The University is offering $100 cash to the winner of a new contest, dubbed “A Minute with the President-elect,” in which students post original videos on YouTube that pose hypothetical questions to President-elect Barack Obama. The entry with the highest ranking and highest number of views wins the contest.

Is this really the best way to “expose the creativity of Wesleyan,” as the contest website puts it? Isn’t there a better way to share our political concerns? While we think that the University has its heart in the right place, its execution of this contest leaves much to be desired. A showcase for the finalists—in the form of a public screening, sa—ould give students much more incentive to create strong presentations. It would also provide a much fairer method for choosing the winner.

Think back to the contest for best Film Series Commercial. After gathering in the Film Center for an informal screening, students got to respond to the commercials in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. The thought of attending the screening with friends drove many to judge the entries—which, as a result of high turnout, led to a representative winner for the student body. Were the President-elect contest judged in the same way, we believe it would lead to better entries and a winner that speaks for the school.

There is also the issue of a cash prize. For a contest that offers exposure for creative students, a check seems like an inappropriate reward for their efforts. The right showcase would turn this exposure into a reward in itself.

The ideal prize, of course, would somehow involve Obama. A trip to his Inauguration would invite a stampede of entries; more realistically, though, the University might be able to send the winning video to the White House. Any attempt to better publicize the entry would increase the size of the contest, as well as give weight to its purported reason for being.

We commend the University for its motives behind the contest. Were it to offer a more appropriate prize—and context—it might just become a campus event to remember. We hope the University will consider these suggestions.