All good things come to those who wait. Apparently, the Student Government Association (SGA) never got that memo.

In a hurried attempt to continue their seemingly never-ending damage control, the SGA held a special election last week to fill several holes on their executive board, in particular those left by former President Michael Benson and former Executive Vice President Chad Cooper, who were forced to step down last month by the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR). The result was two new members to their six-person executive board, which receives free tuition and lately holds all the stability of the Duck, Duck, Goose game.

Ashley Adams was elected to president despite there being nearly as many abstentions (18) as votes in her favor (21). In her two years with the organization, Adams has served as interim president and vice president for academic affairs, but has not, however, been contested in a victorious election, including her most recent (and most important) political win.

That’s not meant as an indictment on Adams or her abilities as president, but on the makeshift election which pushed her to the forefront of student politics. Adams was not alone. Adriana Campos was elected to vice president for administration and public relations barely a half hour after being informed she was even running, hardly enough time to rummage through her hard drive for incriminating AIM conversations, or however else SGA candidates prepare for elections.

The result is SGA’s contingency e-board, designed less in favor of what’s right but rather what’s right now. It would be unfair to speculate on the qualifications and abilities of two people who have yet to serve a day in office, but even several members of SGA were aware of the dichotomy of a stable government being chosen so hastily.

An appeal to the executive board, submitted by a Senator, would have postponed the special election until Sept. 8, at a time when perhaps SGA would have been a little more prepared, not to mention would have allowed Benson and Cooper to run again for positions previously held. Regardless of where you stand on Benson and Cooper or their case with OSCCR, the fact remains they were at least qualified and elected by a standard process.

Postponing the election would have also allowed Adams and her colleagues time to make clear their policies to the senate, not to mention the student body. (Granted students still aren’t allowed to vote for their president, but that’s a whole other editorial.) Even those like Adams, who gained the most from SGA’s disorganized Plan B, were done a disservice, thrust into a position she may or may not be prepared to undertake, and confronted with a senate of which nearly three-quarters either voted against her or didn’t vote at all.

What would be different had SGA accepted the appeal by its own members and waited until a later date to ensure a more satisfactory election? Who knows. What is known is that while SGA did everything according to its own constitution bylaws, it failed to realize that governments and constitutions are designed to change.

If you disagree, remember the position of SGA president has changed five times since last year.