It is with a great deal of sadness that I write this Wednesday morning.

As I am sure it will be reported in The Hatchet, Phil Meisner was removed from his position as the president of the Student Association Wednesday morning.

Last year, I ran to be the executive vice president of the Student Association, and I ran with Phil Meisner. Through our frequently troubled and controversial campaign, I was comforted by the idealism I believed was at the center of our campaign.

As the weeks of the campaign dragged on, I grew more and more disillusioned. I wondered what we were fighting the power, so to speak, for. But as I passed out palmcard after palmcard, I knew that I wanted to represent the students I met, the students I spoke with, the students who signed our petitions, the students who laughed with us and cried with us.

I wanted to work with Phil and the senators that I ran with and supported. I wanted to be a part of the SA with all of them and do something real, something tangible that may make a difference to students here at GW.

Of course things did not exactly turn out as I had once hoped, I lost an election and Phil won his. I thought, however, that I did not really lose anything at all. I had after all accomplished so much and I had brought my very good friend to the students to be their very best SA president.

And perhaps along the way Phil did make a few mistakes, mistakes to which he freely admitted. However, the fantastic accomplishments of the executive branch were never highlighted – the Book Exchange, the Executive Hour, Turkish Relief, student involvement, GW-opoly, the Student Advocacy Service, the Major Advising Cabinet program, and so on. With these programs and so many others like them, a difference was being made, and students were helping students.

When I was asked today if I had any regrets, I could honestly say no, I do not. I never knew what it was like to believe in something or someone so much before.

And no matter what the Senate did or does in the future, to me, my friends, to the people sitting in the Moot Court Room, and the freshman who yelled back the power after Phil said fight, he will always be our President.

-The writer is the student co-chair of the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students.