President—Tau Zaman

Finishing the remainder of Jeffrey Rizzi’s elected term has proved uneven, but Zaman’s experience and commitment to SGA suits him to the challenge of leading student government for a full term. With a new start and a laundry list of goals for next year, we urge him to hone in on the most tangible initiatives, and for results to be the name of the game. Most of all, we expect him to deliver on the plan to increase direct communication between students and student representatives. For nearly two months, an SGA newsletter has been discussed. Next fall (and hopefully, sooner) we expect to see that and other efforts toward informative engagement realized.

Vice President—Caitlin Higgins

We appreciate Higgins’ no-nonsense candor in fielding questions about SGA’s present and future. As the lead advocate on SGA, we hope Higgins will drive academic reform, the issue she says she feels most passionate about, to fruition. SGA has an opportunity to make lofty goals like fixing registration a reality—but it must work unrelentingly with faculty and administrators to get there.

Treasurer—Tanya Flink

While the editorial board was unable to speak to Flink in person, we commend her willingness to learn the ropes of a job Zaman said is one of the most taxing on SGA.

VMA Senator—Alex Clarke

Alex Clarke is dedicated to carrying out the initiatives he assumed control of as VMA Senator, including an It Gets Better video campaign. Not only is Clarke qualified for the position, given his experience in SGA, but he has proven he can put the time and effort into his projects and see them through. While his opponent, freshman Laura Martin, is enthusiastic, she has not demonstrated an understanding of what the job entails and needs time to research and develop a stronger campaign platform.

Class of 2015 President—Lauren Mandel

Lauren Mandel currently serves as the Class of 2015 treasurer and expressed a commitment to supporting realistic, concrete initiatives—and a disdain for wasting time by not doing one’s homework. Mandel is in line with President M. Lee Pelton’s goals, specifically with her vision of a campus community space in Boylston Place. While her opponent, Nick de la Canal, promotes juvenile campaign videos and runs on a hackneyed platform, we were struck by Mandel’s professionalism, passion, and level-headedness. Hers is the Beacon’s most enthusiastic endorsement, and we urge the class of 2015 to select her as their leader.