This decision was made exceedingly difficult because one of the candidates, Erin Fackler ’11, is abroad this semester, so our assessment of her was limited to a telephone interview. Nonetheless, we feel we know enough about her work for the Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee and have heard enough about her ideas to endorse her over her opponent, Murong Yang ’12.

Fackler has worked on the UOFC during her two years at Yale. By all indications, she has been a productive member of the committee and has earned the appreciation of her colleagues. Yang, too, has been committed to the UOFC this year. By her account, she was often the only person working on projects with UOFC Chair Bryan Twarek ’10. But we believe that in a job like this one, two years of experience is better than one, and Fackler, though she is abroad now, is likely more prepared to take over the position for which she is running.

On ideas, too, we saw greater promise in Fackler. Both pledged to encourage and fund fewer 5K events and more 2K events, but Yang’s unique ideas seemed less realistic than Fackler’s. Yang proposed automating the UOFC’s equipment rental Web site, a project that, knowing the slow pace at which such technological improvements tend to take place, will not be as easy as she claims, especially when spearheaded by a young newcomer.

Fackler, on the other hand, proposed a more modest technological improvement: making the UOFC Web site more comprehensive and helpful to help groups figure out how to apply for which types of funding. And she outlined ideas for how she would accomplish each of her goals, showing greater understanding of the UOFC’s function than her opponent did.

Neither candidate may be as successful in the position as Twarek has been, but both seemed competent and energetic. Fackler’s greater demonstrated understanding of what the UOFC can and should try to do, as well as her extra year of experience working with the committee, lead us to endorse her for UOFC chair.