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Showing posts with label Student Association. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Student Association. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
SA Runoff Voting Open, Candidates to Appear on WRGW
Students can vote for SA President in a runoff between John Bennett and Ashwin Narla today and Thursday.
The two remaining candidates face off after finishing first and second in the general election race for president separated by just 130 votes. Bennett received 1,748 votes (36%), Narla 1,618 (34%), neither crossing the 40% benchmark for locking up the nomination. Bennett and Narla also spent the most money of the five presidential candidates on their campaigns: $975 and $920, respectively, according to the candidates.
Both candidates are juniors.
Bennett comes from the SA, serving most recently as chair of the senate finance committee responsible for doling out funds to student organizations. Narla has not worked in the SA. He served on Colonial Cabinet, led an Alternative Breaks trip to New Orleans and worked for GW University Hallmark Events as a summer assistant.
Tune into the WRGW News at 6 tonight to hear from Narla and Bennett at www.gwradio.com and check back for our live election results coverage Thursday at 9 pm.
The two remaining candidates face off after finishing first and second in the general election race for president separated by just 130 votes. Bennett received 1,748 votes (36%), Narla 1,618 (34%), neither crossing the 40% benchmark for locking up the nomination. Bennett and Narla also spent the most money of the five presidential candidates on their campaigns: $975 and $920, respectively, according to the candidates.
Both candidates are juniors.
Bennett comes from the SA, serving most recently as chair of the senate finance committee responsible for doling out funds to student organizations. Narla has not worked in the SA. He served on Colonial Cabinet, led an Alternative Breaks trip to New Orleans and worked for GW University Hallmark Events as a summer assistant.
Tune into the WRGW News at 6 tonight to hear from Narla and Bennett at www.gwradio.com and check back for our live election results coverage Thursday at 9 pm.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
SA Candidates React to Hatchet Debate
The fifth annual Hatchet SA Debate on Monday allowed student voters the chance to see the five Executive Vice Presidential candidates and seven Presidential candidates respond to a wide variety of questioning.
Amanda Galonek, who is running for the EVP position described the debate as “Nerve racking. You think you have so much to give, and you’re really fired up and you really want to make a difference and being on stage sometime you can’t formulate exactly what you want to say, and that’s frustrating because I have so much that I want to do and sometimes you don’t get it out the right way. I would have liked to have talked about my initiatives for GWireless.”
Amanda Galonek, who is running for the EVP position described the debate as “Nerve racking. You think you have so much to give, and you’re really fired up and you really want to make a difference and being on stage sometime you can’t formulate exactly what you want to say, and that’s frustrating because I have so much that I want to do and sometimes you don’t get it out the right way. I would have liked to have talked about my initiatives for GWireless.”
Ted Costigan, also running for EVP had this to say about the debate: “It was great, a quick debate, not too bad. In and out. I didn’t mention a few of my policies, one of my important policies is giving ROTC students a ROTC minor.”
Sam Free claimed that she and her fellow EVP candidates agree, “The [debate] went really fast. We all thought it was a great debate.”
Sam Free claimed that she and her fellow EVP candidates agree, “The [debate] went really fast. We all thought it was a great debate.”
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Laughter and Thereafter: The Audience Response to the Hatchet-SA Debate
As the crowd slowly filtered in into the Jack Morton Auditorium on Monday night, the tone was one of anticipation and support; an eagerness to find out more about the issues and support for friends running for the SA.
Though many students came in with little to no background information, and were at the debates to be informed about the issues and candidates, the majority of students already knew exactly what they wanted to happen in the upcoming year. Doug Arbiter, a GW student, argued that “it’s ridiculous you have to pay an initial psychiatric fee” and endorsed Jason Kaplan, whose platform concentrates on the issue. Many students supported this in addition to a range of issues from excessive stress on diversity to continuing effort in fixing Gelman.
However, much of the audience was not there about issues but rather in support of friends. Whole rows were filled with individuals seeking to endorse and cheer on a specific candidate. In addition to the large portion of the audience taken up reporters from the Hatchet and other news sources, it seemed like the general student body was poorly represented in the audience. Freshmen Ryan Huttman later said about the SA that “I have no idea what that thing is”. Many freshmen that were interviewed outside of the debate expressed similar views, having little to no recognition of what the SA is and what it does.
