As Joseph Terrell and Laura McCready wisely pointed out, their candidacy for Campus Y co-presidents will be a success whether they win or lose, since it has furthered their ultimate and admirable goal of opening up the political dialogue on this campus.
While they reject the simplification of their platform into an activism versus organization dichotomy, it is nevertheless their commitment to activism that distinguishes them from their opponents.
Their vision of the Y mirrors one of the 1960s: a locus for student activism at UNC is an honorable goal that the winning candidates should implement.
Furthermore, Terrell’s assertion that the Y is a nonpartisan organization but certainly is a political organization could not be more correct, and the victors should recognize this fact as they plan for the upcoming year. With the plethora of social justice issues currently percolating – tuition affordability, Amendment 1, endowment transparency and gender neutral housing, to name a few – the Campus Y cannot afford to be silent.
But Terrell and McCready don’t possess the institutional knowledge that Jagir Patel and Mackenzie Thomas do. As the incumbent, Thomas could provide critical continuity in maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders both on and off campus.
Furthermore, Patel and Thomas do understand the importance that ongoing activism should play in the Campus Y, and their platform reflects that fact. While Terrell and McCready would be fine leaders of the Y, their opponents’ total package is stronger and would likely lead to a more productive year.
