Seth Cutter President
Student Government President Seth Cutter was no Joe Vidulich - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Cutter was much less visible than Vidulich, choosing instead to focus on internal changes. He took a serious approach to doing his job and was less interested cheering with the Blue Crew than he was in pursuing his agenda.
Cutter's résumé boasts many achievements, including his work on the Strategic Plan and his ceaseless advocacy for an African-American studies minor at AU. While we are not convinced about student's desire for an African-American studies minor, its probable inclusion in next year's academic schedule is testament to his subtle influence.
His serious approach to the presidency is laudable, but we do feel that Cutter should have been more visible on campus than he was. A president has many roles and must do many things, but most of all a president must lead. You can only do so much of this when the student body doesn't recognize your face. Cutter is an affable, friendly person, and we wish he had used more of his personal charm in representing the SG presidency rather than as just another guy on campus.
Andrew Woods Vice President
SG Vice President Andrew Woods is a very nice guy, but that doesn't mean he did his job well.
His management issues contributed to the poor communication between the SG and the students themselves. Furthermore, it contributed to the Student Union Board's issues before SUB Director Josh Offsie took control.
Woods was, if nothing else, extremely accessible and friendly. But that doesn't make up for the overall bungling of big events like the Founders' Day Ball. Smaller events like Eagle Nights never really got off the ground, and we hope that incoming Vice President Alex Prescott will follow through on his campaign promise to revamp Eagle Nights.
Eric Goldstein Comptroller
The comptroller's role is not a flashy position. People don't usually go wild over the financial workings of any organization, let alone those of the AUSG. Eric Goldstein was not flashy, but he was extremely personable, visible on campus and effective.
His work on getting the planned increase in tuition reduced will save students thousands of dollars. We are extremely grateful for that.
Goldstein's tenure was not without problems. The still-brewing AUTO controversy was not his fault, but as he had oversight of AUTO, he is still somewhat responsible.
Nevertheless, he has done an overall solid job. His replacement will have big shoes to fill.
Madeline Tomchick Secretary
As secretary, Madeline Tomchick's main job was to communicate with students about SG events. Unfortunately, Tomchick did not do this very effectively. E-mails sent out late - in one instance after an event had already occurred - left students in the dark. The SG Web site, while very nicely designed, is often woefully outdated and inaccurate. We appreciate how difficult it can be to work within a bureaucracy, but it was Tomchick's job to communicate with students - she did not.
Undergraduate Senate
The Undergraduate Senate is, much like the U.S. Senate, filled with both effective, hard-working members, and members who do not do anything.
Thankfully the deadweight hasn't been able to completely negate the hard work of the other senators. The senate made some progressive moves and managed to get the bookstore to make ISBN numbers available to students online. They have also succeeded in increasing the amount of gender-neutral housing in the residence halls.
Senate Speaker Andy MacCracken was, by most accounts, a helpful and stabilizing force in the senate during his term, which ended earlier this month. We hope his replacement, Justin Woods, will be as open and accessible.
Nevertheless, there are some serious, endemic faults with the senate this year. If the student body is to take the senate seriously, its members need to start taking seriously their agreement to represent their constituents. To do this, senators will need to increase their visibility among the student body. Most students would likely not even be able to identify their senators by name or face. How can someone represent their constituents when their constituents do not even know who they are?
Moral of the story: The senate was not terrible, but it certainly was not good.
Josh Offsie Student Union Board
When Josh Offsie became director of the Student Union Board in January, he filled a leadership vacuum that prevented SUB from accomplishing much during its chaotic fall semester. In a few short months, Offsie restored a sense of stability to the organization, coordinating solid events and restoring confidence. We appreciate his work ethic, honesty and accessibility to Eagle reporters.
Bill DeBaun Kennedy Political Union
Bill DeBaun preformed well, if not outstandingly, as director of the Kennedy Political Union. He could certainly improve event promotion by printing more fliers, but we commend him and KPU for the speakers they brought to campus. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., was particularly impressive, as was the successfully rescheduled Ari Fleischer-Dee Dee Myers White House press secretaries event. We look forward to the upcoming panel discussion on President Obama's first 100 days in office.
Ashley Evans Women's Initiative
Women's Initiative had a strong leader this year in Director Ashley Evans. She avoided excessive controversy and organized well-publicized and successful events such as Breastival and Take Back The Night. Evans' ability to get both male and female students engaged in women's issues was a particularly important aspect of her tenure. She also impressed us in her tireless advocacy for an on-campus Women's Resource Center.
