By Rachel Jacobi, News Editor
On August 26th, the Office of Student Life released information about the upcoming Stern College for Women Student Council elections. Since this election is taking place at the start of a semester, at which point there is usually an elected president, the timeline is tight. August 29th marked the deadline to declare candidacy and campaigning by the candidates is allowed between September 3rd and September 5th.
In the interim between the elections of last semester and the upcoming elections, the acting president of SCWSC has been Vice President of Clubs, Elka Wiesenberg. However, the elected candidate will take over after voting takes place this Thursday, September 5th. A voting link will be sent out to students by the Office of Student Life and will remain active between 9am and 5pm.
The Office of Student Life has confirmed that this election will be run under guidelines that don’t pertain to the old or the new, recently ratified Beren constitution. Even though the new constitution was ratified by the student body at the end of last semester, it will not be enacted until after the elections for president of SCWSC (despite the fact that the Constitutional Council was already appointed by last year’s student council). This creates a state of limbo, seeing as the old constitution is not in effect and the new constitution will not go into effect until after the elections of September 5th. Therefore, the rules for this election were set by the Office of Student Life — it is fully independent from a student constitution and is operating on different guidelines.
Some of the requirements for candidacy eligibility for SCWSC presidency include having earned the number of credits to academically be considered a senior or super senior, utilizing university housing, and enrollment as a full-time student for both semesters, in addition to being in “good standing” academically with the university. Members of the student council are not eligible to run.
There is currently one candidate on the ballot running for SCWSC president –Aleeza Katz. Yesterday, she posted on Facebook that she is announcing her candidacy for SCWSC. Katz says, “I have decided to run for the position of SCWSC [p]resident because I want to be a leader in creating a more welcoming environment that serves our needs and allows us to feel at peace in our home away from home. I will listen to student feedback and take the appropriate measures to effectively advocate on behalf of those who are struggling in order to create an environment in which we can all flourish. It is also my goal to create a space in which all students feel empowered to speak up for themselves and effect change through their own efforts. Additionally, I am excited to work with the amazing current members of SCWSC to plan exciting events that will bring Stern students together on various occasions, such as during finals or for chagim. I urge you all to take the time to vote on Thursday because every voice matters, and I look forward to partnering with each and every one of you to make this year a memorable one!”
Voting for Freshman Class Representative will also take place on September 5th, with two candidates running — Alice Aronov and Nina Anina.
Photo: SCWSC Logo