Josh Green '00 told The Dartmouth yesterday his top priority during his last term as Student Assembly president will be to fight for the inclusion of student opinion in the College's decision making processes.
In a crusade for greater institutional voice, Green said one of the "most difficult things this year has been getting answers to the challenges we pose to the administration, and hopefully spring term is the time we'll get some answers and win some battles."
Green said he hopes his editorial column printed last week in The Dartmouth, which sharply criticized the administration and the Board of Trustees, will encourage students to help achieve his goal.
Jorge Miranda '01, chair of the Assembly's academic affairs committee said, "The Assembly is tired of being administration's lap dog, and students want more power and voice and the SA will go for that."
As a result of the Trustees' landmark social and residential life initiative that alluded to the end of the single-sex Greek system at the College, working groups were formed to address each of the five principles in the initiative.
The Assembly will focus on the results of those working groups toward the end of Spring term.
"I hope the Assembly will be an advocate for the students when the Trustees make their final decisions. It's difficult to advocate when it's not clear on what students agree and disagree on, and the working groups will clarify this," Green said.
The Assembly expects a busy Spring, not only to recoup from the fallout of the Trustees' landmark social and residential life initiative, but also with campus-wide elections.
Miranda predicted recent campus activism on behalf of Greek organizations should make the atmosphere for spring elections more exciting than in past years. The desire for a greater student voice might goad more students into voting, he added.
"More people will be interested and more will vote and run for President and Vice President," Miranda predicted.
The Assembly has on its agenda for the spring: student suffrage in Trustee elections; a review of Dick's House; Kosher and vegetarian dining and the Non-Recording Option for exams.
Meanwhile, "Uh-oh!" deadline reminder blitzes , another $1000 event and the Culture and Curriculum Task Force will also continue next term.
The Assembly will reconvene in the spring without two of its committee chairs: Communications Chair Margaret Kuecker and Miranda, who will both be off campus.
"I am upset about being gone. If one term at Dartmouth is the most critical, it's next term," Kuecker said.
The Communications Committee in her charge will continue publicity, surveys, Tick-Talk -- the Assembly newsletter -- and cluster discussions, Kuecker said.
The committee will also publicize student elections to increase voter turnout, Kuecker said.
The Academic Affairs Committee will also proceed with some of its same projects, including the course guide and Korean Language Program.
"I think it's ridiculous that Chairman Bosworth, a leader of Dartmouth and is the Ambassador to Korea and we are the only Ivy that doesn't even have a Korean Language Program. Ten years of struggling is a sign of the administration's slow response time," Miranda said.
