Continuing a tradition of irresponsibility and incompetence, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Elections Board (ELBO) botched its first assignment of the year last week when the scheduled freshmen Senate election was not held due to a lack of communication within the body.
The ELBO has taken great strides to change past trends. This semester, in an unprecedented move, the Board announced plans for online voting, a shift that could increase the traditionally anemic voter turnout and reduce incidents of election fraud that have plagued student government elections in past years.
The ELBO, along with the TCU Senate, the Committee on Student Life (CSL), and the TCU Judiciary, is one of the most significant and influential student organizations on campus. But it is Senate, which allocates the $1 million-plus Student Activities Fee each year, that is suffering the backlash of ELBO's election blunder. In response, the Senate and the Judiciary have called for the resignation of ELBO's three remaining members.
While many are pointing fingers at both bodies for Friday's debacle, the blame should fall entirely on former-ELBO Chair Shane Mason, who has demonstrated a lack of both leadership and competence. The Senate, in calling for the resignation of all ELBO members, took its reaction a little too far.
Mason, who claimed responsibility for all mishaps, took the appropriate step of resigning his post. He defended his former-ELBO colleagues, Adam Mueller and Valentino Caruso, saying they should not be held responsible for what Mason modestly called the "worst job ever" of running a freshmen election. Despite Mason's mea culpa, Mueller resigned. Caruso, meanwhile, will fight to stay on the Board when his case is heard before the CSL.
The CSL should take note of Caruso's dedication and persistence and allow him to continue his work on ELBO. If he is willing to fight for such a thankless job, chances are he will not allow a collective failure to happen again.
While Mason has given Tufts students little reason to have faith in their government, the Senate and Judiciary are working towards change by mandating formal training for new ELBO members and creating a structure that would force ELBO members to report to an administrator in the Office of Student Activities (OSA), likely Director Jodie Nealley. These steps are long overdue, and will provide the guidance ELBO obviously needs.
With these regulations in place, Caruso would be an appropriate and enthusiastic head for the otherwise defunct body. The menacing gaze of the OSA and the Senate will assure Caruso follows through with his task.
In the future, however, the student government should market ELBO along with other student government positions. The student body needs to know the value of this organization, which ultimately controls the fate of the students' representative government. The TCU government must approach students across campus to be representatives of their peers and students should feel a responsibility to participate in their government.
