After two years of dedication to Yale’s student government, Student Life Chair Maia Eliscovich Sigal ’16 is well-equipped to implement her vision for the vice presidency of the Yale College Council.

The YCC vice president is tasked with building partnerships, collaborating with Council members and administrators to advance the YCC’s agenda. Eliscovich Sigal has proven adept in the tasks she has taken on for the YCC. Her prior achievements indicate her ability to interface appropriately with administrators while commanding the respect of her fellow students — skills necessary for the vice president, who is responsible for moderating Council meetings and liaising with University Standing Committees.

In the past year, Eliscovich Sigal’s contributions to the YCC have been wide-reaching. She has managed the summer storage program, organized the athletics subcommittee, overseen the mixed-gender housing proposal and played an instrumental role in last semester’s referendum on divestment. The consistency with which she has fulfilled the duties assigned to her gives us confidence in her ability to implement her various campaign promises — which range from small service improvements such as credit card technology in the butteries to larger policy reforms regarding mental health.

Eliscovich Sigal’s YCC experiences have enabled her to build relationships with the students who will serve as her colleagues next year. These connections, along with her approachability and interpersonal skills, have allowed her to collaborate effectively and exhibit leadership on the Council in the past year.

We are impressed with the resourceful initiatives proposed by candidate Allison Kolberg ’16, and her desire to cultivate a better relationship with student organizations. Kolberg has centered her candidacy on issues critical to campus life, such as fossil fuel divestment and the lack of resources for pre-med students. Christopher Moates ’16 has expressed an admirable commitment to increasing YCC’s transparency and accessibility, as well as engaging often-neglected constituencies on campus, such as varsity athletes.

But Kolberg has only taken on limited YCC responsibilities pertaining to dining services, and has not had the opportunity to manage projects as broad-ranging as Eliscovich Sigal. Moates, on the other hand, has no previous experience on the Council. While he is determined to create change, we question whether he has taken the time to gather the working knowledge on YCC necessary to hit the ground running.

We would have liked to see Eliscovich Sigal elucidate more clearly her plans for determining the projects that YCC will pursue next year and overseeing their completion. Kolberg’s proposal to reach out to constituencies affected by particular YCC projects is a sound one, and should be implemented regardless of the candidate elected. But we trust that Eliscovich Sigal’s familiarity with YCC workflow will enable her to advance the Council’s agenda efficiently and productively.

We are certain of her passion and energy, and we are hopeful that she will channel them toward bringing about important changes on behalf of all students.

YALE DAILY NEWS