Politics aside, junior Antoinette Esce and sophomore David Stark come across as capable, confident, and personable. The passion and dedication that each candidate holds for their service to the student body can easily be heard in their voices when they speak about their plans. Their fervor and dedication is tempered by a friendly disposition and a genuine interest in the lives of the students they seek to serve. Both Antoinette and David are able to comfortably explain their ideas in a clear and pointed way, seldom stumbling over their words or finding themselves without something to say.
But while their personalities and unique ability to communicate are great attributes in and of themselves, their style comes with substance. One of Antoinette and David’s primary initiatives that we are most excited about is their goal to improve communication between students and the Students’ Association (SA). We are thoroughly impressed with their dedication to bring student feedback into the 21st century. In an age of smartphones, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, students expect SA to keep up with the times. The candidates are well aware that in an era where major corporations are able to address problems in real time, students would appreciate the same service from SA. One of their major programs we took particular interest in was their intention to open a petition website, much like the change.org page run by the White House. Students would have the ability to create petitons, gather signatures and, if the petition is signed by enough students, the issue will be addressed by the SA senate. This program, in conjunction with a greater social media presence by SA, makes us confident that Antoinette and David are dedicated to ensuring SA continues to be an organization driven and directed by the needs of all students.
While both presidential tickets presented great ideas, Anotinette and David’s ability to implement their ideas set them apart. They both boast significant experience, not only within SA, but in other various leadership roles in organizations around campus. Within SA, Antoinette and David have considerable experience planning and executing projects and initiatives through their roles as Committee Chairs. These roles have given them a special perspective on the nuances behind organizing and leading the bureaucracy of student government. Their self-described leadership styles and track record indicate that both Antoinette and David have a solid grasp on the importance of balancing leading by example, taking charge, and delegating efficiently. Their exceptional connections with UR administration and community leaders give us confidence that they will have the ear of the movers and shakers of the university and will effectively be able to assemble the proper support their plans need to come to fruition.
As SA elections in recent years went uncontested, we are ecstatic that this year’s race will be more competitive. Although we are not always happy with the decisions SA makes, the organization is often one of the best vehicles to enact student-driven change. With this in mind, it is essential that students at UR make their voices heard in these elections. We encourage everyone to closely examine each platform, ask questions, consult other sources, and become an informed voter. In our opinion, Antoinette and David are the strongest candidates in this election. Their qualifications and platform alone thorougly impressed us, but it was the intangible qualities of charismatic and effective leaderdship we saw in each of them that truly solidified our decision. We fully endorse their candidacy and firmly believe Antoinette Esce and David Stark are the best choice for the future President and Vice President of SA.
This endorsement was authored by Matthew Shinseki
and reflects the majority opinion of Campus Times.
