As some of the campus body may be aware, we have failed to elect a new Thelmo president. In the first round of voting, Beth Kessenich ’12 ran unopposed but was unable to collect the 594 votes necessary to be instated as the next leader of the student body. Because previous president Hassan Raza’s term is now up, we find our student government without a sitting president, — probably until February, when a likely run-off election will be settled.
This is by no means a disaster; the other leaders of Thelmo are more than capable of getting things accomplished in the meantime. But the lack of participation raises a couple of questions. Are we simply apathetic as a student body? This argument does have some credence; there can be little doubt that more students are knowledgeable about the slate of parties on the agenda for any given weekend than versed in the more pressing matters facing our institution: the plummeting endowment, budget crisis, rising class numbers or increasingly crowded residence halls – all issues which are perhaps less obvious or appealing to the average student, but inarguably more pertinent in the long run.
Another question begs an answer. Does our student body feel adequately represented by Thelmo? The latest ballot sported a number of unopposed candidates; Vice President for Senate Affairs was the only race featuring multiple candidates. With such slim pickings on offer, it’s conceivable that many students felt voting useless, that the elections were a foregone conclusion. In the non-presidential races, this was indeed the case; it is only the presidential position that requires a voter minimum. But with no choice of candidate for almost every race, many students surely felt their voice would not be heard even if they were to vote.
Thelmo is now re-running the presidential election in the hope that one candidate will win 40 percent of the vote — the requirement for a winning candidate in a contested election. Kessenich is no longer unopposed, either; a number of new candidates have thrown their hat into the ring: Alex Dodge ’11, Dzifa Yador ’11, Brian Adam ’11, Jeff Gill ’11 and Corey Parent ’12 as of press time. With each candidate now drawing a moderate level of support (at least according to their Facebook groups – hardly a scientific method of polling but probably the most accurate in this instance), a further runoff election seems to beckon, with the final two candidates squaring off for the presidency early next semester.
Furthermore, we have to question the motives of each new candidate. Is their interest in student government truly tangible, given that they stayed out of the race until it became apparent there was an opportunity to win it? And if so, will the defeated candidates pursue involvement in student government at a lower position? Too often, we see losing presidential candidates fade back out of student politics after they miss their shot at the most visible Thelmo position. In their favor, Dodge and Parent have experience as Thelmo senators, and Yador’s impressive campus resume also suggests a similar commitment to student life. Without discounting his presidential viability, Adam remains something of an unknown, and the playful tone of “Jazzy Jeff” Gill’s Facebook page makes it hard to judge his seriousness of purpose.
Even if we can’t answer these questions surrounding the Thelmo fiasco, we can acknowledge a few truths. Our students need to become more involved. Greek life and the social scene may be important, but their significance pales in comparison to that of the financial issues our campus now faces. Perhaps most importantly, regardless of which issues you as a student prioritize, the only way you can see them addressed is if you vote.
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