This week, two students battled it out in a debate for next year’s Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) presidential position. This lively competition represents a positive shift for our student government. While the WSA has previously been notorious for its conspicuous lack of action, our current student assembly has affirmed itself as a trustworthy and informed voice of the student body.
Over the past year, the WSA has made numerous maneuvers that demonstrate an increased interest in student opinions. By creating a successful guest card access policy for dorms, opposing the downsizing of West College, and campaigning for kitchens in the Butterfields, the WSA has made it clear that student desires are of chief concern in its policy decisions. Additionally, the WSA has asserted itself as a communicative and accessible organization through frequent campus-wide e-mail updates and posts on Wesleying.
In addition to these campus-based decisions, the WSA has also made significant efforts to integrate the University with the greater Middletown community. Last semester, the WSA passed a resolution for the Army to move its proposed Middletown Army Base to a more environmentally friendly location. Through student transportation efforts, such as the New Haven shuttle, the WSA has also facilitated migration from the University bubble. And by bringing important figures such as Mayor Giuliano to campus, it has also brought the outside world to us.
The WSA has also recently made the headlines of the Hartford Courant with the first ever student government endowment. Its decision to invest this year’s residual money from the student activities fee will hopefully result in a lesser need for the fee in years to come. This decision is in accordance with student views and the WSA mission statement, and is both innovative and forward-looking.
In light of these achievements, this is an important election—both for our prospective new leaders and for the voting student body. We hope that the WSA will continue to be the organized and consistent group it has proven to be during the past year. However, election week is not a time to sit back and applaud. The members of our government have demonstrated a concern for us as a student body; now is the time for us to do the same for them.
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