The editorial board is endorsing Reeves Moseley for Student Body President.
After conducting in-depth interviews with both candidates, reading their platforms and considering their qualifications for office, our editorial board members cast their votes on who they would like to endorse. Below, you'll find some of the highlights from our board members' decision-making process.
Michael: I’d like to endorse Ryan Collins. He seemed to be more pragmatic in his approach to student government, whereas Reeves seemed more ... overambitious? I also think his current law school work and prior work experience would probably help him stand up to the Board. He also appeared to be a lot more measured and less like he would get steamrolled by the Board when bringing up student concerns. Also y-e-s to community policing. Getting police out of cars and interacting with the community (i.e., the student body) seems like it would work a lot better than the alternative. Right now, the only time I see campus police is when there’s a big event or when someone is protesting.
Roli: I’d like to endorse Reeves Moseley. He seemed to have more defined and measurable goals (e.g. yes, mental health is important and you want to destigmatize the issue but how?) and offered a pragmatic solution — free Lyft rides to mental health services. Although goals like this may be ambitious, I think having more SMART goals would mean it's easier to hold him to account during his term.
Emma: I’d like to endorse Reeves Moseley. He had more specific examples of how he wanted to help the campus (i.e. disability issues, student protesting, campus police) while Collins mentioned issues without proposing how to resolve them. I actually had issues with how Collins answered a lot of issues with “getting voices heard.” Yes, there is a problem with marginalized groups and issues not being represented, but in some cases, an advocate is needed with ideas instead of a figurehead to speak through. While Collins is professional, Reeves is personable, and I would prefer an SBP I could relate to more.
Edward: I’d like to endorse Reeves Moseley. Like Roli said, he seemed a lot more systematic in his approach to issues on campus. Because he was able to organize his ideas on issues such as mental health, diversity and disabilities, I felt as though he would make a more organized candidate. I also got a good impression from his website, which was much more professional. Even a small thing like that shows that he has the follow-through to get his goals done in office.
Ryan: I’d like to endorse Ryan Collins. I thought he was poised and well-spoken in his interview and had attainable policy goals for the short-term and a willingness to build foundations for long-term change. I liked his cultural focus on destigmatizing mental health services, recruitment by reaching out to diversity organizations on campus, acknowledging that just meeting the codes for accessibility is not good enough and loved his response about community policing. Reeves is running on “Bridge the Divide” but his answers on diversity were broad and lackluster, whereas Collins seemed more committed to diversity recruitment, accessibility and having greater representation for graduate students. As a whole, both are great candidates but Collins seemed to be a more focused, genuine and mature candidate than Reeves and I believe he would be a better leader in student government.
Raj: I’d like to endorse Reeves Moseley. Although Collins was very professional in his interview, Reeves stood out in his measurable and attainable goals, which he made very clear and specific. I specifically thought his ideas on police engagement and mental health access were attainable and things that SBP has the power to implement. In addition, although Reeves may have not given off the same professional vibe as Ryan, I feel that he is more personable and would better represent a larger majority of the undergraduate student population.
Paige: I’d like to endorse Reeves Moseley. Although both Reeves and Ryan are excellent candidates, Reeves’ genuine excitement and passion stood out. A huge part of being a leader is inspiring others, and I think Reeves has what it takes to lay a foundation for positive change at Carolina. Reeves seems to understand both the responsibilities and limitations of his role, as well as the need to reform Student Government as an institution. I was encouraged by Reeves’ dedication to making UNC a more welcoming place for marginalized students — he is aware of his privilege and understands that sometimes he needs to “take a step back” and use his platform to allow others to speak. He has clear and specific goals, particularly regarding campus accessibility, and I respect his desire to prioritize voting outreach and accessibility during such a critical election year. In my opinion, his platform extends beyond mere virtue-signaling, providing comprehensive, actionable solutions to the many issues facing the student body.
