The Cabinet answered questions on topics ranging from resident assistant compensation to wireless access in Quad. The members of the Cabinet spread out among the tables of students, allowing each to interact with a different group of students and provide a more personal atmosphere to the event. Considering that Pizza with the President had roughly 40 students attend previously, the increased number of students present last week—about 80—could serve as an indication of the student body’s genuine interest in further understanding the administration’s decisions. In addition to the good turnout, the questions that students asked of the cabinet were respectfully articulated.

While this was a great stepping stone for communication between the student body and the administration, there is still room for improvement. Although most members of the Cabinet were able to attend the event last Thursday, we still would have liked to see President Shirley Ann Jackson at the forum, as she is still an important member of the administration. We hope, in the future, to see Jackson attend—even if she chooses not to answer questions—in light of the degree of respect afforded on behalf of the students at this meeting. The Cabinet also skirted around answering some questions, despite the courteous manner in which they were asked. In the future, we hope the Cabinet will provide reasons for their inability to respond to questions, rather than give obscure answers.