Earlier tonight, however, a senior SG official (one that is not a member of the BOE) confirmed that they had seen an original copy of the email, and that the charges were accurate. It was sent to the Delta Gamma listserv, and encouraged a vote for Nate Bronstein. It was sent by a member of the sorority that is known to be a supporter of Nate. She was also the same person that filed the complaint against Nirvana's campaign for her email.
This seems pretty serious. How can the BOE justify removing Nirvana from the ballot, but not Nate, because of what is essentially a technicality? The answer, in my opinion, would be to simply put Nirvana back on the ballot.
Technicalities oh technicalities. Someone could copy and paste the email to a word document, print it, and tape it to Bikram Kohli's computer screen and the by-laws would prevent him from looking into it because its not the original email. This is on someone from DG to come forward and forward it to Kohli. The problem is, I'm pretty sure Nate has the right to face his accuser, which could get said accuser in trouble with DG.
ReplyDeleteWell, well. I would have appreciated you coming to talk to me, Bobby, instead of assuming that I can not do anything about it. Surely, in the number of conversations we have had over the past few days you could have asked a simple question to the tune of "Is there any way that the BOE could work with DG while still uphold the regulations it is supposed to adhere to?" and I would have answered.
ReplyDeleteAs it stands, I explained to the complainant how they could go about the process. If the complainant does not want to resubmit it, or discuss this with me further, I can not do anything as a member of the Board, much less its Chairperson.
As I told you, I am bound by the Regulations. Do I like the regulations? No, absolutely not. My actions as BOE Chair have shown my displeasure at how inadequate the Regulations are. But the fact is, as long as those regulations exist, I am bound to follow them, and will to the best of my ability.
My offer still stands to you - the doors are always open. And to anyone who wishes to speak to me, I am willing to offer a candid statement. I have always stood for transparency in the SG and my actions as BOE Chair, I believe, reflected that.
Regards,
Bikram
WOW what hypocrites. The people promoting Nate via e-mailS and list-serveS are doing so AFTER the blow-up about Nirvana's campaign. It wasn't a prominent rule on anyone's radar until an accident made it so, and the people promoting Nate are doing so IN SPITE of obviously knowing that this is against the rules. Intent counts for a lot in this country people. It's called fair, put Nirvana on the ballot.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how what I typed was wrong. You've told me you needed the original email to follow through on a report, and I know that its against DG policy to give it out because I've already tried to get it.
ReplyDeleteIt is against DG policy to give it out, agreed. Is it also against DG policy to let me see it? I can't comment because I haven't, or rather can't, spoken to a DG sister (remember me telling you about BOE's investigatory powers?). What is stopping a DG sister from coming to the Board and talking to us, though? A paper trail is still required, however, and that is not my requirement. It is the Board, AUSG, and University requirement. I reiterate, I discussed this with the original complainant and suggested ways to work with DG, but not knowing what the actual DG policy is without talking to a DG sister, how can someone expect me to miraculously find a solution?
ReplyDeleteThe Presidential Candidates are right. The SG needs fixing, repairing. But, if someone expects me (as BOE Chair) to wave a magic wand and say "Reparo", they've got to be out of their minds.
The Student Body needs to understand that BOE doesn't work on the whims of its Chair. The Board votes on its procedure. So, even if the previous Chair, or I, wanted to put a candidate back on the ballot, the Chair needs to have majority. Also, BOE Chair has always abstained from voting as is evident from records available to everyone.
Putting my name out on a public blog and making a remark on how obvious, or not, things are is taking it a bit too personal. The Board has other members, and I will NOT browbeat them to do as I please. Even the thought of someone suggesting I do it violates all that I stand for.
Regards,
Bikram
I'm really glad we all know that the best way to fix this whole mess is a spell from Harry Potter. Man, I really love AU :) Can we ask the candidates what their patronus would be?
ReplyDeleteBikram,
ReplyDeleteYou are dumb for what you are saying in this blog...THAT is a personal attack. What Bobby said was a simple statement of fact which you yourself have reiterated.
Get with the program. You hold and have agreed to run a high profile organization. If you can't handle a little media time - good or bad - then you should get out. I suggest to the Senate that perhaps they should take their time deciding to confirm you.
