Chris Goy '09: "Wesleyan Has a Choice"
Chris Goy ’09 responds to Wesleying’s call for a statement pertaining to the WSA Presidential race, elections for which are open this week:
Hey Wesleyan,
I know a lot of you are recovering from last weekend, either physically or academically, and the last thing you need is to be bombarded by our two campaigns asking you to vote for us. I'd like to take a hot second and address the issue of leadership experience. The following are some of the highlights of what I have accomplished over the past three years. This is not to self-aggrandize but only to directly counter what seems to be the sole reason people are considering voting for my opponent.
Relevant details regarding my student leadership on campus include:Many of the accomplishments we cite as WSA members are the product of committee action and thus, many people are typically involved in decisions. It is important for voters to hold both campaigns accountable for what is said. Voters need to learn how to be able to seek out and analyze clear distinctions between fluff and substance.
- President of Wesleyan Democrats, 1 Year
- 2 Years of WSA Experience
- Most years serving Wesleyan & only rising Senior candidate.
- SBC Member, Approved over 200 student group requests.
- Led collaborative effort with President Roth, the CT Secretary of State, and student leaders to provide a new polling place on campus this November.
- 1 of 3 students asked to find a new dining contractor to replace Aramark.
- Organized numerous widely-attended campus events.
- Additional Memberships: Usdan Advisory Committee, Finances and Facilities, Undergraduate Residential Life, Behavioral Health, Government Majors and the Middletown Democratic Town Council.
Why I Am Different...
Unlike others, when vitally important student issues, like new security cameras, come to my attention, I would not want to bargain until I had successfully engaged the student body. No real engagement occurred as students were left in the dark. This was truly the fault of every WSA member, including Mike Pernick and myself. The committee my opponent was chair was, however, most intimately involved in approving camera policies and negotiating with the administration on this issue. A WSA President should not need to learn how to effectively engage students. It should already be second nature.
The truth...
I have served in a number of leadership roles outside of the WSA. My opponent admitted that he has not.
I have offered my Senior Year to the student body, and my opponent is a sophomore with time left to grow.
Most WSA members could easily compile impressive lists such as those of my opponent. We deserve better.
www.wesleyan.edu/wsa/voting
Thank you for your time,
Chris Goy '09
40 comments:
also, i distinctly remember answering a WSA survey question about cameras last winter, so it's basically a lie to say that Pernick started working on the issue without consulting the student body first
From the WSA survey:
"Public Safety is considering placing surveillance cameras at strategic locations around campus to promote safety and deter theft and vandalism. What are your thoughts?"
*I support the idea of placing surveillance cameras on campus. 92
*I would support the idea only if the cameras will never be used to prosecute students in the Student Judicial Board. 274
*I do not approve of any surveillance cameras on campus, no matter how they will be used. 285
Some write-ins:
"i think the wsa should clearly dileneate rules to ensure students\' safety"
"i think that as long as the cameras are used to prevent roberies and violence the idea is fine. however, if it were used in any other way i would not approve"
"it seems like somewhat of an invasion of privacy and there would definitely have to be restrictions on their use"
The campus was consulted, and that's why Mike fought for such strict measures to protect students' rights. Chris, if you had stood up earlier, maybe we would have been able to respect the plurality who opposed cameras. But maybe something should be said for the MAJORITY who supported cameras on campus to protect students as long as their rights were also protected.
Vote for the candidates who LISTEN to the voters, and don't just think they know what's best for them because they've been elected by them. Mike Pernick and Saul Carlin.
Isn't Pernick the one who got the administration to agree to help fund the polling place? You talked about it a lot, but it seemed to me that he was the one who actually made progress on it...
Thank you for that, Saul. Makes me even happier about my decision to vote for you and Mike.
Chris, you said that "This was truly the fault of every WSA member, including Mike Pernick and myself". (Referring to what you perceived as a lack of communication with the student body regarding security cameras. Personally, I felt there was more communication on that issue than on most others.)
If you wanted to show us that you're going to change something, you should have done it then. It's easy to look back and say something should have been done, but you've done absolutely nothing to make sure it should--or if you have, it's been so ineffective that it hasn't made a noticeable difference anyway. Stop criticizing Saul and Mike for doing the same thing you have been.
the last thing we need is more title-seekers.
president of wesdems, president of psi u...
those things actually qualify you for something? they sound like empty accolades of useless organizations to me.
