A principle and a proposed change
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For years, the student arts society had followed an orthodox method of choosing one chair for the entire exhibition season. A central tenet of the society was that every member deserved a meaningful voice in its decisions. Leila proposed a radical change: replace the single chair with rotating teams that shared responsibility for each exhibition. Before the group voted, she asked whether its familiar method still served its stated principle and which responsibilities would need clearer instructions under her proposal.
Some members favored the orthodox arrangement because they understood whom to contact when a decision was needed. Others supported the radical proposal because it would fundamentally redistribute authority within the society. Leila kept the tenet of meaningful participation at the center of the discussion, asking both groups how their preferred arrangement would put it into practice. A familiar procedure could be examined without dismissing every tradition, and a substantial change needed an explanation of how its new responsibilities would actually work.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.