Mckesson for President

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Editorial

This piece represents the opinion of The Bowdoin Orient editorial board.

April 15, 2005

As we reported last semester, Bowdoin Student Government has had its fair share of difficulty this year implementing its programs and overcoming the considerable hurdles posed by a young constitution. While the spring semester has certainly been more successful in terms of programming and communication with students, future BSG leaders will still need to focus carefully on the issue of how BSG is run and how it publicizes its mission and plans. It is especially important that BSG is led by a strong and committed President. The candidate who will best fill this role is sophomore DeRay Mckesson, and we endorse him in his effort to be elected to that position.

Mckesson is a familiar face to many students, serving as a proctor, tour guide, class officer, and as Vice President for BSG Affairs. His commitment to Bowdoin is unambiguous and consistent. But the main reason we feel he is the best qualified candidate for the BSG Presidency is his insistence on focusing on BSG's structure. How can BSG be run more efficiently and effectively? What is the relationship between BSG's internal organization and its relationship with students and the College administration? These are important questions, and Mckesson is the only candidate who acknowledges the need to address them.

It is especially refreshing to hear a candidate base his candidacy on more than a laundry list of proposals aimed at charming students rather than convincing them. Mckesson proposes to continue to examine the ways in which BSG does business, and that can only bode well for the organization's future programming plans.

We are also encouraged by Mckesson's commitment to a more open BSG. While "better communication" is a dependable buzz phrase for aspiring leaders at all levels, Mckesson's willingness to honestly assess BSG in the past corroborates his present position.

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