I like that Goy can admit his mistakes. I haven't seen much humility in this race.
MIKE AND SAUL GO!!
Chris' point is that the Wesleyan student has an option. Mike has put lots of effort into his campaign but that is not a SUFFICIENT reason to vote for him.
Consider their records and stop splitting hairs about cameras.
And also, it makes no sense to write off being the President of WesDems and/or PsiU as meaningless. Such responsibilities demand a lot of someone, and Chris has shown that he has much to offer.
Don't let the haters get you down, Chris! Thanks for offering us a choice!
1:37,
Your ignorance seems to make you feel empowered.
I don't see any way in which these personal attacks are beneficial to the presidential race, or are even relevant to it. All three candidates have done a commendable job of remaining civil and letting the issues speak; instead of putting forth nasty rumors and personal insinuations, we should stick to the issues, too.
While anonymous comments can be used for good purposes, we should remember that, at the end of the day, all the candidates are running to try to make Wesleyan a better place. Let's not bash them undeservedly, especially behind the unaccountable mask of anonymity.
I am a little outraged to see these attacks on our own fellow students. We are college students for god's sake. Being a WSA president will look good on anyone's resume. True, Pernick seems more like a politician than Goy, but to be honest, that makes me want to vote for Goy. Not that it matters, but when I talked to Pernick he saw me as a potential vote, which is fine, but when I talked to Goy he saw me as another person--another Wesleyan student. Goy just seemed very real to me, he didn't try to be any different simply because he was running for office, but that's just my opinion.
It's amazing that such heated conversation can come from a position and an organization that does relatively little to impact my life. Wesleyan--dialogue is healthy, rumors are not. Show some respect, take care of your own self, shut the fuck up, and make up your mind.
The WSA impacts your life more than you think. They just need to make what they do better known.
mike came to my door...he seemed like a good guy, not a politician
Mike is a great guy. Goy is running his campaign like it's a sort of popularity contest. I'm not buying it. Talk to Mike. He is much more personable than you think.
george w got elected by people who decided to vote for the candidate they'd most like to have a beer with.
Aren't elections supposed to be popularity contests? Isn't that exactly what an election is? You vote for someone because you like them for who they are or what they stand for and the most popular person wins. Or am I missing something? Either way, judging people's personal ways of life is completely disgusting and indicative of a naiveté that could only be present in someone who is seated firmly on top of the rest of humanity. Get off your high horse and put down your straw man.
Mike Pernick is not Barak Obama, he is a sophomore that is good at talking with the administration. I have no problem with him but I wish he would act more like a sophomore and less like the saviour of humanity. Maybe if this was Princeton, just not here please.
As a senior next year I don't see myself trusting somebody who wasn't in my position or higher to be my advocate next year. Give Goy the vote (seeing as he is the only senior), and Pernick can have the next go around.
furthermore, doesn't it appear overtly political that goy is being referred to as a rising senior, while pernick is still just a sophomore. shouldn't he be a rising junior, or goy just a junior?
As someone on the WSA, I can attest to the fact that it would be impossible for Goy to take credit for many things like Mike has. Everyone is given a specific committee and does very little outside of those responsibilities ... Goy is on the SBC which does one, albeit very important, task--allocate money. The fact that Mike has a seemingly more illustrious record is only the function of him being chair of a committee that has more meetings with other committees. Goy is just as experienced as Mike on the WSA and has far more beyond that. I want a President whose good at more than just being on the WSA ... Goy's got my vote. Pernick can wait.
Furthermore, it looks like we've got a targeted attack going. I wish the people commenting spent their efforts actually getting involved instead of shouting loudly from the sidelines. It's no wonder most elections are uncontested ... you people are shameless.
Pernick is just trying so hard.
6:39:
some of us are both involved in the campaign AND shouting from the sidelines.
All I can say is if Mike wins he had better put as much effort into his presidency as he's put into winning it.
You all need to stop whining and let your votes do the talking. Honestly, these personal attacks on both Mike and Chris are stupid, they are both good guys. Each has their merits and demerits. That being said, I'll be a hypocrite.
I voted for Chris and Peter since they generally seem like they care about the students opinions and working with them for change whereas Mike and Saul are basing their campaign on their own personal achievements which is in no way the point of the WSA, it is a collaborative body.
