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E-PrinceSeveral of this year’s USG presidential candidates are talking about toilet paper, but only one has produced a Monty Python-inspired campaign video — complete with coconuts, knights who say “Ni” and a fast-paced soundtrack.
USG IT Committee Chair Michael Yaroshefsky ...
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Yesssssss Yaro! Next USG Pres right there.
Yaro had better win. He's so ridiculously qualified and enthusiastic.
And quoting someone saying he's a tool? At least try to be objective, eh Prince? Sounds like what Altman's cronies say when they have *nothing else* that they can attack him for.
I think that's what Hollimon was trying to say; anyone who attacks Yaro as being a 'tool' is realllyyyy grasping at straws.
Wrong. I have had some engineering classes with Yaro, I will tell you why he is bad. He is an incredible techie, he has done great stuff for the website and the elections system, and that's awesome. He should definitely continue to be part of USG. But being President is more than that. I don't know how else to say it, but Yaro is ridiculously unconnected to the students on this campus. He is a nerd, which is fine for an IT chair, but the President needs to understand everything about Princeton, not be incredible at one thing. He is very smart, but quite frankly he would be an awful, awful President, and I really hope he doesn't win.
And that would be a really good reason not to vote for him... except it's not true. Go to his website and read his platform. The kid's nailed every issue as far as how the student body feels, and he has some fresh new ideas that *nobody* has brought to the table before. Your personal feelings about him are your own prerogative, but don't pretend your vote is about the issues or about him being 'disconnected' from the student body. Yaro has his finger on the pulse of the student body *at least* as much as any other candidate in this race.
Maybe its a good thing that he's "unconnected to the students on this campus." That way, when you anonymous, judgmental fools inevitably tar and feather him for every mistake the USG makes, he won't take it personally
The tool critique is absolutely ridiculous, given that we are talking about the USG. To run for anything in the USG takes some baseline toolishness, but from the little interaction I have had with him, I think it is safe to say that Yaro is no more toolish than half of the fools on this campus.
I mean, we go to Princeton. Let's get real here. We'd might as well have a class in toology. Tools are our bread and butter, so to speak.
If we want a representative student leader, we need to elect a tool.
Case closed!
Yarr, there be trolls in these waters! HDR is gonna be trolling this thread all night and day!
Let's take a look at these 24 points one by one, taken from his website.
"Thorough, Independent Grade Deflation Analysis"
The USG does not possibly have the resources to do a proper and thorough analysis of this type. Do you think the USG can follow up on every single Princeton student's GPA and acceptance rate to grad/business/law/med schools or jobs? What about the self-selection process, when a student with a 3.4 GPA due to Grade Deflation is clearly not going to apply to Harvard Law? Simply not doable. There are so many holes and questions remaining, Yaroshevsky couldn't hope to fill and answer them with the USG.
"Grading Policy Awareness"
Not original, just following in CDY's foot steps. Certainly not solving the problem, rather accepting it and hoping institutions will care about a letter that probably won't be read.
"Informational Mid-Semester Progress Reports"
Is this elementary school? Are we going to get an 'S' for Satisfactory? What professors can possibly utilize this? If they have no mid-term grade it is because of little to no actual graded work, which means most professors haven't got an effing clue how the students in their class are doing. It only addresses a small small minority of classes anyway. Good luck bringing the faculty on board with this one.
"Online Grades"
If the faculty hasn't done it now, why would they suddenly start? Saying it would help students monitor their progress is BS, because everyone knows their grades anyway. This is Princeton, we don't just forget to look at our test scores when we get it back. There are no academic benefits what so ever.
"Use Meal Plan at Frist Lunch"
This has got to be a joke. Wilcox is literally one minute from Frist. Not too far, not too time consuming. I'd have to get a professional representative in from Dining Services to explain exactly how huge of a hit this would be to Frist's operations, but it would definitely result in Frist Cafeteria losing a lot of money and as such the quality and variety going right down the drain. A catalyst for future enhancements to dining plans? What pure, unadulterated bullshit.
"Rewards for Recycling"
Don't give us vague claims that you support sustainability, how about some concrete examples? I'm not sure how much of an issue people forgetting to recycle is, but again good luck bringing this outside company in to give students money back for their cans (though if possible, the one good idea I've seen so far, recycling depots rock). You don't support printing quotas, but it was you and your committee which met with OIT to propose the current quota. Says so on your website under "accomplishments"
"Supporting Princeton Athletics"
An important yet unoriginal issue. Unlike Altman, you failed to acknowledge the biggest qualm with tail gates this year, which was Public Safety's absurd intervention and policing. Students and alumni were very upset by Public Safety's crack down. You clearly are not in touch with the student body at all, if you didn't acknowledge this huge blow to school spirit.
"Stop College Spam"
Good idea, but I don't think Princeton Webmail can even sort incoming messages. Would unfortunately be horribly negated by all of the automatic forwarding the college offices do for other people. Wouldn't end up changing much for most people.
"Princeton On a Budget"
Again, nothing new. Already exists.
"Best of Princeton"
Who would get access? Who's opinion do we want on there? How much of it would actually be useful to the student body? How much of it would be relevant, either over time or ever?
"Civic Engagement Partnership"
Again, USG already does this. See the multiple emails everyone has gotten from Connor just this week about the free intersession service trip.
"Outdoor Benches and Meeting Areas"
I'm just going to remind you that we are in New Jersey. The weather effing sucks. We get good weather like 2 out of 9 months, maximum. How badly would they clash with the surrounding grounds?
"Ingredient/Nutrition Displays in Dining Halls"
This would put a huge amount of work on the dining hall staff. Each dining hall has a huge number of dishes on their menu. You want a calorie count for each one? Seriously? A student that wants to eat healthy doesn't need calorie counts to tell them. How could they even do that, period, for things like the pizza, which has so many variants every night? Just unrealistic.
"Improved Toilet Paper"
Toilet paper band wagon.
"USG President's Cabinet"
"Better Relationships with Student Groups"
So these two are basically the exact same thing. First of all, there is a limited number of student groups the USG can support, because most groups would have a greater source of support, such as all Club Sports teams being supported by Campus Rec (which has its own Student Executive Board). And let me tell you exactly what kind of feedback you'd get from student groups - give us more of what we want, regardless of any other students.
"Firestone Video Chats"
You're not Obama. Why do I need a video update, instead of an email or a post on the USG site? The vast majority of students will not watch such a thing.
"Open Question Series"
Slight variation on the feedback system already present, and why archive if answers can very quickly change?
"Send Meeting Minutes to opt-in USG News List"
This is good, but depends on a decent Secretary. Unfortunately, only a very few would possibly opt-in to a USG News List, so it would go mostly unnoticed.
"Request More Feedback"
Ya, they're doing that right now too. Except not much comes of the feedback the USG receives, it seems.
"USG-RCA Cosponsored Study Breaks"
RCAs already have a plethora of "official" study breaks to fit in which don't have great attendance as it is. They will not want to have to fit in another "official" USG Senator study break. Freshmen really will not show up.
"USG Op-Eds in Prince"
Let the propaganda train roll!
"USG Knowledge Base and Succession Guide"
Barely affects student population, an online Wiki is completely unnecessary when a MS Word doc can do the same.
"Finish Elections Reform"
You haven't finished your job yet? Really?