Opinions

The junior caucus should represent the student voice, assert its views and desires, not back down in the face of conflict and help sponsor events that make the notoriously stressful junior year more enjoyable. The pair must complement each other well and have a balance of creativity and experience that allows them to be both innovative and practical.

The two opposing pairs were Valeriya Tsitron and Paul Lee, and Masudur Rahman and Rosanna Sobota, running for President and Vice President (VP) respectively. Both pairs of candidates displayed many of the characteristics we look for in a successful caucus. Nonetheless, The Spectator has chosen to endorse Tsitron and Lee because of their leadership qualities and past experience.

Tsitron and Lee aim to reduce the stress junior year brings, while still focusing on the college admissions process. To make the year more fun, they would create more grade-wide events, such as more comedy nights, candy sales and a possible ice cream pop “spirit” day for juniors. In terms of beginning the college process, they will plan grade-wide writing seminars to help students with their college essays. Most of all, they “want to promote student unity within the grade,” Tsitron said.

Rahman and Sobota emphasized making homeroom more organized and efficient, which they believe will facilitate school-wide communication. In addition, they plan to improve the student congress, reach out to the school community, and create more events like this year’s SU Waffle Day so that the Student Union (SU) is seen in a better light. “We could make a change in the way junior caucus has been running,” Rahman said.

We were impressed by both VP candidates Sobota and Lee, who were each well-spoken and brought a great deal of enthusiasm. Lee, despite not having SU experience, produced Soph-Frosh SING! this year and displays the organizational skills and personal connections that will allow him to advocate for the student body. Sobota, who came off as articulate and confident, was a member of the Freshman Advisory Council last year and is currently an SU Budget Director and on the Sophomore Advisory Council.

However, Rahman’s SU experience (or lack thereof) pales in comparison to Sobota’s, making us question why he, not she, is the presidential candidate. During Rahman-Sobota’s interview with The Spectator Managing Board, Rahman sometimes seemed unable to answer a question and relied on Sobota. This is a notable weakness as the Junior Caucus needs to be strong as a pair, not just individually. While Rahman and Sobota showed a great deal of potential, they didn’t have the same chemistry and could not build off each other in the same way that Tsitron and Lee could. During Tsitron and Lee’s interview with The Spectator Managing Board, Lee spoke a number of times, indicating that he would be involved and active as Junior VPdespite his lack of SU experience.

Tsitron, who served as both sophomore and freshman grade president, rightfully admits she has made mistakes throughout her tenure. However, she promises to reach out to the grade and represent the collective student opinion, rather than her own personal views. She also recognizes that the SU’s relationship with the administration needs to be mended and is willing to negotiate with faculty members who, in the past, have been at odds with the student body. “Valeriya and I will pick the right battles,” Lee said.

Overall, we are very impressed with the large number of candidates who ran for junior caucus—nine in total. Not to be forgotten is the even larger amount of people that campaigned for them and showed an interest and concern for the elections. Students should look to this example and continue to show enthusiasm for student government in future years.