STUDENT GOVT: Election details
From Dean Sreenath Sreenivasan
and Prof. June Cross, new SPJ faculty adviser
Dear Students:
It’s time once again for this year’s student government/SPJ elections - a chance for you to get involved with extracurricular activities and have a say in how your academic year turns out. Yes, there will be opportunities later for those of you who want to volunteer for various committees, but for now, we want you to step up and run for office and/or vote!
The online nomination forms (self-nominations only) are now online (they close
on Friday, Sept. 27). The online voting will take place Oct. 3-Oct. 5.
HERE’S THE TIMELINE:
Friday, Oct. 6: First board meeting, 6-7 pm please note the regular board
meeting schedule will be determined by the new board
Thursday, Oct. 5: New board announced, 6 pm
Thursday, Oct. 5: Online ballots closed, 4 pm
Tuesday, Oct. 3: Online ballots open, 4 pm
Tuesday, Oct. 3: Candidate Pitch night, 6:15-6:45 pm in the Lecture Hall
(before that night’s all-class lecture)
Candidates will each make a 60-second speech.
Candidates for president will have 120 seconds each.
Friday, Sept. 29: Nominations closed, 9 am (anyone unopposed will be appointed
to that slot)
Thursday, Sept. 21: Briefing session 6:30-7 pm in Student Lounge (there might
be other sessions; or ask to meet Dean Sreenivasan individually)
Tuesday, Sept. 19: Briefing session 2:00-3 pm with Fahd Hussain, president of the class of 2002 and TV anchor in Pakistan (location TBA)
Here are some links to more information:
* Role of each officer in SPJ:
http://spj.jrn.columbia.edu/officers.html
* SPJ Bylaws, so you can learn what SPJ is all about:
http://spj.jrn.columbia.edu/bylaws2003.pdf (PDF format)
* Online nomination forms to nominate yourself:
http://www.formsite.com/columbiaspj/2006elections/
* As nominations come in, you can read the candidate pitches:
http://snipurl.com/wlkw
* Multimedia presentation by Rebecca Castillo, J2006 Class President at graduation
http://www.rebeccacastillo.com/2006j-schoolstory.html
* See some pitches from previous candidates below.
Please read all the material online and save your questions till the briefing
session(s). If you can’t make the sessions, please see us next week.
- Dean Sreenivasan & Prof. Cross
SAMPLE PITCHES FROM LAST YEAR
* CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT
I will do all I can to make sure this is a great year in our lives. This is our
chance to learn a great deal, to have a good time and to make friends for life.
I have the political background to address problems effectively and knowledge
and contacts in New York City to help us get great speakers and event venues.
VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE: - I can get us sponsors to give us a new couch and (clean)
microwave - I’ll let you informed about events in the city and get us discounts
in museums and nightclubs - I’ll make sure we get speakers that inspire us and
people that will actually give us tools and tips about getting a job after
graduation - I’m not afraid of working hard (I’ll only need 4 hours of sleep!)
- Because I am a foreign-born American citizen, I’ll make sure to represent
foreign and domestic students, bringing them together through our events and
creating a way to keep networking throughout the upcoming years.
* CANDIDATE FOR EVENTS DIRECTOR:
I’m running because I believe there really is more to education than ledes and
nut-graphs. Everyone here has something great to offer, and it’d be a shame to
see us spend 9 months doing the same old things (yes, West End, I.m talking to
you) . the year.s too short and this city.s too damn great. For NY - we need to
regularly circulate a list of cheap/free things worth checking out. And on
campus, in addition to holiday bashes and happy hours (maybe a few with our
profs?), how about karaoke and a no-talent show (humiliation unites), and a
pot-luck Thanksgiving for those of us who.ll be on campus. I can.t promise a
huge budget, but I can promise this: I’m a hard-working girl who’s great at
getting something($$$) for nothing($) and doesn.t like hearing .no.. Plus - in
addition to experience, my former job also gives me unparalelled access to
C-list celebs. And if that ain’t culture…
* CANDIDATE FOR SPEAKERS DIRECTOR:
Many colleagues I’ve met with little to no professional journalism experience
have told me over the years that the journalism world seems mysterious, and
gaining entry to it seems daunting. Precisely because this field is so
competitive out there, I believe those who have experience should help relative
neophytes break in. In that vein, I’ll strive to bring speakers who will dispel
beliefs about not making it in the media world by showing us how they’ve done
it. As a fact checker at Mother Jones, I met lots of writers from a variety of
backgrounds, including Peter Maass, Azadeh Moaveni, Liza Featherstone, Susan
Faludi, Jim Wallis. I’ll work to bring a mixture of informative, helpful,
diverse and entertaining speakers, helping you get your money’s worth this
year.
* CANDIDATE FOR WEBMASTER:
I have had a lot of web experience, and love learning new ways of improving
peoples’ web experiences. I will work with the other web masters in updating
the website in a timely manner.
