Your Voice | Letters to the editor

Alec Webley deserves praise for his work

To the Editor:

In light of the recent drama at Undergraduate Assembly elections, it is easy to brush aside the tremendous work and dedication of this past year’s UA Chairman, College junior Alec Webley. He has often been a contentious figure, yet I sometimes wonder, what good leader wasn’t contentious?

Rarely has this campus had the fortune of benefiting from an individual that was not only dedicated and passionate about his job but also good at it. The number and quality of projects that the UA churned out under his leadership was unprecedented and the efficiency and enthusiasm with which Webley led the UA was unmatched.

As a graduating senior who has spent the large majority of her time at Penn deeply entrenched in student government, I can only say that this campus was truly lucky to have had such a UA chairman. As the year rounds out, it is important that we take a moment to pause the criticism. Yes, it is a shame that he has chosen to resign from the UA, but we should acknowledge, nonetheless, that this is an individual who has most definitely made Penn a better place.

Sakina Zaidi

The author is a College and Wharton senior and the outgoing UA Treasurer.

CURF is helping students get fellowhips

To the Editor:

I would like to thank Sam Bieler for his column that made recommendations for how the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships can better connect with students and provide guidance toward obtaining fellowships (“Better Rhodes to helping students,” 4/13/10). CURF and its new advisory board are making strides to increase student awareness of these opportunities as well as mentor underclassmen by guiding them during the process of finding a research position.

With that, I must respectfully disagree with most of his commentary and I want to set the record straight. I found it disheartening that Bieler quoted only a few disgruntled students but not the CURF Undergraduate Advisory Board in his column. For in fact, the communication issues he discussed led to the creation of the UAB, which in its pilot year held the first University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Both CURF and the UAB are actively working toward solving many of the problems that were discussed. In fact, keep your eyes open for information sessions about getting involved in research and fellowships coming in the fall. Anthony Schuller

The author is a College junior and Chairman of the UAB.

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