In the upcoming round of Student Union elections, Brandeis undergraduates will be presented with choices to make up and down the ballot. The offices up for election include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees, Representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and Representative to the Sustainability fund.
As students, we need to realize that, despite its flaws, the Student Union is our elected voice and can take on initiatives that will benefit the student body. It is, therefore, imperative that students take in interest in this election and thoughtfully consider each candidate’s merits. In particular, the position of president warrants a thoughtful analysis.
Vice President David Herbstritt ’17 and Christian Nuñez ’18 are the two candidates running to succeed Nyah Macklin ’16 as Student Union President. Both candidates seem well-suited for the position of president. The Brandeis Hoot will not endorse any candidate at this time, but we will present to you each of their merits. We urge everyone to take this information and come to an informed decision about which candidate you think is best suited for the job.
Herbstritt has a strong record working with the Union for nearly two years in a number of roles. He is intimately familiar with the workings of the Senate, and his executive board experience would be invaluable to any presidential candidate. The initiatives that Herbstritt has spearheaded with the Union have been beneficial to student life and the campus as a whole.
Nuñez was an unexpected addition to the race for Union President, and while he had not previously held an elected position within the organization, he has quickly become a credible candidate. The leadership Nuñez has demonstrated through various activist causes is impressive, and he possesses the qualities of a credible outsider who could potentially breathe new energy into an often insular student government.
Time and time again, we write an editorial after each instance of chronically low student voter turnouts. This week, we are trying to be proactive. We urge students not to neglect our duty within the university structure. Attend the debate and engage with the process. Open your computer and take the one fulfilling minute to vote. The only way that the opinions of thousands of students are heard is when thousands of students actively express themselves. It is only through the active engagement of the student body can we push the Student Union to improve itself and have those effects ripple to the rest of our university.
