Last night, the University Board of Elections announced the much-anticipated results of the University-wide student elections. The Managing Board congratulates the winners but also encourages them to begin working immediately to address the most pressing issues their respective organizations are facing.
Reaching out to the student body is a matter of concern for each of the governing organizations. Student Council must ensure that it is truly representing the views of its constituents - not just those of the elected officers. The Honor Committee should focus on reaching out to communities underrepresented among its officers and continue to educate students about current updates and reforms to the honor system.
Endorsed by The Cavalier Daily, as well as numerous other student organizations, Colin Hood won the three-way race for Council president with more than 50 percent of the vote. Hood's experience with Council as the vice president of organizations distinguished him as the candidate most qualified to take this position. His extensive knowledge of both the appropriations process and Council's executive committee should ease the sometimes difficult transition into the president's office. Nevertheless, Hood must strive to become a more visible leader and refrain from presiding over Council through excessive top-down delegation. He would be wise to reach out and meet his constituents to guarantee that Council's initiatives resound with University students.
Running unopposed, Evan Shields was elected to the office of Council vice president of organizations. His previous experience as the chief financial officer for BEATS, a cultural performance contracted independent organization, should to some extent ameliorate the steep learning curve for the position. As he will handle more than $750,000 of the Student Activities Fund, Shields should work to streamline the CIO appropriations process. Also elected to Council's executive committee was Jen Bristol as vice president for administration. Previously serving as Council's director of University relations, Bristol must use her inner personal skills to facilitate communication among Council's committees.
Seven College students were elected to be representatives on Council - including Cavalier Daily endorsees Joe Riley, Charlie Miller and Ben Wallace. Though these students do not have the most visible roles on Council, representatives serve as the main conduits for community relations. Interacting with students on a daily basis should be these leader's main prerogatives as they aim to incorporate as many viewpoints as is possible into their decision-making.
Alex Solomon, McKenzie Furber, Greg Siegel, Rubana Masood and Sarah Munford all were announced as College Honor Committee representatives last night. Each of the new Committee representatives should prioritize clarifying the definitions of intent and triviality and aim to educate the student body about precisely what constitutes an honor offense.
Also elected last night were Halley Epstein, Will Bane and Greg Tilton as College representatives to the University Judiciary Committee. The new leadership should work to stake UJC's role in preserving justice in the University community alongside the Honor Committee. Another top priority for UJC should be to examine the First-Year Judiciary Committee's transition timeline to ensure that all FYJC cases are handled quickly.
The Managing Board applauds these elected officers for their efforts on the campaign trail and is confident in the new leadership's competence. But with these high hopes comes a singular expectation: that if nothing else, each official truthfully represents those students who elected him.
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