Tim Longest should be UNC’s next student body president. Recent tuition hikes and budget cuts have put unprecedented stress on the entire University community, and the impact on students has been severe. It’s time students choose an independent and strong advocate to speak for them. Tim Longest can be that voice.
Though all of this year’s candidates have serious shortcomings, Longest stands out among his peers for his understanding, vision and focus on student advocacy.
First and foremost, Longest has a firm grasp on the difficulties UNC will face during his tenure, namely, budget constraints, and he is determined to ensure that students’ concerns are voiced. Where both his opponents are vague on this critical issue, Longest is clear.
Both Leimenstoll and Longest place a premium on preserving UNC’s identity as a public institution by maintaining accessibility and affordability.
But when it comes to articulating clear, impassioned explanations of why they hold these values, Longest has a stronger argument. Leimenstoll, despite his charm, is too deferential to be a credible student advocate.
When one envisions the candidates speaking and voting at a Board of Trustees meeting, it is easy to imagine Longest presenting student opinions with clarity, cogency and potency.
As apparent as his strength as a speaker is, Longest has also proven himself to be a listener. He has reached out and listened to groups and communities often overlooked by student government. He has proposed initiatives like graduate admissions ambassadors and improved student involvement in town boards and commissions to meet their concerns. And his inclusion of a section on student mental health is particularly striking.
The ability to hear and incorporate different and opposing voices is critical to any effective student body president. Tim, unlike the other candidates, has shown he can build a team capable of winning the respect of UNC’s diverse student body.
This is not to say that Longest is perfect. He lacks Leimenstoll’s approachability and his long, detailed platform is too ambitious to be accomplished — it stretches the limits of what an SBP can do. His ideas for a mandatory Carolina 101 course, a dance minor and a bike-sharing program are particularly far-reaching.
