USAC representation needs to be elected

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In the wake of last week’s resignation by Undergraduate
Students Association Council Financial Supports Commissioner Kim
Coss, Student Empowerment! members, who comprise the
council’s majority, have an opportunity to live up to their
name.

Coss, who left the board for personal reasons that Internal Vice
President Kennisha Austin described as “tragic,” leaves
a vacancy in the council that will be filled via presidential
appointment sometime this week.

Coss’ personal problems come at an unfortunate time. A
constitutional rule mandating appointments instead of new elections
for the replacement of departing council members goes into effect
at mid-term, or Week Five, rendering it impossible for students to
elect Coss’ successor.

Particularly distressing about the situation is that it could
have been avoided. After missing every council meeting this
quarter, and reconsidering her commitment as early as fall quarter,
according to a fellow council member, there was plenty of time for
Coss to back out of her commitment and still leave the council in a
position to hold elections. But neither Coss nor her peers did
anything to preempt the potential problem.

If the council’s majority is really about
“empowerment,” they’ll realize the importance of
having students vote for their new representative. Though
it’s a tedious process to change the constitution, doing so
should be considered after council vacancies caused problems three
years in a row. With the simplicity and relatively inexpensive cost
of online elections available as an option, mandatory appointment
seems an unnecessary and potentially harmful policy.