Seniors can't rock the vote

This morning I logged on to eBear, excited to participate in the democratic process.

I had done my homework, read the platforms and debate reports, and chosen the best candidates for Barnard’s Student Government Association. My hands pounded away at the keyboard, feverishly typing in my username and password. After closing the pop-up reminding me to call the flu hotline should I have symptoms, I was ready to vote. I filled in all the pertinent bubbles. I was about to click submit.

But I quickly found that I couldn’t. I’m a senior. “Your Class is SR. You are not eligible to vote!” eBear told me. Gee, thanks. So I guess I don’t have a stake in student government. I’m 21 and obsolete.

Of course, I have mixed feelings about the effectiveness of student councils. In fact, my sense is that most council members do. But at the most fundamental level, these people nominally represent me to the administration. Voting is extremely important in at least legitimizing the councils and empowering the student voice—as much as it can be when SGA’s primary activities are programming and allocating funds to/recognizing student groups.

Therefore, I was extremely disappointed to learn that I couldn’t cast my ballot. I’m thinking of (gasp!) forgoing my Spirit Day T-shirt this year.

To be sure, having seniors vote brings up the question of representation. I’ll be out of school. Why would SGA represent me?

First, I’ll be an alumna one year out of Barnard. Many young alumnae stay close to Barnard, whether to explore new facilities, apply for fellowships, or utilize the Office of Career Development. I clearly have a stake in this. And while SGA doesn’t represent alumnae interests, it does work to ensure the quality of these services.

Second, the idea of direct representation in student government is somewhat outmoded beyond the beauty of the theory, since the size of SGA hasn’t really grown proportionally with the student body.

Furthermore, voter turnout has been historically underwhelming at Barnard. Two years ago, one-third of students voted. Last year, 41.5 percent participated. But there could be more, were seniors allowed to vote. The school is crippling itself by losing one quarter of its student body in these elections—the quarter that has seen the most at Barnard.

All I’m asking for is a say in the composition of the SGA executive board and representative council. Obviously, a senior voting for class council would be ridiculous. We should look toward the Columbia College Student Council’s model, which allows seniors to vote for executive board and at-large positions.

I know my plea comes too late to make any change this year. Alas, my bubbles remain filled, yet unsubmitted. My own preferences are floating in the ether. But for the class of 2011’s sake, let the seniors vote.

The author is a Barnard College senior majoring in English. She is the former Spectator campus news editor.