Monday, March 7, 2011
SA Debate LIVE on WRGW, 7:30 EST
Do you wish you could come to the Student Association debate tonight but midterms have you stuck in your dorm? No problem! WRGW News has got you covered - tune in at http://gwradio.com/listenlive at 7:30 for our coverage of the Presidential and Executive Vice-Presidential debates live from the Jack Morton Auditorium. See you then!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
SA Passes Student Org. Allocations Bill
GW’s Student Association unanimously approved its allocations bill for Academic Year 2010/2011 Tuesday night.
The bill, with a total cost of $501,995 out of the $930,456 allotted to SA, is the primary source of funding for organizations at the university.
President Jason Lifton described the bill in his opening remarks as “all encompassing.”
Big winners included the Student Bar Association, which received $92,985, the Panhellenic Association, which received $30,000, and the College Democrats and College Republicans, each receiving $15,000.
WRGW News’ parent organization, WRGW, received $3,000.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Incoming SA President Lifton Previews Presidency
In an email interview with WRGW News, incoming SA President Jason Lifton described his priorities for the coming year and gave his opinion on a wide range of issues concerning GW students.
“We plan on working on a number of different student life and academic issues next year,” he said. “We want to focus on fixing the student organization financial process. We are going to work with Student Judicial Services to ensure that students are being properly treated when they are in violation of the student code of conduct. We also want to work on making the SA more of a resource for organizations, helping them save money and pool resources.”
Lifton said that Gelman Library needs a “technological facelift,” citing a dearth of outlets, projectors, and multimedia study rooms in the school’s largest library.
“The library needs help. I don’t anticipate this being a one-year solution, but my goal is to set the library up to be better sponsored,” he said. “They have great plans for modernization, but without the funding to do it, it will never happen.”
Get Gelman Going, a Facebook group created by students concerned with the slow pace of Gelman’s much-needed improvements, has already accumulated over 1,200 members.
Another issue on students’ minds is J Street. From limited dining options to expensive weighing stations, many students have expressed disappointment with the current state of the closest thing GW has to a dining hall.
Lifton said contracts with Sodexo make it difficult to work on J Street, but he has looked at George Mason University’s dining hall, also run by Sodexo, as a model for the ideal J Street.
“George Mason has an interesting setup that they use for dining where they have different small venues with different options. It’s not like our food court setup; it’s more of different smaller stations,” he said. “I hope that we can use that as an example to improve how J Street Works.”
Lifton also discussed methods for improving campus security, addressing inefficiencies in 4-Ride and general safety concerns around campus.
“I think that the simple solution for long wait time is more 4-Ride vans,” Lifton said in response to many students who have reported waiting upwards of 45 minutes for a 4-Ride van to pick them up. “That said, I’m not sure about the feasibility of that immediately.”
“There are a lot of things that can be done to protect students, from security in residence halls to officers on the streets,” he said. “I think that we need to make sure that UD is doing everything to educate our students about safety on campus and doing everything to protect those students.”
Lifton cautioned students not to expect big changes immediately.
“There are many smaller things that we can work on, such as the financial process and improving SA resources, but something like the library or new dining options aren’t things that we can fix in one year,” he said. “I want to finish my term as president having advocated for the issues that are big ticket items that will drastically change students’ experience at GW.”
“We plan on working on a number of different student life and academic issues next year,” he said. “We want to focus on fixing the student organization financial process. We are going to work with Student Judicial Services to ensure that students are being properly treated when they are in violation of the student code of conduct. We also want to work on making the SA more of a resource for organizations, helping them save money and pool resources.”
Lifton said that Gelman Library needs a “technological facelift,” citing a dearth of outlets, projectors, and multimedia study rooms in the school’s largest library.
“The library needs help. I don’t anticipate this being a one-year solution, but my goal is to set the library up to be better sponsored,” he said. “They have great plans for modernization, but without the funding to do it, it will never happen.”
