Year in Review

[Harel M. Williams]

Dear Undergraduates,

It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve as your
representative this past academic year. On behalf of all the
Undergraduate Association officers of the 2004-2005 administration, I
would like to thank you for the amazing opportunity you gave us to
improve MIT for all students. Of all the four years I have been
involved in UA, this year has seen some of the most capable and
dedicated leaders involved around campus. Many of the positive changes
you have seen around MIT, as well as a massive amount of
behind-the-scenes work that most of us haven't seen, are a tribute to
numerous individuals who are often too modest to take credit for it.

I believe we are all here because we want to make an impact on the
world, and sometimes we are all too busy to recognize the work being
done by others. In this regard, we have compiled a *Year in Review*
which highlights a number of accomplishments of the Undergraduate
Association, organized under the 5 themes of our mission statement.
This document is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it gives you an
idea of the many hours your representatives have put in to making MIT
a better place to live and to learn, and how UA can really be used as
a vehicle for positive change.

You can find the "Year in Review" at: http://web.mit.edu/ua/www/UA_YIR_2005.pdf

I hope that this document helps to affirm or reaffirm your faith in
the UA to serve as your representative body. Additionally, if some of
the items on the Review sound like projects you would want to be
involved in, or if there are any issues or tasks that you feel are
glaringly missing, I would encourage you to email ua at mit.edu for more
information and to find out how to get involved.

I would like to thank all the individuals who have dedicated so much
time to improving our campus, whether it was through the UA or other
venues. I have the utmost confidence in the new leaders of the UA:
President John Cloutier, Vice-President Jessie Lowell, Senate Speaker
Andrew Lukmann, and Senate Vice-Chair Ali Wyne. I am excited to see
them build upon the work of so many talented individuals as well as to
watch them excel in yet-unexplored terrain. However, their ability to
contribute to the betterment of MIT is dependent on you. Let them
empower you to be a part of positive change by joining a committee,
running for Senate, or by simply being more wary of student issues.

Good luck with finals, and I wish you all the best of luck in your
future endeavors. It has been quite a year. Thank you for one of the
most meaningful experiences of my life.

Sincerely,

Harel M. Williams
Undergraduate Association President 2004-2005