The Polytechnic endorses Eryka Greaves ’17 for the position of Undergraduate President. This endorsement marks a first for The Poly, as the Editorial Board traditionally only endorsed candidates for Grand Marshal and President of the Union, as well as any referenda passed by the Student Senate. However, as a result of the 2015 changes to the Union Constitution, the position became directly elected during GM Week, and we felt the position’s importance warranted an endorsement.
The Undergraduate President presides over the Undergraduate Council, an arm of student government that recently saw an increase in responsibility. The UC, which organizes programming for undergraduate students and serves as communication between class committees, now oversees and moderates events and purchases proposed by the class councils.
After being elected by a write-in campaign, Greaves has served as a representative on the Class of 2017 Council for the past year. Her experience and dedication to her class council is seen through her past experiences with involvement in Class Ring Committee and organization of the Class of 2017 hockey night. During her assigned interview, The Poly Editorial Board learned she has communicated with the current UP Kelly Dearborn ’16 for the past few weeks in order to learn more about the position and what she can do to better serve as UP. Greaves aims to continue her predecessor’s work and will reach out to Dearborn if she is struggling in the position, if elected.
Greaves has shown that she determined in taking up this position and we appreciate the time she spent to fulfill our endorsement requirements. Her dependable and hardworking personality will greatly attribute when serving as UP.