A year ago today, I was handed two sealed letters by former Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Sam Wallis. The first, titled "Open Upon Receipt," detailed the responsibilities of being TCU President. The second was titled "For When You Need It." The two?letter system is a tradition passed down every April from president to president. To my knowledge, every past president in recent memory has opened their second letter. I haven't.
When I say I haven't opened the second letter, it's not because my time as president has been without adversity, and it's not because I myself am any more capable than my predecessors. The reason that letter sits, unopened, in the top drawer of my desk is because of the man who sat beside me in every meeting throughout the year. The man who, when I was too busy to attend conferences, I sent in my absence, confident in the decisions he would make on my behalf. The man who, when I needed something done quickly and effectively, I tasked with the job. That man is Wyatt Cadley.
I don't take writing this op?ed lightly. I sat down with both candidates, researched their platforms, and questioned Wyatt and Logan to the best of my ability. Over the past three years, I've served with the candidates both on and off the Senate. I've been in meetings with top university administrators with both Wyatt and Logan in the room and I've worked with each of them in leadership positions on the Senate. This year I served on the Committee for Race and Ethnicity with Logan and worked with Wyatt in his capacity as Vice President of the Senate. It is because of these experiences that I can unequivocally state that Wyatt Cadley is the best candidate for TCU President that I've seen in my time at Tufts.
From the second Wyatt stepped foot on campus, he dedicated himself to bettering life for his fellow students. He lives and breathes student advocacy and has no difficulty in challenging the status quo. When he saw a problem with the university's sexual assault policy, he fixed it. When he thought the existing alcohol policy was unfair to students, he lobbied to have it changed. When he noticed that Concert Board didn't have enough money to put on a quality Spring Fling, he increased their budget. The list goes on.
That's the thing about Wyatt: He doesn't just fight for the groups he's a part of at Tufts. He fights for the greater Tufts community - for all of us. This year Wyatt sat in every meeting I had with administrators on campus. It doesn't matter who he's in the room with. From University President Anthony Monaco, to Jim Stern, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, he consistently advocates on behalf of the student body with grace, eloquence and zeal.
On Tuesday, you have a choice. I ask you to consider not just what the candidates say they will do, but what they have already done. On Tuesday, I ask that you think of the man who kept that letter unopened, and join me in voting for Wyatt Cadley. On Tuesday, I ask that you THINK BIG!
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Tomas Garcia is a senior majoring in quantitative economics and international relations. He is the Tufts Community Union president.
