St. Marie wins ABC president at Wednesday night elections

WEB EXCLUSIVE. On Wednesday night the Activities Board at Columbia voted to elect its 2009-2010 executive board.

As one of Columbia's governing boards, ABC is responsible for funding over 150 student groups on campus that fall under categories such as cultural, academic and pre-professional.

Scott St. Marie, CC ’10 and 2008-2009 ABC Treasurer was elected President. In his campaign statement, he emphasized the significance of ABC’s role to the student community and the university administration.

“It is important to remember that ABC is uniquely privileged in its ability to both represent student group interests and access the administration,” he said in his campaign statement. “We do well to continue to take this privilege seriously.”

Newly elected Vice President Betty Kim, CC ’10, also emphasized ABC’s role to students specifically in her campaign statement, saying, “it is important to remember the over-arching goal of ABC on campus—to improve student life by fostering the growth of students’ interests and passions.”

Among St. Marie’s plans for fostering and nurturing these relationship is increasing ABC’s transparency, “for both our good and the groups,’” he also noted.

St. Marie cited confusing language in ABC’s official documents and explanations of ABC processes as a starting point.

In the ABC election process, candidates for executive board positions first submit campaign applications, which include statements such as St. Marie’s and Kim’s, which respond to prompts asking candidates to expand on their vision for ABC, as well as ways in which they think the board can improve.

Candidates then have the opportunity to address the current board, after which voting commences.

Members also elected Bill Jung, CC ’11—who ran for president—as Treasurer and Vikas Anand, CC ’11, as Secretary.

Cliff Massey, CC '10, also ran for Vice President. Despite his loss in ABC, he was elected to CCSC '10 president the same night.