Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees
The Maroon Editorial Board endorses third-year Kenzo Esquivel for the position of undergraduate liaison to the board of trustees. While first-year Laura Brawley is energetic, she lacks the experience in Student Government (SG) and exposure to University leaders that Esquivel brings to the table. As the vice president for administration this past year, he has demonstrated a willingness and ability to work with administrators to effect change on issues that matter to the student body. As a leader of UChicago Climate Action Network (UCAN), he has firsthand experience with the difficulty of communicating student concerns to the Board. He has said that, as liaison, he would ensure that any group that has significant student support will get speaking time with Board members, and he has identified UCAN, Fair Budget UChicago, and U of C Divest as groups that have exhibited enough student support—through protests and resolutions—to merit speaking time.
Graduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees
The Maroon Editorial Board endorses first-year Booth student Megan Beck for the position of graduate liaison to the Board of Trustees. Beck expresses a realistic analysis of campus issues and understands that the needs of graduate students vary greatly between schools and divisions. She applies this philosophy—that a one-size-fits-all solution disregards significant differences between different graduate schools—both to graduate student unionization and to a $15 minimum wage for all University workers. She is not coming to the position with a specific agenda in hand, but instead will listen to, balance, and communicate the diverse needs of graduate students. Beck is an excellent communicator, which is a key quality for working with the Trustees. This, along with her business experience, will enable her to earn the ears of the trustees and work with them to address the issues facing graduate students today.
Community and Government Liaison
The Maroon Editorial Board endorses Cosmo Albrecht for the position of community and government liaison. His extensive involvement in local politics and social justice issues indicate that he is well versed in the University’s relationship with the community. He knows the most important issues inside and out: UCPD practices, the Obama Presidential Library and development of nearby land, and the increasing centralization and expansion of College Housing. In an interview with The Maroon, he expressed particular alarm at the prospect of University development around the Obama Library and the ensuing expansion of University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) jurisdiction west of Washington Park. As a member of the Coalition for Equitable Policing (CEP), intern for State Representative Christian Mitchell, and member of College Council, Albrecht has demonstrated a genuine passion for community issues and the drive to move the needle on improving the University’s relationship with local residents. Additionally, his prioritization of community-police relationships will complement Our Campus’s seeming inattention to this issue, should that slate be elected.
—The Maroon Editorial Board
