SGA Endorsement
Students at the debate rated each candidate question-by-question and then gave them an overall rating.
We at The Colby Echo would like to begin this endorsement by congratulating both tickets on an exemplary debate performance. Our endorsement serves not as a judgment of whom we believe performed best at the debate, but whom we believe will serve best the student body as SGA President. Therefore, The Colby Echo officially endorses the Samuel Andler ’12 and Raymond Rieling ’12 ticket for Student Government Association (SGA) Co-President.
What impressed us most about Andler and Rieling is their enthusiasm and their emphasis on the process by which they will achieve their goals. If you have ever been to an SGA meeting, you will know that many of the issues they try to tackle can spark a philosophical debate, and SGA can easily become a forum for pontification rather than concrete problem solving. We are hugely supportive of Andler and Rieling’s commitment to setting goals and holding SGA representatives accountable. We find this strategy for improving SGA superior to that of their opponents Laura Maloney ‘12 and Justin Rouse ’12 of instituting a manager specifically for dorm presidents, as we believe the productivity problems within SGA will best be addressed directly by presidential authority and not by a second-tier manager.
We would like to acknowledge that the number from the debate attendee surveys (see page two for numbers) favor the Maloney/Rouse ticket heavily. While we commend Rouse for his admirable performance at the debate, we would also like to stress that we believe the debate is only one part of the election process. Rouse was at an advantage on the issues that have faced Colby this year because Andler and Rieling had been abroad and missed some of these events. We do not hold Andler and Rieling at fault for being slightly behind the times, for, as Rieling said in their closing statement, they are future-oriented, and the problems we are facing today are not necessarily the same ones we will be facing next year. Furthermore, if we were worried about them being abroad, we would be even more worried about Maloney being abroad currently, as she would enter the presidency having been away from Colby for eight months.
We do not bring these points to light to undermine Rouse’s performance at the debate, as public speaking ability is an important quality in an SGA president. But it is not enough. Rouse handily won the debate last spring and earned the Echo’s endorsement, but he still only garnered just over 30 percent of the popular vote. Though their debate aptitude may have been lesser last night, Andler and Rieling have shown us a more impressive enthusiasm and originality of ideas that we believe can impact greater change from the SGA presidential post.
If you were unable to attend the debate, please see the above candidates’ platforms statements, as well as the platform statements for class presidents and treasurer, on pages 8-10. Whatever your decision is, we urge you to get out there and vote. Polls open Monday, March 14 and close Wednesday, March 16.
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—The staff of The Colby Echo
