Editor:

Rishi Shah was the only member of the Students First slate whom I voted for. His loss is not “”a silver lining in the abyss.”” He would have done a great job as commissioner of programming.

I looked over the three slates and voted for the ideals of the one that I most agreed with. I have time to look over three slate positions and listen to people I meet, such as Shah. Like most students at UCSD, I do not have the time to look over the 36 candidates running for campuswide positions, plus the half-dozen or so running for senator positions from each school.

I found it in poor taste that you would mock a qualified candidate such as Shah to illustrate your point that “”every candidate should be forced to run independently in the future”” so that students won’t “”place unity above intelligence.””

Right — as soon as slates are abolished, students will intensely study each of the more than 40 candidates who will be running next year and pick the most experienced and competent politicians.

The busy students (96 percent of the student body) will probably just vote as recommended by the Guardian’s A.S. Council endorsements. But hey, whatever it takes to end “”cronyism at its worst.””

— Bryan Barton

Muir junior