Alec Webley | Working to keep our promises

Before I start: if you haven’t voted in the Undergraduate Assembly referendum, put down this paper (or open a new tab on your browser) and go to pennstudgov.com. Log in and vote.

Thanks!

The referenda both focus on representation — whether it is representation through directly electing UA leadership or representation through expanding the size of the UA and enfranchising transfer students.

Representation is important. Representation means the Penn administration knows what you want. The “governance” side of student government is not just about knowing what you want, but doing something about it.

Here is just a short list of the things we’ve done this semester:

(1) Less than a year after Philly Diner ened its 24-hour service, the UA has already worked with Penn Dining to keep Mark’s Café in Van Pelt open later and has connected dining, public safety and real estate in an effort to open late-night vendors on the west side of campus in a safe and commercially sustainable way.

(2) Our free legal services are back, after a two-year hiatus, and over 50 students have received free one-on-one legal advice. Airport Shuttles, and free New York Times have been improved.

More students than ever make use of a UA service, and we’re working hard to make services more widespread and convenient than ever before.

(3) Working with Fisher-Hassenfeld College House, we have funded and will begin, an ambitious pilot program of “a recycling bin in every dorm room,” which, if successful, we will roll out right across campus.

(4) We are reaching out to every undergraduate instructor to start cutting the cost of textbooks; we will also create a not-for-profit textbook exchange to help lower prices. Acting on a Student Committee on Undergraduate Education proposal, we are also lobbying lecturers to start posting their syllabi by advance course registration period, so you have all the facts when you pick your courses.

(5) Looking to the long-term safety of your personal information, we have brought together safety and privacy experts from across the University and have made enormous progress toward eliminating the use of the Social Security number in housing and almost every part of Penn where it doesn’t need to be used. This move won’t be felt today, but it will protect students from identity theft for years to come.

But of course every UA guest column in the history of student government has had a list like this; every UA has worked diligently to create change across campus. Although we’ve done our level best, like all of our predecessors, you may well ask: “so what?”

The difference this time — I hope — is that we’re keeping our promises.

Over winter break, you’ll see our web site (pennua.org) update with not only voting records but descriptions of the 87 different UA projects that have been advanced by our members this semester.

Some affect the entire student body, some affect only small communities across campus, but all of them contain our commitment to help everyone at Penn by helping anyone who asks for it.

And through our projects, many of our members — whom you did elect directly — are keeping the promises they made to you when they ran.

So, no matter how you vote on the referendum, rest assured that your student government is holding itself accountable and continuing to work day by day to make Penn better. Please, help us help you by sending your ideas to chair@pennua.org or visiting our web site.

And vote on the referendum! Whether you like us or not, you deserve to make your voice heard in how we help you!

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.