In Echo tradition, the editorial board followed the Student Government Association (SGA) presidential debate with a debate of our own: which ticket to endorse for the 2012-13 academic year.

This year, we saw four pairs of juniors vying for the lead positions in SGA, all with varying degrees of experience but similar platforms. The main themes we drew from the platforms presented at the evening’s debate were: (1) communication between SGA and the student body, (2) developing and/or furthering a sense of community on campus and (3) taking very serious, proactive steps on the sensitive issues of multiculturalism and sexual misconduct—two already-hot topics on campus this academic year.

We applaud the tickets for their varied and creative responses to the issues at hand. In particular, co-presidential ticket Pasquale Eckert and Andrew Fabricant presented the idea to incorporate Mule Mob-like school spirit to other arenas of Colby life like the arts and sciences.

Lester Batiste and Ben Amy, also running for co-presidency, argued for making SGA much more visible through frequent communications to the student body, which is important to us as constituents because it keeps us continuously in the loop in a more substantial way than a newsletter would.

However, given the fact that most of the platforms covered the same ground, the Echo decided to scrutinize the individual tickets that could accomplish the most in one year in office.

Berol Dewdney and Rachel Jacobs, running for president and vice-president, respectively, are more than qualified to be student leaders. They have a clear vision for the College and articulated their passions well. However, Morgan Lingar and Kareem Kalil, also running as a president/vice-president ticket, have both the capacity to lead and the experience of working within SGA and the administration to know how to effectively pursue the vision that all the candidates shared.

Between these two tickets, there was no obvious winner for our endorsement. Our discussion went back and forth; every time we thought we were ready to vote, someone brought up a new point that required consideration. However, the bottom line is that the College needs a team that will work efficiently within the constraints of the bureaucracy, while still maintaining a deep connection with the student body.

As such, the Echo officially endorses Morgan Lingar and Kareem Kalil for the 2012-13 SGA President and Vice-President positions. Best of luck to you in the upcoming elections.

Remember to vote. Polls will be open Monday, March 12 through Wednesday, March 14, with results announced on March 14.

—The Staff of The Colby Echo