Get Gelman Going, a Facebook group created by students concerned with the slow pace of Gelman’s much-needed improvements, has already accumulated over 1,200 members.
Another issue on students’ minds is J Street. From limited dining options to expensive weighing stations, many students have expressed disappointment with the current state of the closest thing GW has to a dining hall.
Lifton said contracts with Sodexo make it difficult to work on J Street, but he has looked at George Mason University’s dining hall, also run by Sodexo, as a model for the ideal J Street.
“George Mason has an interesting setup that they use for dining where they have different small venues with different options. It’s not like our food court setup; it’s more of different smaller stations,” he said. “I hope that we can use that as an example to improve how J Street Works.”
Lifton also discussed methods for improving campus security, addressing inefficiencies in 4-Ride and general safety concerns around campus.
“I think that the simple solution for long wait time is more 4-Ride vans,” Lifton said in response to many students who have reported waiting upwards of 45 minutes for a 4-Ride van to pick them up. “That said, I’m not sure about the feasibility of that immediately.”
“There are a lot of things that can be done to protect students, from security in residence halls to officers on the streets,” he said. “I think that we need to make sure that UD is doing everything to educate our students about safety on campus and doing everything to protect those students.”
Lifton cautioned students not to expect big changes immediately.
“There are many smaller things that we can work on, such as the financial process and improving SA resources, but something like the library or new dining options aren’t things that we can fix in one year,” he said. “I want to finish my term as president having advocated for the issues that are big ticket items that will drastically change students’ experience at GW.”
Thursday, March 11, 2010
IT'S OVER: Rob Maxim Beats Logan Dobson in EVP Runoff
Former SA Senate Secretary Rob Maxim defeated Sen. Logan Dobson Thursday night by a 51.9% to 48.1% margin. Maxim, a junior, will succeed current Executive Vice President Jason Lifton, who will serve as SA president in the fall.
Dobson was the top vote getter in the first round of the EVP race, with Maxim in second place. Sen. Josh Goldstein, who finished fourth, endorsed Maxim in a Facebook message to his supporters Wednesday night.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Unofficial SA Election Results
SA President
Jason Lifton: 51.5% (2110)
Xochitl Sanchez: 48.5% (1989)
Jason Lifton: 51.5% (2110)
Xochitl Sanchez: 48.5% (1989)
SA Executive Vice-President
Logan Dobson: 27.8% (1106)
Rob Maxim: 26.3% (1043)
Jon Binetti: 24.8% (984)
Josh Goldstein: 21.1% (839)
Logan Dobson: 27.8% (1106)
Rob Maxim: 26.3% (1043)
Jon Binetti: 24.8% (984)
Josh Goldstein: 21.1% (839)
SA Senator – Undergraduate At-large
Chris Clark: 33.0% (1565)
Charlie Rybak: 28.2% (1340)
Chas Pressner: 23.4% (1109)
Ahmad Mustafa: 15.4% (732)
Chris Clark: 33.0% (1565)
Charlie Rybak: 28.2% (1340)
Chas Pressner: 23.4% (1109)
Ahmad Mustafa: 15.4% (732)
SA Senator – Columbian College of Arts and Science – U
Amanda Galonek: 8.8% (664)
Sam Hoffman: 7.2% (541)
Dylan F. Pyne: 6.9% (521)
Jason Kaplan: 6.9% (516)
Madiha Malik: 6.4% (484)
Ted Costigan: 6.4% (479)
Kim Wollner: 6.1% (456)
Coca O’Donnell: 5.9% (443)
Sloan Dickey: 5.8% (440)
