Cole Delaney and Cene Ketchum, as pictured in The Lawrentian last year, follwing their election to President and Vice-President of LUCC. (Ryan Marx)
The beginning of third term signifies an entire host of changes on the Lawrence campus: the weather will hopefully stay above freezing, the river flies will inevitably return, and the Lawrence University Community Council will usher in a new president, Jacques Hacquebord, and vice president, Ned Connors. Before the the third term turnover takes place, however, The Lawrentian interviewed current LUCC president Cole DeLaney and vice president Cene Ketcham to get their opinions on the successes and failures of the past three terms.
The Lawrentian: What do you feel was the best accomplishment of LUCC during your tenure?
DeLaney: “Bringing LUCC to the level of operation its founders probably had in mind when it was first conceived. We turned around a battleship that was heading in the wrong direction on a dime and purged out a lot of the things that were wrong with the council. Cene and the other members of the council really made it into a professional organization.”
Ketcham: “I think we made the finance committee much more professional and easier for groups to work with.”
The Lawrentian: What was the hardest/worst thing you had to deal with during your tenure?
DeLaney: “My only regret is that I didn’t run for council sooner. I feel like I’m leaving a position that I could do even more in. I’m sorry I don’t have the chance to work with people of this caliber [the other members of LUCC] for longer because they are so reasonable and so good.”
Ketcham: “The budget. Managing the budget is one of the most important things LUCC does, and it takes a lot of time and many five- to six-hour meetings to get through.”
The Lawrentian: What would you change about the way LUCC functions?
DeLaney: “Formal Group Housing. If I had another three terms, I would fight the administration tooth and nail to bring Formal Group Housing under LUCC’s administration.
“In theory, LUCC has control of nearly all things concerning the student body, but there’s this floating policy that takes away LUCC’s authority.
“I would also take on the judicial board, which has this information fiefdom going on. They put a monopoly on information and it’s like they’re cloning themselves.
“Parking legislation also needs a total reevaluation and there has to be something done. “There’s also this ‘happy meal problem’ with Lawrence. McDonald’s used to give you six chicken nuggets in their happy meal, but now they make you pay more money for four of them. At Lawrence, students just roll over and take the tuition increases.
“Departments were asked to cut budgets by five percent but tuition is going up and the students have this ‘happy meal problem’ where they are paying more for getting less.”
Ketcham: “We’re actually working on changing something right now because there is old legislation on the books that is not applicable any more, so what we’re doing is going through the books and trying to bring them up to date.”
The Lawrentian: Do you think Jacques Hacquebord and Ned Connors will continue in the same vein that you have been working?
DeLaney: “I don’t know. Jacques and I have a very good working relationship and we talk all the time. Each president sets his own agenda. I have no reason to doubt him.”
Ketcham: “I don’t think LUCC is going to go backwards. Jacques and Ned are hardworking guys and I have a lot of confidence in what will go on.”
The Lawrentian: How do you feel now that your tenure is drawing to a close?
DeLaney: “I think I’ve done good work. It was a nightmare to deal with the council last year because they didn’t care, not all of them were properly elected, and there was a lot of frustration because they had no vision last year.
“This year, LUCC held twice as many meetings as the previous administration did in two years. Everyone has been working super hard. I feel I’m leaving LUCC in a much better position than I found it in, and that itself is enough.”
Ketcham: “It’s kind of a relief because it’s a lot of work. I feel like we have to give up right when we’re in the swing of things. I enjoyed it, though, and I think we accomplished a lot.