After carefully evaluating all candidates in this year’s field for YCC president, we believe that current YCC secretary Steven Syverud is the best person for the job. Having served many years on the YCC, we watched Steven emerge as a leader. He has an impressive record of achievements, a comprehensive vision for undertaking new projects and a clear sense of the organization’s capabilities and limitations.

Steven has spent the last three years on the FCC and YCC amassing a number of significant successes, and is the only candidate who has experience on the YCC executive board. We were continuously impressed last year by his dedication and energy in starting projects like the YCC shuttle to Bradley Airport and in helping persuade University officials to establish the Science Hill express shuttle. This year, he was instrumental in leading the YCC lobbying effort for sweeping financial aid reform. Thus far, his modest nature has allowed him to be an effective leader behind the scenes for the benefit of Yale students. Steven’s record of hard work has earned the respect of administrators and other students, and he is prepared to use that social capital to push for further change.

Steven has a concrete vision for ways he can lead the YCC to tackle a range of new issues as president next year. The student activities fee will dramatically change the way all types of student groups receive funding, and Steven is committed to ensuring the new processes will be transparent, efficient and student-friendly. He wants to make sure money from the new student activities fee is used to increase payments to club sports and increase the maximum amount the UOFC is allowed to give to student groups. Steven was a founder of the Yale Ambassadors Program, which sends Yale students into low-income areas of the country to recruit students to come to Yale. He will make sure this innovative program continues to grow. We are confident that Steven will continue to bring his enthusiasm to improving online course evaluations and the student advising system. He also has goals to create sophomore seminars and streamline the booking system of college common rooms.

We list these campaign goals only because we sincerely believe that Steven has the ability to follow through on each one of them. But the job of the YCC president is more than just setting an agenda; it also requires active engagement of students, motivation of council members and effective management of large productions like Spring Fling. After working with him for more than two years, we are certain of Steven’s capabilities in this regard. Whether in a Council meeting or on the intramural fields, he has an easygoing manner that allows him to relate well to students of all types, to lead in an approachable way, and to keep a level head.

When you vote next week, remember that Steven’s dedication to strengthening the YCC and improving student life at Yale is genuine. He can be trusted to deliver because he already has in the past — Steven has a proven record of effectiveness. We wholeheartedly endorse Steven Syverud and encourage you to vote for him for YCC president.

Elliott Mogul, a senior in Timothy Dwight College, was the 2003-2004 YCC president. Nirupam Sinha, a senior in Morse College, was the 2003-2004 YCC vice president.