The Politic endorses Joe English for President of the Yale College Council.
This week The Politic sat down with all the Yale College Council candidates to discuss their campaigns, platforms, and the ways they want to change Yale. In the presidential race, all three candidates seem to have a good grasp on the issues most students want to see addressed. All the candidates have prior experience in the YCC and to some extent have similar ideas. However, Joe English has shown that he would be able to outperform his colleagues due to the respect he has earned from the administration, his ability to bring the YCC together, and his realistic view on the limits of the YCC’s abilities. In his campaign slogan, he pledges that he will help students take the mic and advocate for the issues that matter to them.
Nevertheless, we do have reservations. Some students worry that English is too wedded to his existing policy platform and will be slow to incorporate other concerns of the student body into his policies. We do not doubt that Joe English has a strong character and an established stature. In speaking to The Politic, he acknowledged that two of his weaknesses are coming off as too aggressive and being impatient with long term policies. That being said, his views and the goals that he wants to achieve stem from his deep understanding of the issues raised by Yalies. When asked about the campus-wide “Unite Yale” protest, English immediately stated that he has met with every group that participated in the movement. He wants to use the resources and the relationships the YCC has with the administration to help student activists fight for their causes.
In discussing divestment from fossil fuels, a topic that many candidates for YCC positions try to duck, English explained that he would not feel comfortable committing to divestment knowing that achieving it depends on factors far outside the YCC’s control. English’s refusal to make empty promises showed maturity and felt like a breath of fresh air among the questionable vows usually associated with YCC elections.
Joe English has promised to empower students, address pressing issues in university policy, and push for a more open YCC. We hope that he can follow through on these commitments before he drops the mic at the end of next year.