The primaries for state and national office may not be until May, but today starts the process for other elections of interest to Penn students — those for student government. This year’s elections are particularly important because it is the first time there will be a popularly elected student body President and Vice President.
The winners of these races will have a great deal of authority because they will act as representatives of the student body to the University. But with great power comes great responsibility, especially because the winners of these races have to define how these new roles will actually work. Anyone running for Student Body President and Vice President should be willing to devote a large chunk of their time to establishing how their positions fit into the greater Penn Community. And as they run, candidates should think about their visions for their intended jobs and about what they want to accomplish.
But candidates for the two new offices should not be the only ones thinking about the time commitment. Students interested in any position need to be aware of the workload involved with student government membership. There have been a number of Undergraduate Assembly resignations lately, and at least one member left the body because of conflicts with other extracurricular activities.
Penn students tend to be overacheivers who are constantly striving to accomplish as much as humanly possible. But sometimes, taking on too much can do more harm than good. Good luck to all the candidates. Just remember that the election is only the beginning.
