Letting the people elect their leaders: a novel concept, and one the Student Government Association has been working toward for approximately 30 years.
As each SGA administration passes in and out of office, the idea for direct elections is discussed and then somehow forgotten.
One reason cited for the inexcusable delay in allowing SGA representatives to be elected directly by the students is the lack of interest at Northeastern. But students will never be interested in something they have no say in.
Students are supposed to know they can turn to SGA when they have trouble with professors, with financial aid and with student groups. The executive board, a group of six, full-tuition-scholarship members, is virtually hired by a small group of senators to control the lives of the five undergraduate classes and to make things happen on campus.
Those who are informed likely do turn to SGA, but there are about 15,000 undergraduate students at Northeastern. Many of them do not even know where the SGA office is located, much less who the officers are.
When SGA e-board members meet with administrators, go out into the community or pass legislation, they are supposed to be representing the entire student body. How can an organization whose leaders are elected by a room full of colleagues be a true representative of the student body?
Direct elections would solve this problem. The organization would then be spearheaded by a true voice, connected directly to students all over campus.
To win his presidency this year, Bill Durkin had to go before a group of senators – all of whom he knows – and debate his opponent in an election that lasted one night.
With the chance for students to cast their votes for their president and vice presidents would come the need for these contenders to head out into the quads and the commons and to show their faces around campus more than twice a year. Then students will know.
If the nominees were forced to slap campaign posters on bulletin boards, hold rallies and speak out about issues, more students would see their leader and know what he or she stands for.
Another excuse for past delays was many students lived off campus and there was no collective way to have them vote. The setup being discussed in SGA now calls for voting to take place on myNEU. Problem solved.
The current administration is once again taking a stab at this age-old problem. And instead of planning for it to happen in their one year in office, they are laying the groundwork for this process to continue into next year, with a goal of direct elections by spring 2006. Again, a novel concept.
With a good plan in place and the hurdles behind them, this time there is no excuse. SGA needs to give students the chance to show they care.
It’s time to see some advocacy in action.
