You Lev, you learn
HOW I LED ECC STUDENTS IN KICKING ADMINISTRATION BUTT
Lev D. Zilbermints
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Observations
Fifteen years ago, in March 1993, at Essex County College, I was the most senior outgoing Student Government Association Senator. According to our Constitution, both the outgoing and incoming student governments (in this case, the 1992-93 and 1993-94 were supposed to attend an SGA Retreat where a transition of power would be held.
I applied to attend the retreat… but the Coordinator of Student Activities prevented me from going without giving a satisfactory reason. His superiors backed him, and I ended up not going.
It should be noted that it is the student governments who decide upon attendance, not the coordinator!
But what would have a decent administrator have done?
Why, simply said, "Senator Zilbermints, your application is accepted.
Unfortunately we have a restricted amount of seats. I think your SGA should take a vote as to gets to go and who stays behind." I would have agreed with that, since it was the SGA's decision, not the administrator's. Unfortunately, that was not how it actually happened.
Four years later, in 1997, the same administrator prevented my appointment to the Student Senate by giving false information to the SGA President. He said that I could not be elected in a General Election, for I had served two terms already. What he did not realize was that I wrote large portions of the Constitution!
The Constitution did not forbid me from being appointed to the Senate by the SGA itself!
April 1997 brought the annual SGA elections. Wow, that was the wildest SGA election I ever was in! First, (March 1997) the SGA appointed an election committee, of which I was the effective head (although I was Vice Chair, I had the most experience).
Then the Assistant Dean demanded of the SGA President, who was running for office, that the committee be dissolved. At a controversial meeting, attended by all SGA members, a vote was taken.
Now, the vote against dissolution was 5-4, with my allies controlling the Senate. Then the Coordinator passed a paper ballot to the SGA President. It was from the one Senator that was absent from the meeting.
I applied to attend the retreat… but the Coordinator of Student Activities prevented me from going without giving a satisfactory reason. His superiors backed him, and I ended up not going.
It should be noted that it is the student governments who decide upon attendance, not the coordinator!
But what would have a decent administrator have done?
Why, simply said, "Senator Zilbermints, your application is accepted.
Unfortunately we have a restricted amount of seats. I think your SGA should take a vote as to gets to go and who stays behind." I would have agreed with that, since it was the SGA's decision, not the administrator's. Unfortunately, that was not how it actually happened.
Four years later, in 1997, the same administrator prevented my appointment to the Student Senate by giving false information to the SGA President. He said that I could not be elected in a General Election, for I had served two terms already. What he did not realize was that I wrote large portions of the Constitution!
The Constitution did not forbid me from being appointed to the Senate by the SGA itself!
April 1997 brought the annual SGA elections. Wow, that was the wildest SGA election I ever was in! First, (March 1997) the SGA appointed an election committee, of which I was the effective head (although I was Vice Chair, I had the most experience).
Then the Assistant Dean demanded of the SGA President, who was running for office, that the committee be dissolved. At a controversial meeting, attended by all SGA members, a vote was taken.
Now, the vote against dissolution was 5-4, with my allies controlling the Senate. Then the Coordinator passed a paper ballot to the SGA President. It was from the one Senator that was absent from the meeting.
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