Russell Dinolfo: 5.7% (430)
Bum Hee Lee: 5.3% (399)
Broc Exposito: 4.5% (336)
Jon Fenech: 4.4% (328)
Evan Honor: 3.9% (296)
Jacob E. Thayer: 3.4% (257)
Mitchell Ford: 3.4% (255)
Brett Rudman: 3.4% (254)
Kimia Ramezani: 3.2% (238)
Alexander J. Mizenko: 2.6% (193)
Amanda Galonek: 8.8% (664)
Sam Hoffman: 7.2% (541)
Dylan F. Pyne: 6.9% (521)
Jason Kaplan: 6.9% (516)
Madiha Malik: 6.4% (484)
Ted Costigan: 6.4% (479)
Kim Wollner: 6.1% (456)
Coca O’Donnell: 5.9% (443)
Sloan Dickey: 5.8% (440)
Russell Dinolfo: 5.7% (430)
Bum Hee Lee: 5.3% (399)
Broc Exposito: 4.5% (336)
Jon Fenech: 4.4% (328)
Evan Honor: 3.9% (296)
Jacob E. Thayer: 3.4% (257)
Mitchell Ford: 3.4% (255)
Brett Rudman: 3.4% (254)
Kimia Ramezani: 3.2% (238)
Alexander J. Mizenko: 2.6% (193)
SA Senator – Elliott School of International Affairs – U
Travis Holler: 21.2% (410)
Min Kyu Kim: 16.0% (310)
John Bennett: 11.7% (226)
Benjamin Weinberg: 8.9% (173)
Andrew Jackson Detsch V: 8.4% (163)
Christopher Wirth: 7.9% (152)
Bryan Pratt: 5.8% (113)
Galen Petruso: 5.8% (112)
Joseph Bishop: 5.1% (98)
Brian Kelly: 5.0% (96)
Douglas Arbetter: 4.2% (81)
Min Kyu Kim: 16.0% (310)
John Bennett: 11.7% (226)
Benjamin Weinberg: 8.9% (173)
Andrew Jackson Detsch V: 8.4% (163)
Christopher Wirth: 7.9% (152)
Bryan Pratt: 5.8% (113)
Galen Petruso: 5.8% (112)
Joseph Bishop: 5.1% (98)
Brian Kelly: 5.0% (96)
Douglas Arbetter: 4.2% (81)
SA Senator – School of Business-U
Cory Grever: 26.2% (184)
Claire Brunner: 25.5% (179)
Zach Kahn: 25.4% (178)
Matthew Heymann: 22.9% (161)
Cory Grever: 26.2% (184)
Claire Brunner: 25.5% (179)
Zach Kahn: 25.4% (178)
Matthew Heymann: 22.9% (161)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Jason Lifton Elected SA President, Dobson, Maxim Head to Run-off
Jason Lifton defeated Xochitl Sanchez by a shockingly close 51.5% to 48.5% margin.
Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim head into a run-off for the EVP contest. Dobson finished in first, Maxin in second, Jon Binetti in third and Josh Goldstein came in fourth. Dobson recieved 28% of the votes, and Maxim had 26% of the vote.
The JEC announced that there were a significant amount of violations, hinting that many winners could be disqualified.
We'll post a full election recap, results, and in-depth analysis tomorrow.
Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim head into a run-off for the EVP contest. Dobson finished in first, Maxin in second, Jon Binetti in third and Josh Goldstein came in fourth. Dobson recieved 28% of the votes, and Maxim had 26% of the vote.
The JEC announced that there were a significant amount of violations, hinting that many winners could be disqualified.
We'll post a full election recap, results, and in-depth analysis tomorrow.
WRGW News Poll: Presidential Race - Lifton Leads
A WRGW News Poll of 369 undergraduate GW students conducted February 21-24, shows that presidential candidate Jason Lifton has a solid lead over his opponent Xochitl Sanchez.
There is a stark difference between male and female respondents.
Taking into account only likely voters, Lifton captures 43.5%, while Sanchez has 29.4%, with 27.0% of respondents still undecided.
Lifton leads Sanchez among men, 44% to 24%, while his lead among women shrinks to 41% to 33%.
As previously mentioned in the EVP post, it's important to note this poll isn't scientific; it's just a general survey of GW undergraduate students and their potential SA candidate preferences. Grad students are not included in the survey.
