November 7th, 2013, cheers erupted in Stanford Stadium as the game ended. For a second year in a row Stanford beat the University of Oregon in football. Shortly after everyone rushed the field in a euphoric frenzy, the stadium grew quiet for a moment as everyone dutifully sang (helped by monitors with the lyrics of course) Hail Stanford Hail: “Here we raise our voices hailing Thee, our Alma Mater.” In that moment the entire student body was untied, taking pride in our shared membership in the Stanford community. We have a lot to be proud of. Stanford students and faculty conduct some of the most cutting edge research in the world. Many of our classmates will become pioneers in their respective professions. Some will start companies; some will serve as teachers; some will save lives. Stanford empowers its community to accomplish truly remarkable feats.
As members of the Stanford community, we have an obligation to it that extends beyond singing its praises after a football victory: we must discuss and actively work to solve its problems. Our student government is incredibly inefficient yet is barely discussed on campus beyond election season. Stanford’s serious mental health issues continue to remain stigmatized, lurking under the surface but never quite entering campus discourse. Stanford students will become leaders of many industries yet there is a serious lack of discussion about national and state policies beyond a subset of the student body. After attending Stanford for two years, I have seen countless ASSU candidates promise to work on these issues and then, nada. Zero. Nothing. Some may think it is time to give up on the ASSU, but I disagree. And so does Anthony Ghosn. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Anthony this year, and I am confident that as an ASSU Senator, he will work very hard to address Stanford’s serious problems.
The Stanford Review holds its meetings every Tuesday and at these meetings, we discuss critical campus issues such as special fees. Anthony does not shy away from sharing his own views, even if they are unpopular in the room. He is incredibly perceptive about campus issues and frequently points out nuances the rest of us may have missed. When Anthony told me he wanted to discuss his platform, I assumed his ideas would be incredibly well thought out and I was right. First, Anthony described in detail how he plans to improve coordination among student groups using his Senate position as leverage. For example, there are several student-run campus publications with a variety of viewpoints. Anthony plans to bring these and other groups together to discuss key campus issues expose the student body to perspectives that are not normally seen at Stanford. Anthony also plans to focus on mental health issues and a political union, an arena where students can come together and debate key issues.
Many candidates have well thought out ideas yet Anthony has the ability to see them through. During every meeting, Anthony is often the first to discuss practical issues of implementation and outreach. When describing his platform to me, Anthony was careful to point out how he would execute his plans and, even more importantly, his plans are plausible given Stanford’s current realities. If elected, Anthony will work tirelessly with his fellow Senators to develop ideas and see them through.
You will have the chance to vote on several candidates for ASSU Senate in the coming weeks. As you log on to the website and consider who to vote for, take a moment to consider voting for Anthony. Take a moment to consider voting for someone who will work hard to help Stanford honestly address its problems. Take a moment to consider voting for someone who is not afraid to voice his opinions, no matter how many feathers he ruffles. After you have gone through each and every candidate, vote for someone who will work to transform the ASSU into a robust organization that will truly represent the student body. Let’s add another reason to hail Stanford after every football game by putting Anthony Ghosn in the Senate.