Dear Anonymous,
In response to your article on Thursday, I feel it is unethical to engage in this form of personal attack under the convenient fascade of anonymity.
Journalists may have valid reasons for not revealing their sources, but one hopes that writers will feel confident enough to publish their own opinions under their own name. Not to do so, particularly in the context of SG politics, raises questions about the real motivations of the author and detracts from any validity of his or her comments.
SG officials are elected to oversee the administration of the budget and to accomplish specific campaign goals. Shaking hands, "furtive glances" and the dreaded use of "ums" in no way detracts from an official's ability to produce positive, tangible results for students. Nor indeed do such minor signs of nervousness distinguish President-elect Jordan Johnson from the majority of student leaders on this campus or any other.
The author concludes by urging Johnson to "thoroughly review the current allocation and distribution of the approximately $13.3 million SG budget to ensure fair and balanced management."
Worthy goals, but hardly ones that are determined exclusively by public speaking ability. In my two years in SG, I have seen plenty of skilled rhetoric used to hide bad or nonexistent ideas. I encourage Anonymous to place a higher value on real substance than flashy but empty style.
