Stand by me

The editorial board would like to offer belated congratulations to Learned Foote, CC ’11, and the rest of Stand Columbia for their recent election as the 2010-2011 Columbia College Student Council Executive Board. We were pleased to learn that the rest of Columbia College felt as we did—that Stand Columbia was the best choice to stand for Columbia. And while we still believe that, we do encourage the board to use these next few months to prioritize and pronounce their plans.

We were impressed by the fact that the members of Stand Columbia, as candidates, seemed to grasp the point of their office and what they could and could not accomplish if elected. We do, though, fervently believe that they should go back to their list of campaign promises and seriously evaluate why they promised each—what should be prioritized and what should be rethought? For example, the proposal for student leadership grants (money for students in leadership positions) may have sounded good on the campaign trail, as students on financial aid aren’t financially compensated for their extracurricular contributions. Realistically, though, the practical implications of this stance need to be considered. Many student positions take up time but do not prevent students from also holding down an off-campus job or work-study appointment. Furthermore, the process of determining which causes and which students are worthy of funding would not only unfairly privilege certain campus groups, but would also unnecessarily complicate the incentives for students to join and lead them. The council must consider whether it is looking to achieve a goal because that goal is good, or because meeting any aim is good. Similarly, one of Stand Columbia’s many proposals was to further a culture of community service, but its website does not detail specifically how this would come about. What can and cannot actually be accomplished, why do they want to accomplish it, and how are they going to do so?

We encourage our executives-elect to prioritize their goals. Campus-wide implementation of a fliering policy that can’t actually be enforced doesn’t merit the same attention as implementing gender-neutral housing, changing the deadline for final grades, or expanding the P-Card Program, all of which are goals we believe this board can achieve. We urge the members to take the time to gauge student interest, consider their own values, and strategize. Most importantly, we implore them to inform students of what those priorities and plans are.

Stand Columbia, tell us what your goals are for the first semester, the second semester, and for the year as a whole. Let us know what you think will be accomplished when. This September, return to campus with clear goals for concrete change and articulate them to your constituents—your peers. In the words of one famous Columbian, Alexander Hamilton, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” The council is yours, Stand Columbia. Now tell us—and show us—what you stand for.