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SGA President Sana Abhari has illustrated her lackluster leadership abilities yet again with her recent appointment of her current “Press Secretary” to serve as Chief Justice of the SGA Supreme Court. As recent SGA elections have proven, the SGA Supreme Court plays a vital role in ensuring candidates are held accountable and elections are fair and just.

While I, as many students, may not agree with some of the decisions the Court makes, its importance should not be diminished by using it as a tool to distribute political favors. Current Associate Justice Ben Shepard has revitalized the SGA Supreme Court. His tireless work digitizing cases, decisions, and official records has revitalized this often misunderstood branch of SGA. Justice Shepard is often the lone writer of opinions. Many members of the Court suggested to Abhari that Justice Shepard, having served on the Court for a number of years, was the clear, qualified choice to be appointed Chief Justice.

However, Abhari has proven that her political interests overrule the best interests of students. By appointing someone with no qualifications to lead the Court, Abhari has disrespected not only Justice Shepard and the Court, but also the student body. This act of political nepotism does nothing to help improve the quality of SGA.

Andrew Carroll is a senior political science major.