Columnists’ views regarding the upcoming election are entirely their own, and do not reflect the opinion of the Daily Collegian Editorial Board.

If SGA President and Trustee candidates Yevin Roh and Widlynn Louis’ campaign flyers are to be trusted, the promise of providing “input” to revamp the University of Massachusetts Student Code of Conduct will not happen. Among many questionable actions that have plagued this and previous election seasons, the behavior displayed by Widlynn Louis – Yevin’s running mate – leaves me and many UMass students with a clearer picture of the race on the last day of elections.

            Louis’s two recent arrests by the Amherst Police Department, one for alleged felony assault with a deadly weapon (brass doorknob) and this weekend’s arrest for alleged noise violations, has been covered by The Collegian and the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The real question begging to be asked is what kind of character judgment does Roh possess for selecting Louis to represent UMass as trustee?

            Presidential candidate John McCain was criticized upon his selection of Sarah Palin because of her immense lack of political intellect and inability to logically respond to questions asked by media representatives. I would argue that Palin was a major reason for McCain’s loss. Now imagine if Palin had a “felony assault with a deadly weapon” on her record – or two arrests within weeks of each other? McCain’s judgment would be severely questioned to the point of invalidation.

            Logically, I can suspect that Roh – a good guy by accounts of people I have talked to – has trouble making sound decisions. Personally, I had kept an open mind to all of the campaigns while seeking information to aid me in making an educated decision. Roh must have known of his running mate’s arrest record during the campaign, or should have if he is qualified to be SGA president. Knowing this but still continuing on with Louis as a running mate makes me wonder if he is really thinking of the school’s well-being or his own activist career.

The school would have been better served if she had been dropped from his campaign when he first found out. Instead, they have angered members of the student body with their lack of common sense in leaving themselves vulnerable to receive further negative public relations. If deciding on a running mate could backfire so badly on Roh, imagine what could result from his presidential decisions? I’m certain that his choices for his executive board, judging by the ticket’s record until now, won’t ensure that their promise to create a “student government that mirrors the student body” or “Make UMass Safer” will be kept.

            The student trustee is probably the most consequential student position on campus. This one student is elected to represent our student body to the UMass Board of Trustees in Boston, a board whose power is the last word in the most important decisions facing our campus. This would include dealing with the fallout of the new “flagship” fee being added to the student bill. If elected, Roh proposes to impress this prestigious board by presenting someone who likewise has questionable people and political skills.

Arrests published in the Amherst Police Log are public information that can help students make the correct decision. If you don’t want your picture on the front page, don’t get arrested or don’t run for office.

A group of upset protesters attended yesterday’s SGA meeting in support of Louis. The only logical reason for this was intimidation, since, for the most part, they were not senators and did not address the senate before the meeting. The group herded themselves in and out at odd times, only to finally find out that the disqualification of Louis was not on the docket and would not even be mentioned.

As a columnist, I represent only my own opinion. Personally, unless a drastic demonstration of competence is demonstrated in the last day of the election, which is highly unlikely, I feel that, at least, I could be confident in scratching off one of my options. Just solid logic; no disrespect intended.

Dmitriy Shapiro is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at dishapir@student.umass.edu.