For all that Michael Cruz’s ASSU Executive team aimed to accomplish this year, it has fallen short on at least one expressed goal: “connecting better with students.” Compared to the standard set by last year’s executive team, led by President Angelina Cardona, it is hard to see how this year’s team is “connecting better.” Cardona’s team sent out emails detailing what the ASSU was doing and how regular students could get involved. In other emails, Cardona solicited student support for projects ranging from a sustainable living dorm to sexual violence reform. Her executive team sponsored a “student input forum” on Judicial Affairs and an ROTC town hall. And Cardona wrote opinion pieces for The Stanford Daily on various campus issues; these op-eds frequently referred to the notion of one “Stanford community,” which was a consistent emphasis of her executive team.

In comparison, President Cruz’s email updates have been less detailed, and the calls for student feedback in these emails have been less visible. Furthermore, whereas Cardona invited students to attend undergraduate student senate meetings in her emails, there has been no such invitation from the current Executive team. Although ASSU Vice-President Stewart Macgregor-Dennis has written one opinion piece for The Daily during his term so far, it seems to have largely been intended to be self-promotional. Cruz has not published any pieces. And despite being used extensively by Cardona last year, the ASSU Exec Twitter account has only been updated once since Aug. 9.

Furthermore, many students have expressed frustration with a platform that seemed to emphasize quantity of initiatives over the feasibility and value of such endeavors. With so many ideas for student government, it was difficult to comprehend the Executive team’s priorities apart from technology and entrepreneurship. Much like their extensive platform, Cruz and Macgregor-Dennis were criticized over the increasing size of their cabinet. Time spent creating new divisions and hiring cabinet members necessarily detracted from time that could have been spent directly advocating for students. Whether these myriad complaints were warranted or not, one thing became increasingly clear: at some point, the Executive team lost touch with much of the student body.

Although severing its ties with E2.0, its entrepreneurship wing, was a step in the right direction for the Executive team, more needs to be done to regain a connection with students. To be fair, it is only halfway through the Cruz/Macgregor-Dennis term. However, a trend is developing wherein the student body is becoming less and less connected with its government. Cardona set a high standard last year in terms of fostering student involvement, especially in sponsoring discussions on various campus issues. We wonder if the E2.0 ordeal could have been prevented in the first place with, say, a town hall or online Q&A on the subject.

However, besides town halls, there are many feasible actions this year’s Executive team can pursue to better connect with the student body. In its update emails, the Executive team can be more detailed and more clearly emphasize ways for students to get involved. It can send out surveys to solicit input on its projects. In future opinion pieces, it can write about issues pertaining to the Stanford community. Although half of their term has already passed, Cruz and Macgregor-Dennis still have time to make this year’s ASSU Executive Team memorable. A necessary component of that, however, is developing a true connection with students. Cruz/Macgregor-Dennis emphasized that goal in their platform when campaigning, and it is now time for them to realize it in action.