If you are going to control blogs and defend yourself anytime you take offense at a seemingly benign comment I don't see how you can act professionally in your capacity as BOE Chair. Your behavior on this blog is so blatantly unprofessional I am appalled. You cannot, presently acting in your capacity as chair, defending your actions on countless blogs. It in fact shows just how swayed your decisions may be. If you can't take the heat on a blog how can you be considered to be work under pressure as the Chair?
Please don't respond to this post, it would just look worse you and you have already preceded to tarnish yourself and the Board enough with your previous posts.
This is such bull, I thought it was the opinion of this blog that the candidates need to get back to running their campaigns and that the SG should stop wasting time over more alleged emails. It's simply ridiculous that this is even being reported on when some "Senior SG official" isn't event willing to come out and be quoted about their position, how are we suppose to trust that? This is really just ridiculous, if someone has a problem or a violation go to the BOE or Student Activities, if you don't have any evidence for that claim then maybe they should remain silent and let this election run as smoothly as possible.
ReplyDeleteIt is the opinion of this blog that the BOE should stop wasting time over alleged emails, including the one sent by Nirvana's friends, and let all four candidates be on the ballot. It is not fair that Nirvana is being punished when another candidate seems to have done the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAnother day, another round of sheer and utter nonsense. Really people, you should be out celebrating health care reform or worrying about how it is going to lead us to communism and fascism (depending on your political persuasion).
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ReplyDeleteBikram Kohli-
ReplyDeleteNo one on this blog has suggested that you violate regulations or that you "browbeat" the board to do as you please. People are simply looking for you and the rest of the BOE to acknowledge the flagrant hypocrisy and unjust disqualifications that have tainted this election, and to show that you are committed to somehow leveling the playing field before the polls open tomorrow morning. I mean, that is the purpose of the Board of ELECTIONS, is it not? To ensure that the student government elections proceed in a fair and transparent manner?
You said above, "If the complainant does not want to resubmit it, or discuss this with me further, I can not do anything as a member of the Board, much less its Chairperson." Instead of using this public forum as a place to defend your record as BOE chairperson, expound on what it is you "stand for" (on which I am still unclear), and to defend your actions (or inaction) on this issue, perhaps you should use your place of authority, as chairperson of the Board of ELECTIONS, to urge that someone from DG step forward and cooperate with you, so that you can do what it is with which you are charged as an elected official--keep our ELECTIONS fair.
No one is asking you to perform a miracle or wave a magic wand, as you so flippantly phrased it. We ask simply that you show a little integrity! If no one in Delta Gamma chooses to do the right thing and provide you with the original document by tomorrow, than the only fair thing you can do is restore Nirvana Habash's name to the ballot. Otherwise, the election, over which you and the BOE preside, will be nothing more than a farce, and If and when the Senate deems the election results unfair, let the record show who was meant to have protected the integrity of the process, and failed to do so.
The above is not me. TY
ReplyDeleteNo, the above is Taylor Cowey. Sorry, didn't mean to seem like anyone else... I've never done this before haha.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, the people I feel the most sorry for right now are the DGs. They may have less skin in the game, but they didn't even realize they were playing. The candidates, on some level, knew they were signing up for a shitshow.
ReplyDeleteAnd they should have known there would be problems, because the Board of Elections is a broken institution. You can blame that on the rules, the people, both, neither, or even the alignment of the stars, but change is necessary.
It's important, though, to talk about these problems not just when we're angry. Election reform in the AUSG has for too long been reactionary and sporadic.
That's why my friend and fellow senator Eric Reath and I fought to keep the Election Studies Committee chartered when a certain presidential candidate thought it was no longer necessary - because these kinds of problems will always arise, and a sentence of prevention in the Senate saves pages of problems for candidates and the BOE.
We've tabled discussion of this election's issues for two weeks, but after that - or if you want to talk about your problems with any other election regulations, or just want to talk about how we hold our elections - please feel free to come to meetings of the reinstated Election Oversight Committee. We can be reached by the curious at adam.daniel-wayman@ausg.org and eric.reath@ausg.org.
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ReplyDelete