I wouldn't normally care about another school's student government elections, but a friend of mine from high school, Harish Perkari, whose campaign Web site I helped design, was running for TCU president last week.
As a journalism major and member of the newspaper at my school, I understand that student government elections are just about the hardest thing for a college newspaper to cover.
But the Tufts Daily did its readers a disservice with the news article "What you need to know about the candidates for TCU president" (Apr. 19, 2006) and the accompanying editorial "A reluctant endorsement of Robinson" (Apr. 19, 2006).
The News article was trying too hard to be balanced. A balanced article about the candidates shouldn't mean getting an opposing view to every point expressed, but it should give equal coverage to each candidate's platform.
The article failed to have each candidate mentioned equally, and there was too much emphasis placed on administrative naysaying.
It's odd that the administration would give interviews saying that something is outside the purview of the TCU president, or that their goals are not achievable in the "short term."
The TCU president is the students' elected leader, chosen to bring their views to the administration on whatever they feel needs work.
It is the responsibility of the administration to take the students' concerns, and the students' chosen leader, seriously, instead of deriding them before they are elected.
It should be understood that those who have devoted years of their life to student government are not focused on short-term goals like vending machines.
They want wholesale change for the students, and the administration and faculty should applaud their efforts instead of calling students' goals "hard thing[s] to accomplish."
Regarding your editorial, the newspaper should encourage visionary candidates with concrete goals.
If nothing else, the student newspaper should understand that strong student leaders are most likely the catalysts for student-oriented change.
The paper also should not be telling the candidates what not to do, or what isn't their job.
Every student concern is their job: academic, social, community, financial, or none of the above.
At Emory, our student government president launched a boycott against our food services provider, Sodexho, after they eliminated the least expensive meal plans.
The students wanted change, they wanted action, and they got it in former Student Government Association President Amrit Dhir. I don't believe anyone ever told him: "Hey! This isn't your job! You're not allowed to do this!"
The students' concerns can only be voiced by strong, visionary leaders with administrative ties.
The Daily should encourage vision, not discourage it. Do you want a president or a puppet?
Rishi Chhatwal Junior, Emory University
