Editorial

Author: [no author name found]

Middlebury students have long lamented the inefficacies of the Student Government Association (SGA). But the feeling was mutual last month as our own collective apathy towards the SGA culminated in remarkably low numbers during the organization's special mid-term presidential contest. Still, with the College's endowment shrinking and scrutiny tightening on Middlebury's budget, there has never been a more important time to become active participants in this campus's representative government by casting informed votes in the upcoming elections.

For the position of Student Co-Chair of Community Council, The Campus endorses Ethan Schmertzler '12. While Schmertzler's opponents Molly Dwyer '10 and Shen Yoong '12 did not avail themselves of the opportunity to speak to us (and in so doing, essentially forfeited their chances at our support), we do believe that Schmertzler's platform stands on its own merits. We find his confrontation of the perennial problem of disappearing dining hall dishes to be encouraging, and strongly agree that saving the College any of the $40,000 it loses to dish theft would be a worthy endeavor. At the same time, however, we worry that his proposal fails to take into account the added costs of enforcement, be they financial (i.e., dining hall proctor salaries) or environmental (i.e., the impact of disposable flatware) in nature.

Our decision to endorse current Junior Senator Mike Panzer '10 for SGA President was not reached with quite the same ease; competition was tough, with all of his opponents except Nick Sohl '10 throwing their hats into the ring. While many of the candidates share similar platforms - relaxing the College's current alcohol policy, reforming the parking policy on campus, etc. - Panzer distinguished himself through his straightforward delivery and realistic attitude. His impassioned defense of need-blind admissions especially struck a chord, though SGA presidents exercise limited authority when it comes to College finances, and Old Chapel has already announced its intent to leave the need-blind policy intact. Still, we are impressed with what appears to be Panzer's genuine understanding of those issues that are closest to the hearts and minds of Middlebury families. Even his proposal of running weekend shuttles to and from Burlington - an ambitious yet remarkably simple project - could have a significant impact on student social life. In general, we feel that his experience as an SGA insider will allow him to effectively navigate the annals of the system, while his down-to-earth approach will ensure that he remains a loyal advocate of student interests to the administration.

In a departure from previous years, interviewed candidates chose not to propose environmentally-related initiatives, with the exception of a few references to the green benefits of kegs over canned beer. Though economic challenges make setting a broad agenda more difficult, we believe the best SGA president will seek to combine fiscal conservatism and a continued commitment to the values for which Middlebury stands. Being green is only one of them, but then again, it is one of the College's most distinctive features. Candidates would do well to consider altering their platform accordingly.