendas, we think the charter -- which ultimately controls the membership of this community and enforces standards of behavior for its members -- is a key document. And if we as a student body and our president have a fundamentally different perception of this hot-button issue, on what other issues are we in danger of clashing due to ignorance? We urge Rodin to continue having town meetings with large groups of undergraduates and scheduling lunch dates with student leaders and their organizations. These outreach efforts, and her hiring of a staff writer to serve as a liaison to student groups, represent first steps toward Rodin's transformation into an accessible and in-touch chief executive. However, in order for these sessions to have any lasting effect, Rodin must listen to what students tell her as much as she talks about what she thinks we want to hear -- and she must act accordingly. Opening the channels of communication is the only way to better student life at Penn, and we've demonstrated that we'll do our part. We're waiting for Rodin's next move.