By Judd Liebman

I need to say thank you. Thank you to the prefects who have done what they were elected to do without asking for recognition. I asked if a simple change in the library was possible. It wasn’t anything special or even that important, but I thought it would be a good idea. In less than a week, the prefects got the idea approved, talked to the librarians and implemented the plan flawlessly. All I did was come up with a simple idea, and the prefects did the rest. So thank you prefects for catering to our needs and desires to make our lives easier. We elected you to implement our proposals, and it seems you have done just that. You deserve a little credit around here.

In October, the Chronicle editorial board asked you to involve the student body more. The Prefect Council did just that: it has recently released a newsletter and had a giant white suggestion box at the Clubs Fair. In February, the editorial board urged the prefects to build the hype about the upcoming event. The prefects then choreographed a flash mob, sent a couple emails out to the student body and advertised the event around campus. The student body now seems excited to participate in this new tradition, as it should be.

The real problem with the Prefect Council is two-pronged. First, students don’t know enough about what the prefects do. As a member of the Community Council, I have had the privilege of working with the prefects in planning “Spring in Your Step.” For those who don’t get to see the prefects at work, it’s amazing. It is nonstop work. They are working hard to get an event the students will enjoy, and the team of the Community Council and the Prefect Council has done a wonderful job.

The second problem is a disapproval of the Honor Board. I am not going to state my opinion about the board here, but the prefects are getting a bad reputation because they are involved in negative conversations about the board. The prefects’ hard work is being overshadowed.

So prefects, if you want your work to be appreciated, disassociate yourselves from the Honor Board. Have two separate committees. There can be a Prefect Council, which caters to our every need and desire. And there can be an Honor Board, which deals with Honor Code infractions. The prefects’ work is going unnoticed, and it shouldn’t be. They are improving life on our campus every day. For the prefects’ sake, they should get out of the cloud of disapproval surrounding the Honor Board and step into a positive light where their work can be truly appreciated.