Vote Liam and Moe
On March 28, 2012 Michael Jordan and I officially suspended our campaign for student body president and vice president. Many people have asked me why I endorsed Liam Hennelly and Moe Ahmed. I am now going to present my logic for you:
There are three tickets left running: Williams/Foster, Hennelly/Ahmed and Lavine/Shahin. I wish all of the luck in the world to Lavine/Shahin, but, statistically speaking, a write-in campaign does not have as good of a chance as the two on the ballot. I’m now left with Williams/Foster and Hennelly/Ahmed.
I went to the Student Government debate held on March 28 to listen to each campaign plead their case to the student body. The Williams/Foster campaign slogan hit me across the head: “Putting the Student Back into Student Government.” This has to be the most hypocritical thing I’ve heard in the past two weeks.
Williams/Foster, you are what’s wrong with Student Government. How can you run a campaign on putting “student” back when you are the ones who took it away in the first place? Williams/Foster is part of the same leadership team where a committee chairman stated, “I feel like we’ve forgotten that [we’re here just to have fun].” They are part of the same leadership team that did not devote a single committee meeting to sitting down and addressing student concerns brought to Student Government at What Do You Want Wednesday. Williams/Foster is part of the same leadership team that met in secret to plan my lynching (excuse me, I mean “impeachment”) in Student Government.
Yes, Liam might also be a member of Student Government, but he isn’t part of the elitist group of chairmen who steer the organization’s direction. Bowers/Yoo did a marvelous job this year but their two level-headed voices are trumped by a clan of between seven and nine senate “leaders” who choose to ignore student voices.
Liam Hennelly and Moe Ahmed will bring a fresh perspective to student governance on campus. If you are reading this, and you were upset at how I was removed from the ballot, vote Liam and Moe. If you are reading this because you looked forward to what William Rose has to say this week about Student Government, vote Liam and Moe.
Hennelly submitted a proposal that would require all senators to do a measly five outreach hours a semester. This was killed in the committee that Matthew Short chairs. This is an example of what’s wrong with Student Government — the senators themselves aren’t willing to sit down and do the job that they’re elected to do.
While Jordan Foster voted to spend $997.50 on an exclusive dinner with SG members and some deans, Liam Hennelly voted no and recognized that student money shouldn’t go to dinners that get nothing done except for some small talk.
I’ve probably upset some of my friends and colleagues in Student Government by writing this, but the truth will set you free. Liam Hennelly and Moe Ahmed receive my highest endorsement for student body president and vice president.
On April 2 and 3, go to gmu.collegiatelink.net to cast your vote. Liam and Moe deserve it.
— Donald Garrett
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