Debates, Meet & Greets, Campaigning, and Voting Fill the First Week of April

March 31, 2014

As Massachusetts prepares for state special elections on April 1, Wellesley commences its own Election Week on campus, with students meeting those campaigning for positions of campus leadership, hearing them debate important College issues, and participating in the college’s storied tradition of democratically-elected student leadership.

There are eight positions open: College Government President, Vice-President, Chief Justice (who oversees the Honor Code), Student Bursar (oversees the budget for student programming), the Director of On-Campus Affairs or DOOCA (who leads the Schneider Board of Governors), the Multicultural Affairs Coordinator (who leads the Community Action Network to promote a culture of diversity), the Chair for the Committee of Political and Legislative Action or CPLA Chair (who oversees the College’s non-partisan activism group), and the Chair of Finance & Communication.

Also up for student vote are the Ballot Initiatives, proposals for programs to improve campus life. The proposal with the most votes will receive $11,000 from the college.

Current CG President Joy Das emphasizes how vital the debates are for elections. “The debates are the major way CG candidates present their platforms and perspectives to the student body, and it's also the best way for students to get to know the candidates,” she says. College Government makes wide-ranging decisions about the life of the College, and every student has the right to shape the government through her vote.

What are some of those decisions? As Das explains, College Government is responsible for the autonomy of the student body, overseeing the Honor Code, student organizations (or “orgs”), the student activity fund, and many other institutions. “We are resources to and advocates for all students,” she says, “and throughout the year, Cabinet seeks to prove that students are not just a product of the education once we leave, but an asset to the College while we are here. With such responsibilities, everyone should go to the debates to decide whether they can trust the candidates to serve the student body. In addition, debates are a really good way for students to bring up issues they think are important for the entire Community to discuss. CG Cabinet members are the main liaisons between students and the College, so if students want administration and faculty to know what we are thinking, we have to participate.”

To learn more, check out the elections committee website or Facebook page, and submit a question for the candidates. You can also email the election committee at elections-committee-2014@wellesley.edu.

Elections Week: April 1-7

  • Candidate Crawl: April 1, 8-10 p.m., Res Hall Complexes
  • Multicultural Presidents’ Council Debate: April 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Slater International House
  • College Government Debate: April 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Anderson Forum
  • House Presidents’ Council Debate: April 7, 8-9:30 p.m., Tower Great Hall
  • Election Day Voting: April 8, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., online
  • Election Day Party: April 8, 10 p.m.

About the Photo

Thanks to Wellesley College Archives we know this about the 1937 photo: Miss Katherine Forsyth of Ben Avon, Pa., newly-elected president of the College Government Association, tries on the footgear of Nancy Jane Miller of Baltimore, who is retiring from that office. In the background old and new major officers look on. Left to right: Katherine Forsyth '38; Marion Wolff '37, Philadelphia, retiring business manager of Barn; Catherine Parker '38, Oxford, N.Y., new Chief Justice of Superior Court; Nancy Jane Miller '37 (seated); Hope Buckner '37, Yonkers, N.Y., retiring chairman of House Presidents' Council; Edar von L. Fleming '38, Bethesda, Md., new chairman of House Presidents' Council.