Student Assembly President Nicole Artzer '94 should demand the resignation of SA Vice-president Steve Costalas '94 and the six other members of the Executive Committee who on Monday issued the statement threatening her with removal from office.
They made it clear in their statement that they can no longer work with her. "From the beginning of the year, President Artzer has shown no willingness to work with members of the Executive Committee or the General Assembly. Her hostile attitude has poisoned relations within the Assembly," read the statement, on behalf of Costalas, Matthew Berry '94, Grant Bosse '94, Alexandra Morgan '95, John Steiner '94, Kenji Sugahara '95 and Mark Waterstraat '94. But the members of the Assembly last night failed to pass a motion to even discuss her impeachment. This result did not reveal truly "poisoned" relations within the Assembly.
If Artzer's administration has been ineffective, it was not because of Artzer herself. The only venom spewing forth is coming from the seven who called for her removal. By plotting Artzer's ouster, they have proven their interests are selfish and politically motivated. After last night's meeting, Berry, the co-chair of the Nominations Committee, said Artzer "was incompetent yesterday, she was incompetent today and she will continue to be incompetent tomorrow ... A can of worms was not opened today, but the worms are still there." These words are not spoken by someone who has gracefully accepted defeat. Berry and the rest of the seven will remain thorns in Artzer's side.
Artzer should take strength from yesterday's meeting, where it was evident that her Assembly still has confidence in her and where she had the support of a crowd of 100 students who came to cheer and root for her victory. She should take advantage of last night's approval rating and start accomplishing all she wanted to do when elected. But time is running out, so expediency is key. No more projects should be sacrificed to the scrap between Artzer and the seven, because the student body does not want to wait any longer.
