New president to be elected next month

While political talk has centered on the United States presidential election, Tufts students will soon be selecting their own president -- for the TCU.

The end of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate term is six weeks away and elections will be held in late March. At Sunday's meeting the Senate discussed success over the year, and plans for the future.

At present, no senators have stepped forward to run for president. Although Senator Joe Mead ran last year, he gave no indication that he was planning to run again.

Social issues have been at the forefront of current TCU Senate president Chike Aguh's agenda this academic term. According to Aguh, straightening out social life on campus was the central goal for the year.

"Social life is really coming to a head right now. It is something the Senate really has to take care of," Aguh said. "Three of our most popular fraternities were shut down [last semester]. That was something I did not foresee."

In addition, dealing with the administration's new alcohol policy was challenging for the Senate, and proved to be a disappointing endeavor. "The alcohol policy came out of left field," Aguh said. "No one saw it coming. "Whether you agree with it or not, it was handled poorly."

Tufts relationship with Somerville in regard to nightlife on- and off-campus has also been a subject of concern. Aguh stressed the need to come to an understanding with Tufts' neighbors. "When I was a freshman we never saw Somerville police on campus," Aguh said. "We have to set up what's expected of all."

Senators agree with Aguh's emphasis on the campus social situation. "Social policy will continue to be a huge issue. We need to take some stronger steps forward in bringing together the administration and the average student," Mead said.

The Senate is making efforts to hold a meeting before the end of the semester between students and campus leaders. The meeting plans to include Greek leaders, administrators, police, Senators and students. According to Mead, the meeting will discuss the problem of "police not being allies, [but] being enemies."

These issues will continue to be of concern for future Senate bodies. "The Senate started up things it can't finish," Aguh said. "Things will carry over."

Many younger Senators will remain involved. "This Senate has been able to stick together despite past Senates being divided," Mead said. Older Senators perceive a stable Senate body to be beneficial to facilitating continuity of goals from year to year.

Senator Rafi Goldberg attributed the heightened cohesion to new additions to the Senate's structure. "Last September, the Senate lacked some of the supportive infrastructure that it has today, including outreach bylaws, surveys, and the Progress Tracker," he said.

Many Senators consider the increased cohesion as the greatest accomplishment this year. Goldberg foresees an even better climate in the future. "We spent a lot of time making the Senate work better this year, and it's going to pay off in a big way next year because we'll be able to move forward more quickly," he said.