To the Editor:
In her Feb. 3 column ("Responsibility of Student Representation"), Student Assembly President Nicole Artzer '94 once again chose to criticize the Nominations Committee. She wrote, "This year's Nominations Committee has chosen to disadvantage the Assembly by making appointments which represent only a small constituency of this campus."
As the co-chairs of the Nominations Committee, we are disappointed by Artzer's belligerent attitude. Rather than criticizing the makeup of the Assembly, she should recognize her own failure to build coalitions and work with others within her own Assembly.
The members of this year's Nominations Committee, Brooke Brightly '95, Assembly Vice-President Steve Costalas '94, Assembly Treasurer John Steiner '94, and ourselves, have appointed members to the Assembly who transcend all racial, ethnic, and ideological lines.
We have approved every application for Assembly membership this term. We have approved representatives from the following groups: the Afro-American Society, Al-Nur, La Alianza Latina, KASA, Hillel, the Aquinas House, Young Democrats and the Conservative Union. We have appointed both the '95 Class President and the '96 Class President to the Assembly.
Artzer is upset about the result of the vote on the Dartmouth Dining Services boycott motion and she blames us for the outcome. Of the 14 representatives whom we appointed, eight voted in favor of the motion and six voted against it. Of the nine representatives elected by the student body in last year's elections, six voted in favor and three voted against. If anything, our appointments were more sympathetic to Artzer's position than those selected by the student body.
For the Assembly to move forward, it is time that the President starts building good working relationships with the members of her Assembly. It is neither the fault of the Nominations Committee nor the members of the Student Assembly that Artzer is unable to effectively work with the group. For the good of the student body, this must not continue.
MATTHEW BERRY '94
MARK WATERSTRAAT '94
