If we were endorsing a candidate for president of the United States this December, we would happily support Leslie-Bernard Joseph '06. He has an inspiring vision of what leadership is. But he is running for the president of the USG, and despite his vision of a more inclusive, service-oriented student body, he does not have a plan. The other candidate, Shaun Callaghan '06, also lacks a plan to dramatically overhaul what student government does. But he does have a plan to make more out of what the USG at Princeton is. If elected, he will be a continuation of the Matt Margolin '05 presidency, one that has not had any history-making achievements but one marked by commitment to student issues large and small. We recommend Callaghan for USG president.
Joseph provides a vision of a Princeton where students are not just people, but citizens of their campus and the broader community, a place where students were engaged beyond campus from day one. He would bring great dedication to the job. Were he to accomplish such a transformation, the Princeton experience would be radically transformed, and he would be remembered a star among presidents who have generally had only modest accomplishments. But to move toward such lofty goals, a president would need to start with concrete plans. Joseph has shown little evidence of having thought through how such a change could take place.
Callaghan provides experience dealing with the kinds of nuts and bolts issues the USG is best equipped to focus. He has emphasized the importance of bringing USG closer to students and making it more accountable, and he has feasible plans to make it happen. We wish he had something of the vision and optimism about what Princeton can be that Joseph brings, and we hope that he will turn his bureaucratic skills toward pushing USG to consider pursuing loftier goals. But we expect a Callaghan administration will offer another year of improvement.
We would like to follow Joseph's path to a greater Princeton, but we don't see how it will happen. Shaun Callaghan offers the best choice for achieving results.
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