Here are the complete results of the WRGW News President/EVP poll:
President
Jason Lifton 43.5%
Xochitl Sanchez 29.4%
Undecided 27.0%
EVP
Logan Dobson 21.9%
Rob Maxim 20.6%
Jon Binetti 11.7%
Josh Goldstein 10.7%
Undecided 35.1%
Voter Likelihood
Very Likely 26%
Likely 32%
Unlikely 29%
Will Not Vote 13%
Male 46.6%
Female 53.4%
Non-Greek 71.8%
Greek 28.2%
Based on 369 Respondents. For candidate preferences, only likely and very likely voters were used in the calculations.
Special thanks to: Alex Laska, Alexa Vogel, Roxanne Martin, Jenn Neuner, Clara Pak, Jared Pliner, Ryan Waye, and Joey Rabinowitz.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
WRGW News Poll: EVP Race - Dobson, Maxim the Frontrunners
A WRGW News Poll of 369 undergraduate GW students conducted February 21-24, shows that EVP candidates Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim are neck and neck.
Taking into account only likely voters, Dobson leads the field with 21.9%, followed by Maxim with 20.6%. John Binetti comes in third place with 11.7%, and Josh Goldstein gets 10.7% of the survey respondents. 35.1% of the likely voters were still undecided.
Maxim leads among female students, while Dobson leads among male students. Binetti does better among females, while Goldstein does better among males.
It's important to note this poll isn't scientific; it's just a general survey of GW undergraduate students and their potential SA candidate preferences. An important bloc of voters, graduate students, are not included in the poll. Graduate students tend to vote based on the endorsements that their relevant organizations make (like the Student Bar Association or the Graduate School for Political Management Student Association), so the candidates with those endorsements could expect a bump.
Results for the SA presidential news poll will be released tomorrow.
Here are the results of the EVP poll:
Logan Dobson 21.9%
Rob Maxim 20.6%
Jon Binetti 11.7%
Josh Goldstein 10.7%
Undecided 35.1%
Voter Likelihood
Very Likely 26%
Likely 32%
Unlikely 29%
Will Not Vote 13%
Male 46.6%
Female 53.4%
Non-Greek 71.8%
Greek 28.2%
Based on 369 Respondents. For candidate preferences, only likely and very likely voters were used in the calculations.
Thanks to: Alex Laska, Alexa Vogel, Roxanne Martin, Jenn Neuner, Clara Pak, Jared Pliner, Ryan Waye, and Joey Rabinowitz.
Former SA Insiders Assess this Year's Race
Former SA President Vishal Aswani, former EVP Kyle Boyer, and former (or current) SA insider Elliot Bell Kranser ("EBK") gave WRGW News their thoughts on the SA election.
Vishal told us he doesn't really follow the SA anymore due to his busy schedule, but he said that although he had a few reservations with EVP candidate Jon Binetti at first, "the leadership he's shown outside of the SA (in SEAS and on the inaugural float) made me confident in both his willingness to positively contribute to student life and of his desire to help GW such that I ended up voting for him." Jon Binetti is an SA senator representing the Engineering School, just as Aswani was before he was elected SA president in 2008.
Kyle Boyer declined to endose a presidential candidate, although he told WRGW News that Xochitl Sanchez's debate performance was "surprisingly strong." Boyer hinted that if turnout exceeds expectations this year, "there could be some surprises." Boyer also predicted a run-off in the EVP race, calling all four candidates "viable," and went on to endorse Rob Maxim by writing, "Rob Maxim is the best for the job. He knows the nature of the job having assisted me in it [as Senate secretary]. He knows GW having worked on Cabinet, off-campus, and now as a newly-hired house scholar. He also knows how to work with administrators in a firm but tactful way."
Elliot Bell-Krasner has endorsed the candidacies of Jason Lifton and Josh Goldstein. On Lifton, Bell-Kranser wrote, "I believe will be able to work with the GW Administration and get them to take an interest in what the SA does and what it wants to do." Bell-Krasner sees Goldstein as "someone who will do the EVP job as described, which means being objective about legislation, while at the same time working with the SA President on a shared vision. He is quieter than the others, but that isn't a bad thing, because it is not the job of the EVP to be loud and opinionated." Bell-Krasner went on to predict a Dobson-Goldstein runoff in the EVP race.
