The Student Government Association (SGA) presidential race is a complicated one. You and I have both seen the articles in The News these past couple weeks. First there were two candidates, then one candidate, then two candidates and then a blocked candidate, all while candidates were taking trips abroad and candidates not being visible enough on campus, etc. It’s a mess.
Last year was the first time we all had the power to vote for our president. We students were given the choice between two candidates who had never been on the SGA executive board, one who didn’t even meet the original requirements to run for office. Now we have the choice between two candidates, one of whom may be blocked by the Senate tonight.
I don’t know what’s motivating the block and I don’t care. When I decide whom to vote for I will be looking at what the candidates have done in the past. Who is Dan Kamyck? A nice enough guy, but what has he accomplished?
On the other hand, who is Rob Ranley? Ranley has been visible on campus through his student group involvement. As an officer in a well-known student group, I know Ranley has been in charge of revamping the way groups request money for programs. Ranley has also been in leadership roles, both in SGA and his fraternity, Kappa Sigma. Yet it is because of his controversial presidency in Kappa Sigma that some speculate he wasn’t even eligible to run for his current SGA position during the normal election time.
As president of Kappa Sigma, Ranley was ultimately in charge of the fraternity’s decision to throw a party and provide underage students with alcohol. Who cares – don’t underage students drink anyway? Maybe, but consider the following. Decisions made in Kappa Sigma with Ranley as president resulted in the fraternity being suspended by Northeastern, two Greek organizations being put on probation by the Greek Executive Council and eight students being summonsed to Roxbury District Court (including Ranley, who was under 21 years old at the time).
What kind of role model is this? He gets a leadership position and ruins things not only for himself but also for the seven other students who joined him at Roxbury District Court, and for the members of the two Greek organizations. As a fellow student leader, I was ashamed to see our school represented that way to our neighbors in the community.
I’ve been doing my homework on this election, reading The News and the two candidates’ websites. I know that Marines Piney dropped out of the race suddenly and that in a moment of need, Kamyck stepped up to the plate. I admire that. Ranley has had the opportunity to be the public face of the student body and has not proven himself. He is not the person I want fixing my problems. Rather, it seems as though I’ll have more problems if Ranley becomes president.
I encourage every student to look at the two candidates and vote for the best choice. In this complicated race, I’ve made up my mind to vote Kamyck.
– Marisa Levine is a junior political science major.