Mike will have plenty of time to build his relationships with the administration just like he loves to talk about, but he has a lot of learn about dealing with the students. Chris is the far more prepared candidate right now even if he has a little less of a personal resume of achievements. As he said he works with people and doesn't take credit for everything.
Mike told me that I could call him with any problem that I had, when I was out of batteries on my remote and called him, he just yelled at me and called me stupid. Ask yourself, do you want someone like that for your WSA President.
I am a junior and was surprised to discover halfway through his campaign that Carlin was also a junior.
I have never heard of him, never seen him around campus, and question his involvement in anything other than the WSA (this involves anything remotely social)
Furthermore, these 'lists' of accomplishments should be attributed to the committees responsible, NOT individuals.
I am surprised by the fact that so many Wesleyan students are impressed by these accolades. Yes they sat on boards that accomplished these things, yes these changes were necessary and helpful for the Wesleyan community, yet the fact that these candidates list them as their own, personal achievements is sneaky and dishonest.
I am not endorsing Goy, just pointing out two aspects of this campaign that bother me a lot.
The reason I didn't vote for Mike: he talks about working effectively with the administration, and in front of the administration, he puts up a good show. But behind their backs, he thrashes them with his SAC buddies. Overheard them twice attacking Reslife, Psafe and Student Services. Sorry Mike, you seem like a qualified candidate, but I can't vote for hypocrisy.
Anybody notice how the open Goy supporters are spitting out these vitriolic attacks on Mike and Saul, while Mike and Saul's supporters only have positive things to say about them? I haven't heard Goy's supporters say a single good thing about him, and the people who are trashing him are anonymous cowards out in the sidelines, not supporters of Mike and Saul.
To 10:17, sorry that's just what it takes to work with the administration, just because you're polite when you work with them and then afterwards vent to your friends about how frustrating the process was does not mean you're a hypocrite. I've worked with both of them (a fact they both reference indirectly in their statements) and Chris is as guilty of this as Mike, but so is anyone who is involved in meetings with the administration. Its the nature of the beast and really should not be held against anyone. Don't you think the administrators do the same thing?
Really, 9:52 pm? I see Saul Carlin around all the time, and I've never formally met him or anything
-also a junior
yeah i too am involved in things both extracurricularly and socially that involve saul. it's a school of three thousand students, with lots of activities and lots of social groups. if you haven't had a chance to meet saul yet, i'm sure he'd love it if you came up to him and introduced yourself.
Anyone suspect that this whole string of posts is really going on between just four or five people?
Mike, I love you, I want to have your babies.
what about chris' vp? who is this 'peter' guy and why does he deserve my vote? saul has been prominently featured in mike's campaign, i'd like to know where the opponent stands.
Mike is an incredibly proactive WSA member. An earlier comment said that anyone sitting on these committees could do what Mike has done, but this is simply not true. Mike has brought many many issues to the table, rather than just respond to issues that the administration brings forth. Mike has the ability to see where Wesleyan is wrong and then actually get it fixed.
I like that Chris will walk into someone's office and tell them what's up. I feel like Mike will wait for a committee meeting and not act until he has gotten the explicit approval of the WSA and that is the real problem with the WSA. I voted for Chris and Peter because they don't seem like the type to wait around for bureaucracy to approve of things before they act. Just a thought.
1:10 AM:
Saul is a senior, but Peter "is a sophomore with time left to grow."
I'm surprised that Goy hasn't addressed the fact that these arguments he makes against Mike as Prez sort of conflict with his choice of VP.
Vote Chris and Saul!
Mike, Chris, Peter and Saul each decided that grade didn't matter on how well they would do the job so they decided collectively not to include their grades on the voting page.
Peter is a transfer student who has worked hard on the WSA. He joined Chris' campaign since he felt that Chris would be a far more capable leader for the WSA and he felt that he was in a position with his different view on Wesleyan to add to the process. He and Saul have no antagonistic feeling in between each other and so he felt that he should support his candidate but not get involved in the fight against Mike. The campaigns for Prez and VP while tied in this election are two different elections. Saul would be ok being VP for Chris or Mike, it seems to me that Peter sticks behind Chris no matter what.
- A friend of Peter's
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