President — Kathryn Howard

For the second year in a row, we’re left with a non-competitive election for Student Association president. Howard has to be the clear choice, although we do admire the spirits of both of her opponents. She certainly has experience in the president’s office, albeit as chief of staff in two administrations that have disappointed. We hope she breaks new ground and works to change the office and not let it stagnate in its ineffectual status quo. But the problem is that her platform has some merit, but certainly doesn’t inspire. More printers in the Glenn G. Bartle Library? Fine, can’t hurt. All textbooks on reserve? OK, a few kids get some free books. Recruiters for every major at the career fair? Good luck. Howard was the undergraduate representative on the Presidential Search Committee, and we have to respect that. Speaking truth to adult power is supposed to be one of the most important functions of the SA president. Let’s hope she picked up a thing or two.

EVP — Ann Kossachev

The battle for EVP was the closest call of all the races. The major goals of both Kossachev and Liz Robins are to revamp PAWS and facilitate better communication with student groups, but these kinds of sentiments are nothing new. What it came down to was a choice between inside-the-office experience and a new perspective for the position. Robins is a continuation of a decently effective vice presidency, but Kossachev has the chops to make a little rain. While Robins has worked closely with student groups from within the EVP’s office, Kossachev knows what it’s like to deal with the SA from the perspective of a group’s president, from her time leading Binghamton Speech and Debate. Kossachev has witnessed the problems of student group interaction with the SA E-Board first hand and has a desire to see the system fixed.

VPF — Madeline Stolow

Though Karl Bernhardsen is popular among members of Pipe Dream’s staff, Stolow was the unanimous pick. She brings appropriate experience to the table, as well as a refreshing attitude to an E-Board position that desperately needs it. Stolow has put together two budgets during her time on the Financial Council, while Bernhardsen has not. She knows what works and what doesn’t in the budget process — which, for our money, is easily the most important thing the SA does in a given year. Stolow has presented herself as a VPF that would work for student groups, not as someone who student groups have to constantly answer to. We buy it. Also, Ryan Vaughan endorsed her.

VPAA — Adam Slomko

There are two reasons we chose Slomko for VPAA. First, he has achievable, realistic goals that will improve the academic life of all the students on this campus, including improving the basic functionality of BU Brain, putting more information on DARS while also making it easier to use and continuing to expand the Student Advocate program. Second, the primary function of the VPAA is to work as a liaison between undergraduates and the Binghamton University faculty, and Slomko has bona fide experience in that regard that the other candidates simply can’t match. He has worked on multiple committees as the sole student representative in a room full of academics and has already developed relationships with many of the people he’ll be working with next year.

VPP — Johanna Sanders

Current programming chief Aaron Cohn is an institution, and there will be no tougher act to follow on the 2010-11 SA E-Board. That said, no one is more suited to try than Sanders. None of the top candidates for VPP have SAPB-specific programming experience, but Sanders has legitimate executive experience. She has served as president of the Dickinson Town Council and has overseen a $20,000 budget. We think she has the right personality and a genuine drive to make an impact on this campus. If there’s anyone who can bring the big acts and keep SAPB in the black, Sanders is the one to do it. Frankly, we like the cut of her jib.

VPMA — Brandon Jones

The biggest worry we have about Brandon Jones is that he’s a write-in candidate. He got into the race late, but for the right reason — he entered when he found out the SA was looking to take the VPMA position off the SA E-Board — and promptly earned himself a veritable mound of endorsements. He is the president of Binghamton Gospel Choir, has founded a charity organization at BU and he has a stake in the groups he is supposed to represent. He is exceptionally well-qualified for the position, genuinely enthusiastic about multiculturalism on this campus and has the ability and attitude to build a lasting place for the VPMA in the SA. We find his all-inclusive definition of cultural groups refreshingly eccentric. Jones refuses to tell a student group that it is or isn’t cultural; he has pledged to advocate for any student group that needs a leg up.