The Campus endorses... Bobby Joe Smith '09 for president and Antoinette Rangel '09 for SCCOCC

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Bobby Joe Smith '09 for president

The Middlebury Campus endorses Bobby Joe Smith's '09 bid for the SGA presidency. While Smith is joined in this race by a number of exciting contenders - most notably, in the opinion of the The Campus' editorial board, David Dolginow '09 - Smith's experience as an elected senator, his nuanced understanding of the scope of the position and his strong sense of leadership are all indicators for future success as president. Smith is a leader behind whom students will unite - and his vision for the presidency manages, somehow, to be both ambitious and attainable.

At the heart of his campaign is the desire to improve the lives of students on campus. Among Smith's more exciting initiatives on this front is his plan to streamline communications. While his proposed "information kiosks" for fliers about student events feels dated and unwieldy, his dedication to investigating (and decreasing) the number of all-campus e-mails addresses the very real frustration students feel at information overload. His vision for a multi-purpose access card system, functioning as a type of debit card for laundry machines, on-campus retail locations, copy machines and dormitory access, is a loftier goal, but would similarly simplify the lives of students.

While less glamorous than the goals of other candidates, Smith's support of pre-semester book lists, the public speaking initiative and blue lights on campus reflect his understanding of ongoing SGA initiatives, and would serve to bolster continuity between the legislative efforts of current and future leaders. These are where the strengths of Smith's candidacy, which falter in vague promises to "bring the SGA back to the students," really shine.

With an eye for feasibility, Smith has crafted a platform that, while not revolutionary, is realistic. He represents practicality and personable leadership - and in the role of SGA president, no two skills are more important.


Antoinette Rangel '09 for SCCOCC

Antoinette Rangel '09 is the clear choice for Student Co-Chair of Community Council (SCCOCC). Having served on the Council since her first semester on campus, Rangel would bring composure and experience to the job. She understands both the power of the Council, pointing to its decisions this year about social life, recycling and the Queer Studies House as proof of this power. She does not, however, ignore its pitfalls, and this understanding of the Council's scope will allow Rangel to focus on the difficult task of stewarding discussion through the Council's chambers.

In openly admitting that she does not come to this election with a clear platform, Rangel emphasizes instead the importance of flexibility. As the leader of a body devoted to hearing wide-ranging discussion on policy at the College, the position of SCCOCC requires not only this flexibility but also the depth of knowledge about past decisions and policies that Rangel would bring to the Council as a senior.

Rangel's experience gives her a clear leg up on her opponent, Anne Runkel '11, who is admittedly both energetic and enthusiastic. As a first-year representative to the SGA Senate this year, Runkel was introduced firsthand to the responsibility that the Community Council wields. In her campaign, she further acknowledges that students often misunderstand this power, given the Council's lack of visibility. Her campaign ignores the delicate balance of representation that the Council strikes, however, overemphasizing student involvement to the point of forgetting the contributions that faculty and staff make to the decision making process. Runkel would make an excellent addition to the Council as a student representative, and would undoubtedly act as an effective ambassador to her fellow students of the work being done by this body. What's more, a few years' of experience would make her a viable and exciting candidate in years to come for leadership roles on the Council and beyond.