Letters to Editor, Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Terriers,

As the chairperson of the Student Elections, I would like to address any controversy surrounding the Commission and the upcoming undergraduate student government elections.  It is always the intention of the SEC to provide interesting (at least that’s taken care of!) and informative campaign periods with high levels of discourse and activism.  It has come to our attention (see: ‘Union “disappointed” in Daily Free Press, elections commission’) that some members of the community feel we did not do enough to provide you with information regarding elections.  We respect all viewpoints on this matter, but reserve the right to maintain our own.  As a Commission, we did the best with the circumstances we were given to advertise and promote the information sessions required of all prospective candidates for Student Union, CAS and COMSA executive boards.  I can honestly say that details regarding these sessions were available on our website, Facebook page (if you Like us, we’ll Like you back) and Twitter page (you know what to do).   I was saddened to hear that members of Student Union were reportedly unaware of these dates, especially after my fellow Commissioners and I presented them at two separate Senate meetings.  We did our best, as a service to the student body, to help promote the elections of each organization, but it does not fall on our shoulders alone.  Be proactive.  Decisions are made by those who show up.  Twenty-one people did.

To those who were unable to attend the information sessions or utilize the one-on-one make-up sessions we offered, the SEC would like to welcome any write-in candidates or slates to campaign.  Write-in candidates will be held to the SEC Elections Code, with special attention to Article 3, Section 3.  Breaking from past precedent, the SEC will allow any declared write-in campaign who wishes to participate in SEC campaign events that were previously reserved for registered candidates.  I applaud those candidates who took it upon themselves to seek out leadership opportunities and the means to achieve them.  I am honored to guide you through the election process, a service the SEC has been providing since even before my start at BU.

All the best,

Amanda Peterson, CAS ’12
Chairperson, Student Elections Commission

3 Comments

  1. Total BS

  2. No surprise here. The student elections commission has had a history in the last couple of years of running terrible elections. With zero effort to advertise and a complete lack of engagement on campus, they have essentially ruined the legitimacy of this year’s campaign. A strong election is needed to show the administration that the elected students were actually chosen. It’s hard to have sway when you win by default.

    It’s time to get rid of these prepare-at-the-last-minute jackasses and put the elections back in the hands of the Union. A trained monkey could run them better, and the idea that the commission needs to be separate was a pointless layer of bureaucracy brought about by Sappenfield while Union was being completely run into the ground.

  3. Honestly, the Chairperson should step down