Fersh's road ahead

The dust has settled from this year's round of Undergraduate Assembly elections. Now the real work begins. With the election of the group's leadership last night, the pieces -- and expectations -- are assembled for the coming year.

The government that Rachel Fersh will head as the new UA chairwoman needs to find its place on campus and in the lives of students. It has a duty to be accountable to those who elected it and an obligation to improve life on this campus.

And as the leader of the one organization at Penn that is representative of the entire student body, all eyes will be on Fersh to deliver results.

Somewhere among the meetings and all of the bureaucracy, there should be a few overarching principles that Fersh should keep in mind going forward.

We chose to endorse Fersh for the position because she represented the average student and not the status quo bureaucracy. It should not be lost that the UA head is the ultimate advocate for the needs of the student body. But too often in the past, the role has been diminished to messenger between the undergraduates and the administration.

In her new role, Fersh should not be afraid to step on anyone's toes in the interest of the students. The UA chairwoman must be the voice of the students to the administration, not the voice of the administration to the students. The long-standing paternal relationship between College Hall and the UA should not keep positive change from happening. The new motto ought to be: "If it's good for students, we won't take no for an answer," and Fersh should take the initiative to grandstand for issues that are important.

More than anything else, results matter. Students want tangible improvements to their lives. It can be something as small as UA-sponsored recycling bins for off-campus residents or as complicated as being able to use Dining Dollars at local restaurants. The fact of the matter is that simple and noticeable change will do more to help the UA's image than any handful of town hall meetings.

Students want to know that their government is working for them. While the UA may not be ready to divide itself into more representative districts -- in which constituents could identify with their own representative -- current members could be assigned a specific group of students from their school and serve as the point person for projects. Don't like the channels on the Penn Video Network? Call your representative. Interaction like this and listening to concerns will lead to projects that matter.

That's a truly worthwhile government, one that is accountable and that takes action. If the UA is really working for them, students will respect it.

And for undergraduates, the time is now to get to know Rachel Fersh. She is, after all, your most visible campus representative.

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