Down-to-earth
Bokee/Strano ticket ignores pie-in-the-sky promises

Each year, Undergraduate Student Government presidential candidates run for office on a platform based on pie-in-the-sky promises.

But the Josh Bokee/Kerith Strano ticket has realized that the formula to win the election is not to promise huge goals they can't deliver, but to offer tangible solutions for realistic problems. Their ticket reflects a Bill/Hillary-type of relationship that will ensure a co-presidency in which each will be equally active.

Bokee and Strano's platform reflects that they will not promise things they cannot deliver. They are concerned with student problems and what USG can do to help solve them.

Although Bokee and Strano did not sufficiently mention state allocations in their platform, they have the appropriate administrative and legislative contacts to lobby for funding. Bokee has been involved with the President's Planning and Budgetary Advisory Committee and he knows how the Student Organization Budget Committee works -- thus he is familiar with the University's budget constraints.

Strano has her share of contacts as well. She has a reputation for knocking on administrators' doors to demand answers for her questions. Also, Strano has experience with the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, which will bring the commonwealth student's perspective with her into office.

For University Park students, Strano is committed to knowing the happenings of minority organizations by pledging to meet with organization leaders on a regular basis.

This ticket is down-to-earth and does not participate in the typical closed-door policy of USG. Most importantly, Bokee and Strano admit the faults of the current USG administration. Bokee realizes that USG cannot get much accomplished because of its lofty goals. Both Bokee and Strano have watched the past failures of USG and will not commit the same mistakes.

The ticket's goal to increase student access to computer labs during high-traffic times is feasible. If elected, Strano plans to investigate when the students would most like the labs to be open. Also, Bokee and Strano have taken initiative to begin plans to find corporate support for a free Loop.

Bokee and Strano address the concerns of lack of activities for underage students by designing events such as free broomball and karaoke dances. They have already confirmed funding such activities through SOBC.

The Corey O'Brien/Kara Annechini ticket, however, has a platform of unrealistic promises.

The team has pledged a platform full of results, not rhetoric, but upon closer inspection, it is offering just the opposite.

O'Brien and Annechini have admitted that their Ritenour-reform plan is unfeasible because there is a lack of funding to hire three new medical practitioners to work during peak hours and a 24-hour medical service line.

Although O'Brien may have past lobbying experience, the ticket lacks contacts with University administrators, which are necessary for success with state appropriations. O'Brien and Annechini's lack of contacts may inhibit their ability to implement their other campaign promises.

Some of those campaign promises include an Advising Initiative Contract that students and professors have the option of entering to ensure four-year graduation rates. The ineffectiveness of this idea stems from the fact that it is optional, and therefore will not encourage all advisers to improve their advising.

Many of the ideas of the O'Brien/Annechini ticket are not plausible. However, Bokee and Strano's plans are realistic and student-oriented. Don't vote for the ticket with the pie in the sky but for the one with the free Loop on the street.