While the vice president of academic affairs slot has been relatively inactive in past years, it remains a vital position to students. Tritons United!’s Matt Herrick could spread the office thin with outlandish plans and unrealistic goals.

Herrick promises to reform general education requirements, catering to student complaints of uneven standards across the six colleges. His strategy, however, is too similar to a grassroots campaign: He speaks of gathering student voices to push the administration into action. The plan, though idealistic, will not be able to break the UCSD’s academic tradition of college separation.

Rabia Paracha, the Student Voice! candidate, possesses the same idealism, but has feasible and specific goals. In order to push change for students, she plans to establish voting student representation on every Academic Senate committee. She has already proven her gusto for students by personally speaking against proposed cuts for the Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services. Paracha does, however, show a worrisome allegiance to faculty that we hope she will abandon in favor of being an outspoken advocate for students’ concerns.

As undergraduate representative on two Academic Senate committees, Paracha has formed strong ties with faculty. This board hopes that she will not be swayed by such associations, but to use such links to accurately represent her constituents.