After meeting and reviewing the candidates, this board endorses Joshua Brandfon '05 in this week's election for president of the Student Union. We can say with confidence that students will benefit from his leadership in a second term.Brandfon has exuded professionalism and responsibility in a trying year for this university. His accomplishments while president and as treasurer are vast and admirable. Since taking office, Brandfon has led the fight in protecting student anonymity in pass/fail classes, made capital improvements like the Usdan game room and Club Resource Center and overhauled Student Union finances. His track record, as well as the relationships he has fostered with the Administration, club leaders and students, attest to his deft leadership and motivation in taking the Student Union forward.

The board arrived at its endorsement after inviting all four candidates in this race to its weekly editorial meeting. Only one, Deniz Cordell '07, did not accept this invitation. The candidates that met the board answered a similar series of questions; a conclusion was reached after analyzing their comparative responses and their track records in the elected positions they currently hold.

We felt compelled to endorse a candidate after the presidential debate in the Shapiro Atrium last Thursday. While an important forum, the sparse attendance-many in the audience of less than forty were either Union officials or staff of this newspaper-illustrated a severe level of student apathy toward campus issues.

This apathy, which Brandfon plans to address in his second term, limits awareness of Student Union affairs, new academic policies and other campus issues that would benefit from greater student input. With the initiatives Brandfon prescribes, the student body will be more astute in facing the challenges that await.

Brandfon, in his own words, "sweats the small stuff." It is this dedication to producing concrete results that improves the experiences of Brandeis students and makes Brandfon deserving of another year as president of the Student Union.