James Taylor - Ready to Go All the Way

Published March 25, 2008

Experience, Passion, and Prudence

By the Editors of The Water Tower

He has soft eyes, a gentle voice, and an endearing smile. If he were to write a book about his UVM experience, he would call it “Confessions of a Model Student.” Seriously. But do not be misled by his innocent appearance and pleasant demeanor. Sophomore James Taylor is astute, intuitive, and methodical, and he wants to be your student body president.

We think he should get the job.

For those of you who have not been following every bit of this year’s SGA presidential race (gasp!), here’s a quick update: Today is election day! Catamounts from all across campus are flocking to polling stations by the hundreds of thousands to cast their ballot for one of the two candidates running for President of the Student Government Association, the organization that represents the student body (nominally).

The two presidential hopefuls, Senator James Taylor and Senator Michael Glynne, have been campaigning for weeks, and even participated in a head-to-head debate last Thursday in the Waterman Memorial Lounge. Both candidates would make great presidents. But it is our belief that Mr. Taylor is the better choice. James is an active senator. Of the forty students who currently serve in the Student Government Association Senate, Mr. Taylor is one of the few who can always be seen milling around the brightly-lit SGA office on the third floor of the Davis Center (they’re a fun bunch if you give them a chance, honestly). Perhaps James is just there to scope out his presidential suite for next year, but more likely, he is busy going above and beyond the mandates of his job description.

Indeed, Mr. Taylor takes his job seriously, and genuinely enjoys doing more than attend regular senate meetings. James is chair ofthe Student Action Committee, a vital organ of the SGA that presents the concerns of the student body to the various departments of the school administration. Under his chairmanship, the Student Action Committee has pioneered the Tix-Me-Off program, one that allows students to provide feedback to the student government about their campus gripes.

In an exclusive interview with The Water Tower, Mr. Taylor described the feedback as “ranging from ‘I’m pissed about the loss of Cook Commons,’ to ‘I want chocolate fountains in the Davis Center.’” As chair, James makes sure that any reasonable problems are expeditiously solved. This unique type of experience is invaluable, and is quite similar to the problem-solving tasks he would encounter as president. Indeed, Mr. Taylor regularly identifies one of the main purposes of the SGA is to mediate the concerns of the students and the
administration.

SGA President is a brilliant jewel-like title to flaunt on any resume. Look no further than current President Kesha Ram, who has been able to use her experience this year as a springboard for political aspirations in the Vermont statehouse. But judging by his words during the Waterman debate, along with the time he spent speaking to The Water Tower, he is not just running to bolster his resume for his post college goals (James wants to be a teacher following graduation). Mr. Taylor has the true conviction needed to work for a better UVM community.

Drawing on skills that he’s picked up as an RA, James repeatedly asserts that he wants to use his position as president to make the SGA known as a comfortable and approachable organization for all students (qualities that some feel the current student government lacks).

Mr. Taylor’s years as a senator have endowed him with an impressively practical view of the presidency. He understands that the position has limits. James is not afraid to say that he won’t be able to snap his fingers and reverse the drug and alcohol policies, but he does promise to advocate a reevaluation of the common source alcohol rules. He will not vow to write a blank check for every club on campus that needs funds, but he will offer his time and resources to help clubs find ways to raise money. At the Waterman debate, he refused to claim that he could construct a 24-hour on-campus dining location, but he effortlessly delineated the specific possibilities of improving the ever-confusing meal plan system, and informed students of forthcoming renovations to Simpson Dining Hall to include a Kosher kitchen.

Mr. Taylor exhibits an intimate knowledge of the bureaucratic processes of both the SGA and the school admin istration (just ask him about how on-campus parking will look next year.) In fact, James is a little bit of a policy wonk. During the debate, the eyes of some audience members glazed over has he delved into specifics about the schoo bureaucracy that nobody seemed to be aware of. Despite this disinterest of some, it was impressive to see that he does indeed have a firm grasp on the detailed bureaucratic workings the university. More importantly, he was able to utilize this knowledge of the school to propose solutions to the problems facing UVM.

None of this is to say that Michael Glynne is by any means a poor candidate. Mr. Glynne would surely make an effective president. In our interview with him, and at the debate, Mike conducted himself with maturity and respect. But we are concerned about his lack of a running mate. Senator Josh Miller has chosen to use his years of SGA experience to run alongside Mr. Taylor as SGA Vice President. While both Mr. Glynne and Mr. Miller have expressed their willingness to work together should Mike win, we are far more comfortable with the idea of two running-mates successfully working together.

What does it say about the SGA that only two people are running to be its president? What does it say about the student body? Apathy is a simple answer. The reality is that the SGA is disconnected from the greater student body. Many students are indifferent to the SGA because they do not know what it does for them. The most important job for whoever wins this election is to work on improving Student Government’s relationship with the student body, and to lead us through this rapidly changing period in UVM’s history. The Student Government needs someone with experience, passion, prudence, and foresight. We think James Taylor is up to the challenge.

James Taylor
Home State: Virginia
Video Game: Goldeneye
Milk: 2%
Favorite Book: 1984
Best Movie Ever: “The Shawshank Redemption”
Favorite Band: The Decemberists
Fictional Character that Embodies His Personality: Calvin - Calvin and Hobbes
Best UVM Student Paper: The Water Tower

Michael Glynne
Home State: North Carolina
Video Game: NHL ‘96
Milk: Whole
Favorite book: The Great Gatsby
Best Movie Ever: “Forrest Gump”
Favorite Musical Genre: Rock
Fictional Character that Embodies his Personality: Undecided
Best UVM Student Paper: The Water Tower

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