As we’re all aware, President Mike McPherson is leaving at the end of the year and the process to select a new president has begun. While many of us may not have had much (or any) personal contact with President McPherson, it is important to remember that the selection of the person who will ultimately represent the College is a vital one. It’s easy to go through the everyday motions; we all commit most of our time to coursework. When we’re not struggling to keep up with our workloads, the last thing we want to do is worry about who’s leading us as a body of students, faculty and staff.

We at The Mac Weekly want to stress the significance of taking part in the search for a new president. Although there is only one student on the Presidential Search Committee—and we believe Patrick D’Silva is an excellent choice—every student has the opportunity to let his or her voice be heard. You, however, have to take the initiative. Attend one or both of the meetings (Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 9 and 10), ask questions and talk to committee members. We realize that one-fourth of the student body will not be directly influenced by the ultimate decision, but every one of us is—and always will be—part of the Macalester community. The College is currently experiencing a period of change and uncertainty, as evidenced by recent moves to rearrange departments, cut the number of tenure-track positions and increase the student to faculty ratio. Now is the time to get involved. Macalester’s future—your future—greatly depends on student input. We have the opportunity to direct the course of Macalester’s future.

This may be one of your last opportunities to be truly involved in a democratic process. Society and the “real world” consistently show us that individual voices are often stifled by processes we falsely consider democratic. There is no reason to ignore this responsibility.