Jessica DiBuono ’06 won the FUSA presidential election in a landslide victory on Tuesday night. However, with the lowest voter turnout in 20 years, it’s questionable how much of the student body truly stands behind its new president elect.
We congratulate DiBuono on her victory, but remind her that this is the beginning of a long road ahead. Despite diligent and persistent campaigning, DiBuono only managed to capture 600 votes – just over one-fifth of the student body. Such figures are emblematic of the general student apathy toward FUSA. With the election over, we ask DiBuono to drop the campaign pretense – lofty, amorphous goals such as uniting the student body – and instead focus on the tangible, achievable elements of her platform.
Unlike current FUSA President Paul Duffy, DiBuono will enter office along with her running mate, Vice President of FUSA-elect Kristina Chomick. Their rapport and joint platform should make for a smooth transition into the new administration, and notable changes should be seen sooner.
DiBuono will also face new challenges unique to this administration. Under the new constitution, she will choose the new vice president of programming. This gives her, not the student body, the responsibility of choosing those at the forefront of concert programming. Further, DiBuono enters office with arguably the most experience of any FUSA president in recent years. Although her excellent credentials undoubtedly earned her votes, they may also earn her additional criticism should she disappoint the student body.
DiBuono’s success depends on her ability to make the strong elements of her campaign platform a reality. Particularly noteworthy were her promises to increase FUSA-student communication through the development of a weekly FUSA newsletter and FUSA website. These are commendable projects that should be undertaken as soon as possible. Increased visibility may be the ingredient for success that has eluded FUSA in the past.
With her win she joins Karen Donahue ’03 as only the second female president in FUSA history. Despite the low voter turnout, DiBuono still has the ability to rally the student body behind her. Students want to see real, tangible changes. They are not interested in the menial inner workings of FUSA, which has being an increasingly exclusive club. It’s your job, Ms. DiBuono, to change that.
Again, we congratulate DiBuono on her election success. However, the thrill of election night is short-lived. Ultimately, Ms. DiBuono, you were the victor on Tuesday night; whether you will be seen as victorious in the eyes of the students still remains to be seen.
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