Vishal told us he doesn't really follow the SA anymore due to his busy schedule, but he said that although he had a few reservations with EVP candidate Jon Binetti at first, "the leadership he's shown outside of the SA (in SEAS and on the inaugural float) made me confident in both his willingness to positively contribute to student life and of his desire to help GW such that I ended up voting for him." Jon Binetti is an SA senator representing the Engineering School, just as Aswani was before he was elected SA president in 2008.
Kyle Boyer declined to endose a presidential candidate, although he told WRGW News that Xochitl Sanchez's debate performance was "surprisingly strong." Boyer hinted that if turnout exceeds expectations this year, "there could be some surprises." Boyer also predicted a run-off in the EVP race, calling all four candidates "viable," and went on to endorse Rob Maxim by writing, "Rob Maxim is the best for the job. He knows the nature of the job having assisted me in it [as Senate secretary]. He knows GW having worked on Cabinet, off-campus, and now as a newly-hired house scholar. He also knows how to work with administrators in a firm but tactful way."
Elliot Bell-Krasner has endorsed the candidacies of Jason Lifton and Josh Goldstein. On Lifton, Bell-Kranser wrote, "I believe will be able to work with the GW Administration and get them to take an interest in what the SA does and what it wants to do." Bell-Krasner sees Goldstein as "someone who will do the EVP job as described, which means being objective about legislation, while at the same time working with the SA President on a shared vision. He is quieter than the others, but that isn't a bad thing, because it is not the job of the EVP to be loud and opinionated." Bell-Krasner went on to predict a Dobson-Goldstein runoff in the EVP race.
Final List of Student Association Candidates
Voting continues tonight until 9 p.m., and again tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
WRGW News will be broadcasting live with the election returns, analysis and interviews starting at 9 p.m. at GWradio.com or campus cable channel 22.
The list of candidates, from the JEC's website:
SA President
Jason Lifton
Xochitl Sanchez
WRGW News will be broadcasting live with the election returns, analysis and interviews starting at 9 p.m. at GWradio.com or campus cable channel 22.
The list of candidates, from the JEC's website:
SA President
Jason Lifton
Xochitl Sanchez
SA Executive Vice-President
Jon Binetti
Logan Dobson
Josh Goldstein
Robert Maxim
Jon Binetti
Logan Dobson
Josh Goldstein
Robert Maxim
SA Senator, U-At Large
Christopher Clark
Chas Pressner
Charlie Rybak
Christopher Clark
Chas Pressner
Charlie Rybak
SA Senator, CCAS-U
Ted Costigan
Sloan Dickey
Russell Dinolfo
Broc Exposito
Jon Fenech
Mitchell Ford
Amanda Galonek
Bum Hee Lee
Sam Hoffman
Evan Honor
Jason Kaplan
Madiha Malik
Alexander J. Mizenko
Coca O’Donnell
Dylan F. Pyne
Kimia Ramezani
Brett Rudman
Jacob E. Thayer
Kim Wollner
Ted Costigan
Sloan Dickey
Russell Dinolfo
Broc Exposito
Jon Fenech
Mitchell Ford
Amanda Galonek
Bum Hee Lee
Sam Hoffman
Evan Honor
Jason Kaplan
Madiha Malik
Alexander J. Mizenko
Coca O’Donnell
Dylan F. Pyne
Kimia Ramezani
Brett Rudman
Jacob E. Thayer
Kim Wollner
SA Senator, ESIA-U
Douglas Arbetter
John Bennett
Joseph Bishop
Andrew Jackson Detsch V
Travis Holler
Brian Kelly
Min Kyu Kim
Galen Petruso
Bryan Pratt
Benjamin Weinberg
Christopher Wirth
Douglas Arbetter
John Bennett
Joseph Bishop
Andrew Jackson Detsch V
Travis Holler
Brian Kelly
Min Kyu Kim
Galen Petruso
Bryan Pratt
Benjamin Weinberg
Christopher Wirth
SA Senator, SoB-U
Claire Brunner
Cory Grever
Matthew Heymann
Zachary Kahn
Jillian Passione
Claire Brunner
Cory Grever
Matthew Heymann
Zachary Kahn
Jillian Passione
MCGB Undergraduate
Christopher Franzetti
Shawn Kelly
Kai Shaw
Paul Stephen
Gary Wong
Christopher Franzetti
Shawn Kelly
Kai Shaw
Paul Stephen
Gary Wong
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Logan Dobson for EVP: Why the Hell Not? - An Endorsement
Sen. Logan Dobson has been, perhaps, the most controversial SA senator over the past two years. His blog, "Inside the SA," has revealed much of the inner-workings of the dysfunctional group, and he has gained the reputation as a strong anti-establishment force within it. Dobson has promised that if elected EVP, he would continue to maintain the blog, thus enabling a standard of SA transparency not seen previously.
