In order to fully accomplish its mission as a programming organization, Student Programming Council needs a vice president who is active, committed and has a definitive plan to improve the Council. For this reason, the Wheel endorses Rafi Norberg for SPC vice president.

Norberg has been an active member of SPC since his freshman year at Emory. As a freshman member he was in charge of planning smaller events, such as Screen on the Green. As a sophomore, Norberg was co-chair of Homecoming week. This year he served as co-chair for Dooley’s week, which has been well-received, particularly due to the innovative theme.

By spearheading SPC’s two major event weeks, Norberg has proven that he is more than capable to take on a significant leadership position in SPC.

The six categories that make up Norberg’s platform are detailed, concrete and precise. He addresses areas that need improvement and lays out exactly how he intends to realize these reforms. We very much appreciate the specificity with which Norberg has addressed his goals.

Norberg emphasizes that it is student money that funds SPC, and therefore it is of utmost importance that SPC plans events that the students want.

Norberg plans to cater to student interests by gaining extensive feedback via surveys, open office hours, town hall meetings and by increasing SPC’s presence at Wonderful Wednesdays. We hope Norberg follows through with these plans, for we agree that it is important for SPC to use student activity money in ways that best represent students’ interests.

One of Norberg’s notable qualities is his ability to learn from past mistakes. Norberg had a hand in bringing Sean Kingston — who was a disappointing live performer and did not play for the full hour as stated in his contact — to campus as part of Homecoming Week in 2009. Norberg regrets that SPC did not sufficiently research available feedback regarding Sean Kingston’s previous life performances.

As a result, Norberg now makes it a top priority to be vigilant in researching performing artists before they are hired. We believe the Sean Kingston performance was a valuable learning experience for Norberg and that it will allow him to make informed programming decisions as vice president.

Norberg recognizes that SPC needs to work with other campus organizations to enhance event planning. We believe such collaborative efforts will allow SPC to not only plan more events but also pool together funds in order to bring high-quality performers to campus.

SPC is often viewed as an exclusive organization that elects members who represent a certain type of Emory student. Norberg proposes specific steps to be taken against this image. This includes an Honor Statement that board members will be required to sign to keep the election process fair and unbiased. We hope the Honor Statement has the impact on the culture of SPC that Norberg intends.
Norberg’s organization and commitment to the student body make him the best candidate for SPC vice president.