EDITORIAL & OPINION: Electing a new chairperson

In voting, we encourage Undergraduate Assembly members to bear the following points in mind. What is more important than who emerges as victor is that the new chairperson show a willingness to incorporate the ideas of his opponents into his own goals. A number of ideas deserve the attention of the victor, regardless of their origin. First, while the UA has implemented a new, stricter attendance policy, we were impressed with the need to inspire assembly members to participate, rather than simply punishing them for failure to attend. Second, we very much like a proposal, endorsed by all three candidates, to select committee chairpersons on the basis of an interview, rather than seniority. The importance of strengthening lines of communication with other student leaders, and of working to become an effective conduit between students and the administration, should also be stressed. Finally, in delineating a focus for the coming year, we would encourage the UA to strike a balance between tangible, concrete objectives and the need to represent the student body in larger decision-making processes, such as tenure and other policy decisions. While we do not endorse any one candidate, we feel it important to comment briefly on the strengths and weaknesses of each. College sophomore Michael Bassik, currently UA vice chairperson, has impressed us with his leadership ability and his belief in the need to instill enthusiasm in his fellow assembly members. However, Bassik's attention seems focused on last year's achievements rather than the goals of this year's assembly. Ryan Robinson, chairperson of the UA's Student Life Committee, struck us as sincere and dedicated. He failed, though, to articulate a proactive vision for the UA, and left us without a sense of what he would like the body to accomplish. Michael Silver, chairperson of the UA's West Philadelphia Committee, has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments over the past year and his vision for the UA as a proactive body is both articulated and refined. But Silver's answers on questions about campus safety, attendance policies and other issues all reflected a reactive stance which leaves us with some reservations. We hope that, in voting, members of the UA will consider the ability of each candidate to lead the assembly toward substantive accomplishments over the course of the coming year.