Current EVP Jason Lifton has repeatedly admitted that his knowledge of parliamentary procedure is lacking, even though it has shown to be a governing advantage. Dobson knows the rules, bylaws, and inner-workings of the SA Senate better than anyone currently serving in the organization. This would enable him to conduct Senate meetings efficiently and effectively, without being side-tracked by attempts to wade through procedural minutiae.
We also feel that Dobson would form a phenomenal team with Jason Lifton, our preferred presidential hopeful. In such a hypothetical setup, we would expect to find Lifton serving as the student body's chief advocate, with Dobson augmenting advocacy efforts by ensuring that the SA sticks to the critical issues impacting students. Dobson's passionate opposition to the previously proposed SA constitution indicates a fundamental understanding that the SA fails to properly allocate its precious time and resources. It is our opinion that a Lifton-Dobson team would be extremely productive in many of its endeavors.
Yet, despite Dobson's positive qualities, he can often times be a little too loose and liberal with his words and body language. Although this certainly makes SA Senate meetings more interesting and lively, we are concerned what would happen if he were to conduct himself in a similar manner during meetings with high-ranking GW administrators.
We also feel that Dobson would form a phenomenal team with Jason Lifton, our preferred presidential hopeful. In such a hypothetical setup, we would expect to find Lifton serving as the student body's chief advocate, with Dobson augmenting advocacy efforts by ensuring that the SA sticks to the critical issues impacting students. Dobson's passionate opposition to the previously proposed SA constitution indicates a fundamental understanding that the SA fails to properly allocate its precious time and resources. It is our opinion that a Lifton-Dobson team would be extremely productive in many of its endeavors.
Yet, despite Dobson's positive qualities, he can often times be a little too loose and liberal with his words and body language. Although this certainly makes SA Senate meetings more interesting and lively, we are concerned what would happen if he were to conduct himself in a similar manner during meetings with high-ranking GW administrators.
Although we found Dobson's WRGW debate claim about the impossibility of publishing full legislative voting records unavailing, we appreciated his sincere and scholarly opposition, as opposed to following in lock-step with his fellow candidates on the matter. Sometimes a seemingly realistic 'no," is better than a blind collective 'yes.'
In terms of Dobson's opponents, we feel that although Rob Maxim is knowledgeable and well-spoken, his debate performances were fairly unconvincing in proving why he should be elected to the position. Josh Goldstein's major emphasis is on effective advocacy, but during his time in the Senate, has failed to sponsor any bill that would directly promote the interests of the student body. Similarly, Jon Binetti has also failed to sponsor any important legislation, and we are concerned that he seldom, if at all, speaks up at meetings.
Some may view Dobson as an insane and insufferable obstructionist, but this assertion could not be further from the truth. The reality is, Dobson wants to see the SA get back on track and focus on the things that actually matter to students. And his election as EVP would give him a prime platform to reform the broken organization. None of his opponents express any comparable potential.
Some may view Dobson as an insane and insufferable obstructionist, but this assertion could not be further from the truth. The reality is, Dobson wants to see the SA get back on track and focus on the things that actually matter to students. And his election as EVP would give him a prime platform to reform the broken organization. None of his opponents express any comparable potential.
So, when deliberating over whether or not you should cast a ballot for Logan Dobson, be sure to ask yourself: "Why the Hell not?"
