Beyond improving undergraduate life through the UC, supporters say Hayward’s approach has been effective in drawing the attention of the College administration to student issues.
Hayward noted that when he attempted to address the problem of cell phone coverage in the Quad, he initially faced the administration’s skepticism, which at one point, questioned the necessity of cell phones at all.
But because he was able to make “clear the issue was a security problem,” Hayward said he was able to successfully enact a cell phone service tower in the Quad for AT&T—one of the most popular service carriers on campus.
“George Hayward is an innovative thinker,” Ebrahim said, noting that Hayward’s plan to improve cell phone service in the Quad was a “solution no one else would have thought of.”
But staffers note that Hayward’s successes are not limited to the Quad, as the candidate plans to extend his advocacy across campus.
Specifically, Ru pointed to Hayward’s proposal to subsidize the cost of hiring a Harvard University Police Department officer at large-scale student events, currently a requirement when groups host more than 100 students.
Ru said that this change would provide a compromise between the administration and students regarding safety and the associated financial costs.
“It is a major concern for us and evidence of outside of the box thinking,” Hayward said. “We can protest all we want, but we have to offer new solutions, new ways to pitch to the administration in order to get things done.”
AN OUTSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE
Hayward’s running mate Zhang said he had significant outside experience that would complement Hayward’s work within the UC system.
While Hayward has had a notable presence on the UC, he has only led committees consisting of nine to 15 students.
“It is a challenge to mobilize upwards of 50 people effectively,” Ebrahim said.
Zhang said that his experience as a student group leader of larger organizations may mitigate concerns about Hayward’s ability to manage an organization the size of the UC.
In addition to his heavy involvement in the Chinese Students Association as vice president, Zhang also has experience working as a member of the Veritas Financial Group.
“He adds very valuable insight into what organizations have to go through to organize events,” Ru said, noting Zhang’s ability to handle publicity, funding and support for large events.