Thanks to the delay of election results, the transition period so crucial to the success of the next student body president’s administration is waning quickly. The current candidates must do all they can to use this time in limbo effectively.
In the typical six weeks between election and inauguration, the incoming president has a lot to do: select a cabinet, build relationships with administrators, and learn as much as he can about the job from the current president.
Additionally, this year’s president-elect will be thrust immediately into budget discussions. As the student body’s advocate to both the Board of Trustees and the state legislature, the incoming president will have to immerse himself or herself in the nuts and bolts of our school’s budget.
No doubt, the timing of the suit that caused this moratorium was unfortunate. But attempts to blame the suit or its plaintiff for the current predicament are misplaced; they fail to account for the bungled decisions leading up to it.
This dispute could have been settled almost two months ago, when the Board of Elections first ruled on the legitimacy of Lee’s candidacy.
Had BOE chairman Andrew Phillips made a more sound decision, he would not be responsible for the nightmarish situation in which we now find ourselves.
Still, our present concern is the next president’s administration. To the current candidates: Use this precious time to come up with a transition plan so if you are elected, you can act effectively from day one. Create a timeline for implementing your platform.
Enumerate the specific issues you would need to address before the semester is out. And despite this election’s abundant ill will, think seriously about the other candidates’ ideas and decide which ones you’d like to incorporate into your plan.
While this may seem premature, consider the alternative of spending your entire term under the cloud of this election.
