The three remaining candidates for UNC’s student body president sat down with members of the editorial board to discuss their ambitions for the office. Overall, we were disappointed with how little the candidates managed to distinguish themselves from each other. We were hoping to see more of a departure from student government’s ineffective status quo. The fact that we didn’t see this from any of the candidates made us hesitant to endorse. But as we’ve said all year, it’s crucial for students to vote. We realize that one of these three candidates will be elected, and we look forward to a productive working relationship with the victor in the coming year.
This editorial board has decided to endorse David Marsh for his potential to speak the gravest concerns of the student body to administrators and other bodies with power over the lives of students.
In recent years, UNC has been plagued by issues of sexual violence and an athletic-academic scandal with far-reaching implications. It has weathered an administration that refuses to try to live up to UNC’s legacy as a beacon of vocal progressivism and attacks from state office-holders on academic freedom and its mission as a liberal arts university.
Marsh, more than the other candidates, seems to understand the severity of the situation facing UNC and seems the most willing to voice those concerns for students in a direct and honest manner.
But Marsh is not without his defects.
He has a concerning lack of leadership experience, and some of his sexual assault rhetoric softens the scope of the problem. He has so far failed to engage in meaningful conversation with the groups of students fighting for the causes he now articulates in his platform.
Still, Marsh has run an open campaign, showing potential for leadership.
He might also be forgiven for parroting the messages of student activists if he can connect with established student leaders and transform his rhetoric into action.
A vote for Marsh is a gamble, given how little we know about his capacity for leadership. Marsh’s setbacks are concerning, but his defects are not as objectionable as those of his competitors.
