Hello, Boston University.
I’ve been staring at a blank computer screen for hours in something of a quandary. What does a new president say a day after the resignation of his predecessor and political partner?
I’m really at a loss.
In search of answers, I turn to my political heroes. After the death of President Roosevelt, Harry Truman asked the First Lady, “Is there anything I can do for you?” She quickly replied, “Is there anything we can do for you? For you’re the one in trouble now.” Later that day, Truman addressed the nation, citing the advice of Abraham Lincoln. He said simply, “Let us finish the work we are in.”
I mean not to compare myself to these great men and women; rather, I find solace and comfort in their words. They so well articulate what I, at this moment, am feeling. We must finish the work we are in.
On a personal level, I am disappointed that Michael Moffo will no longer be our president. For seven months, he faithfully served us, the students of Boston University. But we cannot let a snag like this tarnish the Union or this administration. We must finish the work we are in.
My duties, my responsibilities, are abundantly clear. It is with great pride —even under the most unfortunate of circumstances — that I assume the presidency of the Boston University Student Union.
What could have become a Union crisis has become nothing more than a bump in the road. What could have overshadowed months of hard work will — I have faith — do nothing more than make us stronger. The Student Union has never been about one person. We are an ensemble cast. We are a team. Your elected senators will continue to pursue the issues that are dear to you, their constituents. The Executive Board will move full-steam ahead with spring initiatives and programs. And the Tribunal will forever protect the ideals set forth in the Student Union Constitution.
Last semester, we laid the foundation for real progress by being responsible leaders who sought to work with the administration rather than against it. We raised thousands of dollars for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. We brought a divided community together in the wake of tragedy, circulating nearly 10,000 BUnited buttons in the weeks following Sept. 11.
But as I sit here, finally finding my voice in regard to the issue at hand, I find it incredibly difficult to look back, because we have so much to look forward to. Back Bay Ball returns Feb. 22, organized by the Student Union Programming Council. The entire month of March will be filled with “March Madness” events — an Executive Board sponsored campus awareness campaign. And in late April, we’ll go out with a bang, bringing you BUnited 2002: Campus Spring Fest, the biggest and best student organized series of events in the history of the Student Union.
In the weeks to come, you will also hear more about the Student Union’s progress on the issues that are important to you. I cannot promise immediate changes, but I can give you my word that we will do everything in our power to research, analyze and tackle the problems you, the students, have brought to the Union. Some might say that a “politician’s” word isn’t worth a whole lot, and to that, all I can say is I will attempt to be, with everything in my being, the student body president you want and need.
Of course, I realize that for so many students the Union is inconsequential. Even some of my friends wonder why I spend such a great deal of time working for, as they term it, a “beleaguered” organization. The answer is simple: I have an incredible respect for the potential of the Boston University Student Union. No other campus organization is as diversely represented. And few organizations are as heavily consumed with a genuine desire to improve the life of the Boston University student.
I urge you to come to our office in the basement of the GSU to voice any and all concerns. I challenge you to become aware of the Union’s programs and initiatives. And I ask that you have faith in my leadership because you are the one and only reason I care to hold this or any position.
[Zachary Coseglia, a senior in the College of Communication, is the new president of the Boston University Student Union.]
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