BREAKING /
RELEVANCE OF FASS CLUB QUESTIONED AT 32ND MC ELECTIONS RACHEL TENG |
29.9.2011
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Credit: FASS Club
With less than ten percent of arts undergraduates voting, there were concerns as to whether the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences club is becoming irrelevant.
That was one of the questions posed by Chua Ching Hock at the FASS club internal elections for the 32nd Management Committee on Sept. 10, 2011.
Chua, president of the 26th MC, was referring to the number of votes received from arts undergraduates during the voting period Aug. 30 to Aug. 31, 2011. This was a mere 408 votes out of the 6,000 strong arts population.
External voting, which allowed all 6,000 arts undergraduates to vote for their preferred candidates, was reintroduced this year after a five-year absence. Previously, voting was only opened to the alumni of the MC.
Newly elected 32nd MC President, Deng Hui Shan Wilson, reasoned that students may not see the need to vote as the club has continued serving students regardless of their say in choosing the members of the committee.
“With limitations, 400-odd votes are a good start. This awareness of the club is brought out with the help of the Elections Committee,” he added.
Daryl Boey, the Returning Officer and outgoing Welfare Secretary of the 31st MC explained that campaigning and external voting was implemented this year to increase awareness of the club and to also let students “know who their student leaders are, at the very least.”
This year, candidates had to secure more than 50 percent of the votes cast to be successfully elected into office.
“That 8 dollars translates into the need for us to be accountable, to represent all of us,” Boey said, referring to the compulsory club fee students paid every year.
“It’s a culture we’re trying to change, because in the past, we were very exclusive,” Boey said, referring to the inclusiveness of the committee due to the way voting was carried out previously.
He added that this change was necessary especially if arts students needed to raise certain issues to the school’s administration.
Assistant Returning Officer Tan Wei Yuan agreed, saying that it was a “step into the correct direction.”
In terms of relevance to students, however, the FASS club still has a long way to go.
“It is pointless to have the FASS elections. Campaigning was just a manifesto and people wearing green shirts,” Melissa Chue, a third-year English literature major, said.
“Students generally don’t bother, and when campaigning is just about putting up a photo on Facebook to ask for votes, all the more we won’t bother,” she said.
To her, candidates should be more personal during their campaigning, giving more details of their future plans if they were to be elected. She felt that this could help keep students informed, even if they may not be entirely interested in the elections.
The value of student voting was questioned further by the last minute withdrawals of two student elects, who had both received strong support from the FASS student population.
Ooi Teck Chau, a second-year student, stepped down as he was not able to get the support of the other candidates for a suitable position in the committee during the internal elections. This is despite receiving 81.37 percent of the vote at the external elections.
Another elect, Sylvia Phua, had to withdraw due to “personal reasons”, mainly due to parental objection. The first-year student had earlier received 54.9 percent of the vote.
Still, Returning Officer Daryl Boey hopes external voting and campaigning will continue next year.
He felt that even if students might find the elections “stupid”, campaigning is still necessary to involve the arts population in choosing their leaders.
“Campaigning must go on,” Boey emphasises.
That was one of the questions posed by Chua Ching Hock at the FASS club internal elections for the 32nd Management Committee on Sept. 10, 2011.
Chua, president of the 26th MC, was referring to the number of votes received from arts undergraduates during the voting period Aug. 30 to Aug. 31, 2011. This was a mere 408 votes out of the 6,000 strong arts population.
External voting, which allowed all 6,000 arts undergraduates to vote for their preferred candidates, was reintroduced this year after a five-year absence. Previously, voting was only opened to the alumni of the MC.
Newly elected 32nd MC President, Deng Hui Shan Wilson, reasoned that students may not see the need to vote as the club has continued serving students regardless of their say in choosing the members of the committee.
“With limitations, 400-odd votes are a good start. This awareness of the club is brought out with the help of the Elections Committee,” he added.
Daryl Boey, the Returning Officer and outgoing Welfare Secretary of the 31st MC explained that campaigning and external voting was implemented this year to increase awareness of the club and to also let students “know who their student leaders are, at the very least.”
This year, candidates had to secure more than 50 percent of the votes cast to be successfully elected into office.
“That 8 dollars translates into the need for us to be accountable, to represent all of us,” Boey said, referring to the compulsory club fee students paid every year.
“It’s a culture we’re trying to change, because in the past, we were very exclusive,” Boey said, referring to the inclusiveness of the committee due to the way voting was carried out previously.
He added that this change was necessary especially if arts students needed to raise certain issues to the school’s administration.
Assistant Returning Officer Tan Wei Yuan agreed, saying that it was a “step into the correct direction.”
In terms of relevance to students, however, the FASS club still has a long way to go.
“It is pointless to have the FASS elections. Campaigning was just a manifesto and people wearing green shirts,” Melissa Chue, a third-year English literature major, said.
“Students generally don’t bother, and when campaigning is just about putting up a photo on Facebook to ask for votes, all the more we won’t bother,” she said.
To her, candidates should be more personal during their campaigning, giving more details of their future plans if they were to be elected. She felt that this could help keep students informed, even if they may not be entirely interested in the elections.
The value of student voting was questioned further by the last minute withdrawals of two student elects, who had both received strong support from the FASS student population.
Ooi Teck Chau, a second-year student, stepped down as he was not able to get the support of the other candidates for a suitable position in the committee during the internal elections. This is despite receiving 81.37 percent of the vote at the external elections.
Another elect, Sylvia Phua, had to withdraw due to “personal reasons”, mainly due to parental objection. The first-year student had earlier received 54.9 percent of the vote.
Still, Returning Officer Daryl Boey hopes external voting and campaigning will continue next year.
He felt that even if students might find the elections “stupid”, campaigning is still necessary to involve the arts population in choosing their leaders.
“Campaigning must go on,” Boey emphasises.