The Colonial Cabinet Advantage in SA Elections
During our WRGW SA election survey, we noticed that many freshmen students were voting for Rob Maxim (EVP) and Xochitl Sanchez (President). When asked how they made their selection, the freshmen students answered that they remembered their names from the Colonial Cabinet. Both Rob Maxim, and Xochitl Sanchez were 2009 Colonial Cabinet members.Before students even step foot on campus, brochures are mailed out to the incoming class introducting them to the Colonial Cabinet with their smiling faces. "The Colonial Inauguration is our first interaction with upperclassmen. It could impact the freshman vote because of the name recognition," said Jason Maney, a current freshman.
The freshmen class is not always targeted in Student Association campaign platforms, but they represent a quarter of the undergraduate population. Despite Sanchez being an outsider, with a majority of the freshmen vote, she has got her foot in the door.
Jason Lifton for SA President: Tested, Proven, Qualified to Lead - An Endorsement
Jason Lifton has served as SA Executive Vice President for nearly a year. And although he admits he hasn't always been the sharpest on parliamentary procedures of the SA Senate, he has certainly been a forceful advocate on behalf of the student body. Simply put, he grasps - and knows how to address - the major issues facing GW.
Lifton is extremely polished and articulate, and would continue to serve as an excellent liaison between the student body and University administrators. In fact, last Friday, GW officials announced they would double the number of Columbian College academic advisers, due in large part to Jason's forceful advocacy on the matter as EVP.
It is important to mention, however, that Lifton is still realistic about a handful of issues that other candidates (in a variety of SA races) have exploited for the sake of campaign strategy and political expediency. He understands the stringent limitations pertaining to J Street dining reform (mainly contractual and union matters), and recognizes the critical need to increase study hours and study locations, while continuing to push for enhanced campus safety and security.
In stark contrast to Xochitl Sanchez, Jason will be able to hit the ground running on these policy matters from day one, ever more facilitated by his firmly established working relationships with university administrators. Although Sanchez is an eloquent speaker, highly likable, "take-no-prisoners" tough, and knowledgeable about an admirable cross-section of GW life and bureaucracy, Lifton is a step ahead, having demonstrated that he can also put these qualities into action.
Furthermore, Lifton has recognized - and taken responsibility for - the shortfalls of the Bindelglass administration, namely in the realm of communication. He emphasizes the importance of keeping close tabs on vice presidents within the executive cabinet, the utter lack of which contributed to disorder and inaction this past year, as it has in previous years.
For the reasons above, the staff of WRGW News feels confident that Executive Vice President Jason Lifton will make an outstanding SA president come fall, and we strongly endorse his candidacy.
Lifton is extremely polished and articulate, and would continue to serve as an excellent liaison between the student body and University administrators. In fact, last Friday, GW officials announced they would double the number of Columbian College academic advisers, due in large part to Jason's forceful advocacy on the matter as EVP.
It is important to mention, however, that Lifton is still realistic about a handful of issues that other candidates (in a variety of SA races) have exploited for the sake of campaign strategy and political expediency. He understands the stringent limitations pertaining to J Street dining reform (mainly contractual and union matters), and recognizes the critical need to increase study hours and study locations, while continuing to push for enhanced campus safety and security.In stark contrast to Xochitl Sanchez, Jason will be able to hit the ground running on these policy matters from day one, ever more facilitated by his firmly established working relationships with university administrators. Although Sanchez is an eloquent speaker, highly likable, "take-no-prisoners" tough, and knowledgeable about an admirable cross-section of GW life and bureaucracy, Lifton is a step ahead, having demonstrated that he can also put these qualities into action.
Furthermore, Lifton has recognized - and taken responsibility for - the shortfalls of the Bindelglass administration, namely in the realm of communication. He emphasizes the importance of keeping close tabs on vice presidents within the executive cabinet, the utter lack of which contributed to disorder and inaction this past year, as it has in previous years.
For the reasons above, the staff of WRGW News feels confident that Executive Vice President Jason Lifton will make an outstanding SA president come fall, and we strongly endorse his candidacy.
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