In the next few days, many of you will be voting for many candidates to represent you in the Student Assembly. Contrary to popular belief, the Student Assembly does do a lot. Aside from working frequently with Cornell University as the student voice, the Student Assembly that you elect will be deciding how to fund the student groups on campus (approximately 1.6 million dollars). That money will be distributed to student organizations and various student activities. They will appropriate money from your Student Activity fee. Hence, cast your votes and cast them wisely! Equally important is the University Assembly, which consists of undergraduates, graduates, professors, and university employees. The University Assembly is mainly responsible for the Campus Store, transportation, and health centers. These are important issues, too. Elect candidates who will support your best interests!

To help you get to know your candidates, we undertook the task of interviewing m any of them--whoever would respond to our solicitation. We invited the candidates for 15-minute interviews. We maintained as open a mind as possible – partisanship stops at the assembly door. The candidates whom we did not interview we have not covered here. Our coverage is therefore based solely on these candidates’ answers to our questions and on our judgments of their abilities. We hope that you will do so as well. We learned a lot about them, and try to put forth the knowledge without bias. 

Making History…

In this issue of Turn Left, I hope to provide you with important information about the candidates, so that the candidates you elect will make life easier and better for you. In this academic year, I have witnessed the selection of a new U.S. President and elected a new Senator for New York. Now, to top off this special academic election year, I will be electing our very own to the Student Assembly. As a hard working Cornellian, I hope that Turn Left will help you become informed, and I assure you, you vote will be counted.

Candidate Profiles

Student-Elected Trustee

Student Assembly (SA)

• College-based seats
• Non-college-based seats

Why Vote?

The Student Assembly (SA) is the student government at Cornell, representing over 13,000 students in seven undergraduate colleges. It is comprised of 23 members, representing each of the colleges (in proportion to the size of their population), freshmen and transfers; there are also at-large and liaison positions. With policy authority over the Office of the Dean of Students, the Department of Campus Life (housing and dining), and 400 student organizations, the SA seeks out and voices student concerns to administrators. The SA also sets and oversees a $1.2 million student activity fee, which funds student organizations, provides free admission to most athletic events, and subsidizes the cost of tickets to movies, speakers, concerts, and other programs on campus.

Every year one student is elected in a university-wide election to serve a two-year term as a full member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees. Trustees serve on numerous committees and task forces of The Board as well as ex-officers on the Student Assembly. It is one of the most influential positions in which a student can serve.

Please go out and vote on March 6 or 7. Here is the list of polling locations and hours. Like the election in Florida, your vote may be decisive, and fortunately for you, your vote will be counted.