All projects great and small

Over the past semester Weinstein has continued to sweat the small stuff, sponsoring numerous events including ice-cream study breaks and water fights. But Weinstein has also been a persistent advocate of student needs on more complex issues, including renovations of Dillon Gym and the extension of library hours.

The USG's strategy under Weinstein has been three-tiered: frequent events to build USG presence in everyday student life, outreach to students to pinpoint the most pressing student concerns and data collection to build fact-based policy solutions to presented to the administration.

Weinstein is acutely aware that the USG's power is based on its mandate from the student body. When students feel the USG is an ineffective means to change, they stop engaging with the USG and find other means to air their grievances. Similarly, when administrators do not feel the USG to be an acceptable counterpart, they circumvent it, creating distinct bodies like the Alcohol Coalition Committee, in which the USG was only tangentially involved. Weinstein has used study breaks and trips to drum up enthusiasm and increase engagement among students and thereby, his political capital with administrators.

The strategy with most potential, however, is Weinstein's continued efforts to build USG initiatives around facts and suggestions collected from students. The USG has been most able to contribute to the administration's discussions when it has collected a well-organized set of data with which to backup its claims. In particular, administrators have acknowledged the impact that the COMBO survey - spearheaded by former USG president Rob Biederman '08 - has had on highlighting student needs and concerns. The USG's survey on library use over the summer has also helped convince the University to keep Lewis Library open until 2 a.m. The USG has also contributed to plans for the renovation of Dillon Gym and has frequently forwarded other student concerns, gathered through a comprehensive suggestion box, to relevant administrators.

Debate about the USG's role has often centered on whether it should focus on smaller issues like study breaks or larger issues like grading policy. Weinstein has sought to prove that the two are not mutually exclusive. He has used smaller events to rally support and garner political capital with which to advocate for change. The USG's strategy of gathering data from students to build strong cases for USG-proposed policies is promising and should continue to be strengthened. If, in his second semester in office, Weinstein is able to arm himself with a strong mandate and precise data, he may prove himself a formidable advocate for student issues.

In the coming semester the USG should build on its success by continuing to push tangible solutions to student concerns backed up by solid facts. Administrators at Princeton should be concerned about student welfare. The USG can help them be more effective by bringing to light issues that concern the student body.