Candidate pool for elections to shake up student government
Beth Wraase
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: News
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Pam Brewer, advisor to Student Government and director of Student Life programs, said she hopes things will be different this year. There has not been much racial diversity among the students who have run for these positions in the last twenty years, and very few minorities have served as representatives, she said.
She stressed that the more we bring difference to student government, the more the group is challenged to make comprehensive and informed decisions that better represent the college.
The classes of 2013, 2012 and 2011 will each elect five members to serve as representatives on student government. Within those 15 students, people can be nominated by other representatives or by themselves for president and vice president for the coming year. But, ultimately, the student body does the electing.
In the past twenty years Brewer has been at Lafayette, presidents and vice presidents have always been on Student Government for a year prior, but controversy has risen over the recommendation that students have a year of experience on student government before becoming president or vice president.
There was talk that it was a bylaw stated in the Student Government constitution, but it has been determined that this is not the case. The supposed bylaw is only recommendation.
Brewer said that while it is not a constitutional rule, it is "more of a Student Government practice." If a student understands dynamics of student government, they can be a viable candidate for either position, but that a year's worth of experience gives the student a background for a better leadership experience, she said.
Current student government president, Ashley Juavinett '11, sees this experience as beneficial, but not necessary.
"I think that current Student Government members, or just anyone who is familiar with Student Government, would be less likely to vote for that candidate [without the prior experience], but that's such a small percentage of the student body," Juavinett said. "From the general student body's perspective, any candidate is as likely or worthy of getting it and maybe even more so."
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