A DemocraSEAS

Illustration by Shaina Rubin

As Columbia engineers, we all want the most qualified and capable people to represent us in our student government. There is disagreement, however, on the best means to accomplish this goal. Under the current system, members of the executive board of the Engineering Student Council are elected by the council itself rather than the School of Engineering and Applied Science students they represent. We believe that a system of direct elections would better serve the engineering student body.

The preamble to the ESC constitution reads: “The Engineering Student Council will strive to represent the interests of the Engineering Students.” Currently, however, the council, not the students, decides who will represent those interests. Proponents of the current system argue that students’ voices are not denied. Rather, they are expressed by proxy through the representatives who are elected popularly. Yet, because they are not the ones voting, we feel that students are ultimately shut out of the elections.

Proponents of internal elections also argue that members of the council will be more intimately acquainted with the abilities and experience of the candidates. This argument presumes that the most qualified candidates for the executive board will be students who have worked extensively with ESC. Experience, however, need not be limited to time served on the council. The engineering student body is just as qualified as ESC to judge the competency of candidates who have non-student council leadership experience.

Additionally, critics argue that outsiders as both candidates and voters will not be as familiar with the intricacies of the e-board offices as council members who have worked with these positions. Yet this can be a good thing. The council evaluates whether those running can do what their predecessors have done, preserving the status quo. However, an outside candidate could reinterpret a position. By only considering the way things have been done in the past, the council may be ignoring innovative new ideas.

There are ways that ESC can maintain its integrity while still listening to the students’ voices. Candidates could seek endorsements from council members and campus organizations. Students could then take into account the opinions of student leaders and other relevant sources. Additionally, the elections committee could work to provide better descriptions of council positions and encourage the dissemination of information about the candidates. The candidates themselves will find it in their best interest to publicize the elections, their qualifications, and their platforms. Elections—which are too often left uncontested—could become more visible to the student body, generating more interest in both the candidates and the organization.

Critics counter that direct elections will eventually become nothing more than a popularity contest. They worry that those who work hard and deserve higher positions will lose the elections to less qualified candidates. We respectfully submit that our elections are not a spoils system and that the advocacy of merit need not be mutually exclusive with democracy. SEAS students should be given more credit. With the proper information, we believe that the engineering student body could judge the merits of candidates for the student council executive board just as effectively as ESC.
Next Monday, ESC will conclude its annual constitutional review. We urge you to contact the ESC executive board at esc@coumbia.edu to express your opinions. We further urge current council members to carefully consider our points when voting on whether to add direct elections to their constitution.

Kim Manis is a junior in the School of Engineering and Applied Science majoring in computer science. She is the vice president of the Student Life Committee for the Engineering Student Council. Samantha John is a junior in the School of Engineering and Applied Science majoring in applied mathematics. She is a class representative to ESC from the class of 2009. Alastair Shearman is a senior in the School of Engineering and Applied Science majoring in environmental engineering. He is the general manager of the Columbia Political Union.