Casting our vote the Campus Guide to SGA Elections

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Last year, solitary candidate and current President of the Student Government Association (SGA) Max Nardini '08 stood alone on the ballot in the annual spring elections - making this year's gaggle of contenders all the more shocking. With an impressive 10 candidates vying for the title of President of the SGA, and two gunning to chair the Community Council, voters face an almost overwhelming choice. Given this startling number of candidates, and the disappointing decision to forego a formal debate, the editorial board of The Middlebury Campus offers this critical look at the field.

The polls open today at noon and will remain open for 24 hours. Unless one candidate in the race for the presidency garners more than 50 percent of the vote - an unlikely feat - the top two contenders will face off in a run-off election next week.

David Dolginow '09

David Dolginow '09 comes to this race with his finger on the pulse of campus life. A three-year member of the SGA Finance Committee, he brings an acute understanding of the funding arm of the SGA to the table, and his work with the Sunday Night Group, last spring's Energy Symposium, the Roosevelt Institute and the Synergy workshop all speak to his presence on campus as a leader and an activist. With this past experience in mind, it is little surprise that his platform - which supports, among other initiatives, the push for Africana Studies at the College - emphasizes the support of programs already burgeoning on campus. Despite the fact that the seeds for these goals have already been planted, however, Dolginow could struggle under the weight of an overly ambitious vision for the coming year.

The Campus verdict: Dolginow, with his fully articulated platform and refreshing air of can-do optimism, is an incredibly serious candidate.

Hiba Fakhoury '09

Fakhoury's to-do list is less than inspiring. Her aim for a wireless campus reflects goals already undertaken by administrators, and the SGA has already sponsored, to some extent, bus transportation to major cities for College breaks. Her plan for a book fair, designed to reduce the cost of textbooks, is exciting but seems difficult to implement. We do admire her goals of simplifying the party planning process and encouraging students to utilize activity funds, but these goals could be tackled within the residential life system.

The Campus verdict: Fakhoury has been a wonderful leader as a first-year counselor and residential advisor, reaching out to first-year students making the transition to life at the College. This experience will not guarantee success at the helm of the SGA, however.

Aki Ito '09

Soft-spoken and poised, Aki Ito's '09 mild demeanor belies what is one of the most unique platforms in this campaign. Ito has excised all mention of perennial SGA favorites from her stump speech, leaving talk of laundry facilities, improved transportation and campus housing to her opponents. Instead, Ito has devoted her campaign to raising awareness about what she terms Middlebury's increasingly unrealistic expectations and reversing "the false ideals of the perfect Midd-kid." In the end, though, Ito's lack of experience offsets the refreshing change of pace she brings to the election.

The Campus verdict: We hope that Ito continues tackling issues of stress and diversity on campus, the keystones of her perhaps overly ambitious campaign. She'll best serve the student body from outside the confines of the SGA, however.

Mike Tierney '09.5

Mike Tierney '09.5 is an enthusiastic candidate, with a history of interest in campus leadership. However, while Tierney has identified several problems that will clearly face next year's leadership, including the complications arising from the new housing open draw, he offers no concrete solutions to these problems. We appreciate that he pushes green issues, and his ideas about energy conservation are worth a deeper look, but much of his platform would be best handled by Facilities Services and Community Council.

The Campus verdict: Tierney seems ultimately to struggle with the scope of the SGA presidency. The problems he hopes to tackle, and the solutions he brings to the table, seem infeasible for the office.

Andrew Ward '09

One of the most talked-about candidates in this year's election, Andrew Ward '09 is perhaps best known for his outlandish proposal to disband the SGA if elected the body's president. His criticism of the organization is harsh and pointed: the SGA, according to Ward, is an inefficient charade, an unproductive organization devoted to insignificant initiatives. Ward's criticism is not unfounded. We agree that the SGA can be inefficient and, frankly, ineffective. Ultimately, however, we choose to believe in the optimism of other candidates dedicated to the lofty goal of fixing, rather than disbanding, the SGA.

The Campus verdict: Whether you consider Ward's bid for the presidency a joke, a statement or simply confusing, his candidacy is the jumping off point for important discussion about the pitfalls (and potential) of the SGA.

Mike West '09

Mike West's '09 magnanimous, easy-going personality is a proven boon to the office of the SGA president, but no amount of charisma can disguise a weak platform and a glaring lack of involvement in student government and leadership positions. One of his primary goals, to create an online presence for the SGA, is already a reality, though we agree that the SGA could utilize the Internet to better engage students. His hopes to bolster social engagement between students and faculty are admirable, but other suggestions - especially his idea to build a new dormitory in place of the Mods - are woefully unrealistic.

The Campus verdict: West is friendly and genuine, but in a field of competitive candidates even his clever on-campus campaigning will not make up for his lack of experience.

Graham Majorhart '09

Graham Majorhart's '09 candidacy for SGA president tackles two typical goals - the improvement of daily student life and the increased transparency of the administration - in unpredictable ways. To the doubtless delight of students shirking parking tickets, Majorhart promises to increase student parking on campus and putting pressure on Public Safety to document parking violations more rigorously. Most of his ideas, however, are farfetched. His "green initiative" ignores the goals of the Carbon Reduction Initiative and the Sunday Night Group. His proposed "Supreme Court" is interesting in theory, but would require too much time and energy to be a feasible addition to the complex web of administrative bodies on campus.

The Campus verdict: Majorhart's creativity is laudable, but, like many of the candidates this year, his lack of student government experience makes itself clear in the impracticality of these goals.

Michael Panzer '10

Financial aid is at the top of Michael Panzer's '10 docket, and as the only candidate to speak to the rising cost of a Middlebury education, his message will likely resonate with students. The additional campaign to increase handicap accessibility on campus is another strong, unique selling point for this current sophomore. Panzer also emphasizes flexibility, a trait required of an SGA president. Also required, however, is poise and polish - and remarks in his statement of intent such as "s*** will come up next year" and "f*** Dartmouth" seem less than presidential.

The Campus verdict: Panzer has a strong grasp of challenges facing Middlebury students, but this candidate will likely struggle against a field of rising seniors. Given his ambition, however, we hope he'll see Panzer in next year's Senate.

Flint Reilly '09

Flint Reilly '09 is a difficult candidate to pin down - aside from a brief statement of intent, the history major and varsity lacrosse player has seem
ingly foregone any significant campaign efforts. The campaign goals he does put forward in this statement are vague and unmoored, and his rhetoric about the "success and adhesion" of "this great institution" flounder without the support of concrete tasks for the year ahead. Reilly points to the "lack of all-school events" as the cause for a splintered social scene, but given the variety and multitude of events happening on campus every day, even this criticism feels frail.

The Campus verdict: Something of an enigma, Reilly does not stack up well in this deep, competitive field of candidates.