Both of this year’s candidates to chair the Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee (UOFC), Hassan Alkazemi ’13 and Allen Granzberg ’13, are interested in improving transparency and accountability on the committee, and both have been on either side of the all-too-complicated process for requesting funds. But we believe that Alkazemi has the right ideas to make change happen.

Alkazemi will bring to the position experience handling finances for student organizations, experience with UOFC and, most importantly, effective ways to make the organization work better for students. He is thoughtful and knowledgeable about his proposed changes and the funding process in general, having experienced UOFC as a liaison and as a student trying to get funds. Those dual perspectives have shown Alkazemi the need to adjust the system and realistic ways to do so. He would make the website easier to navigate, improve orientation for organizations, better inform students of the funding opportunities available to them and increase technical support — all straightforward, doable ideas that add up to a UOFC that would be drastically more accessible and a easier source of help for organizations. Alkazemi is competent and passionate, and we are confident that he would have the leadership and drive to accomplish these changes and handle the UOFC overall as an effective organization.

This is no knock on the other candidate, Allen Granzberg ’13. He too has ample experience in UOFC and in other student organizations. And he too wants to make the UOFC more accessible to students. But he did not propose the same type of specific improvements or display the same passion to upgrade the UOFC as Alkazemi did. So while we are certain that Granzberg would make a generally competent chair, Alkazemi would combine that competence with change. He has has our endorsement and our vote.

YALE DAILY NEWS