Letters to the Editor | ViCE election changes will serve students positively

Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE) has revised its constitution for the second year in a row, on the advice of the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Secretary Laureen Cantwell ’06 and under the guidance of Associate Dean of the College Ray Parker and the Assistant Director of Campus Activities Kendra Swee.

A recent Miscellany News staff editorial (“Students should have direct say in ViCE elections,” published 4.7.06) publicized the editors’ opposition to the changes, specifically the shift from general elections for the ViCE CEO and Treasurer positions to internal elections by the outgoing board. The Miscellany News cites the need for checks and balances and the specter of “cutting students out of the process entirely” as reasons for opposing the changes.

First, let me remind The Miscellany News that the ViCE Executive board is composed entirely of students. While nobody disputes the importance of checks and balances on the board, general elections have not been an effective way to incorporate student voices or supervise the board. Frankly, the electoral process for ViCE has completely broken down. It’s hard to accept, but The Miscellany News’ definition of democracy isn’t working in the best interests of the student body. In the past two years, there have been four elections for CEO or Treasurer. Three candidates ran unopposed, and in the remaining election a popular student with no previous ViCE experience won against a former ViCE executive who was abroad during the election.

It is true that the ViCE CEO and Treasurer handle large amounts of money. This is precisely the reason why ViCE elections should not be a popularity contest as they have been in the past. Further, all of ViCE’s decisions are made by the entire executive board under direct supervision of the Office of Campus Activities. The VSA Treasurer approves every ViCE transaction, with further oversight on certain transactions by the accounting office.

I disagree with the suggestion offered from afar by The Miscellany News: implementing a requirement of previous ViCE experience for election to the board. This requirement was adopted by last year’s executive board and was in force for the most recent election, but we are deliberately omitting it from the new constitution. In case it wasn’t obvious by the number of unopposed elections, we have enough difficulty recruiting applicants without imposing additional prerequisites. Requiring ViCE experience could exclude perfectly qualified candidates who have been unable to participate in ViCE in the past, a possibility I find unacceptable. WVKR and The Miscellany News both require previous experience for election to executive positions, thinning the ranks of potential leaders and stifling a diversity of student voices.

The Editorial Board’s assertion that The Miscellany News and ViCE are “fundamentally different” is ludicrous, for the same reasons cited as evidence of fundamental differences:

—ViCE has a large budget and a campus-based mission—just like The Miscellany News and WVKR.

—ViCE's mission is to serve the interests of all students, not just those who attend its meetings—just like The Miscellany News and WVKR.

The biggest “fundamental difference” is simple: ViCE was the only VSA organization with general election of its executives. With these revisions, ViCE has become like every other VSA organization. The changes will allow ViCE to best serve the interests of the student body and the college community, without precluding any qualified students from consideration.

—Max Freed ’06