Posted: 02/07/07

The best fit
Finding the new Student Association secretary of academics

Michelle Bookless | multimedia editor
mbookless2@smcvt.edu

Forty-three hands rose into the air and the counting began as it always does, “One…two…three.” As members of the Student Association (S.A.) senate of St. Michael’s College raised and dropped their hands one by one, Jake Dubuque stood in the hallway, waiting to hear if he would be the next secretary of academics for the S.A.

Saying hello and goodbye

On Jan. 30, the first S.A. meeting of the 2007 spring semester was called to order and with it came the election of the new secretary of academics: Dubuque. This is the second time in two years the S.A. has had to deal with the resignation of an executive board member. Last fall, Liz Steele resigned from her position as the secretary of communications and this year Michelle Kayser was forced to resign before she left the country to study abroad in France. Upon her resignation, the personnel and nominations committee (P&N) of the S.A., led by Vice President Allan Smith, began the search for someone to fill her spot. The P&N committee is a branch of the S.A., which Smith describes as the “advisory committee for the president.”

Jake Dubuque addressed the S.A. senate before the voting began. He was voted in as the new secretary of academics on Jan. 30. (Michelle Bookless, photo)

In addition, the P&N committee serves as a review committee for the senate and club funding. In this case, the P&N serves as the board which interviews applicants for the vacant E-Board position and presents their candidate to the senate. This process began last fall, immediately after Kayser’s resignation. “When Michelle left, we sent out an e-mail saying that the position was open and looking to be filled,” Smith says.

The e-mail was sent out for the first time on Jan. 15 and stated that applicants had to hand in a letter of intent as well as two letters of recommendation from faculty or staff members. S.A. president, senior Arly Scully, says, “I was really sad to see her [Kayser] go because I knew she was going to leave some really big shoes to fill.”

At the deadline, there were four applicants who said they were ready to do just that; junior Mallory Wood, senior Matt O’Reilly, sophomore Elizabeth Lumsden, and senior Jake Dubuque.

And then there was one

Senior and S.A. secretary of student policy Charles Bouteiller says the committee was impressed with all of the candidates but finally decided on Dubuque who has spent three and a half years working with the S.A., specifically in the academics committee. “For me and most people in the room it came down to experience,” Bouteiller says.

Kayser, who was informed and asked for her opinion about the final candidate by the P&N committee, wrote in an e-mail that she had complete confidence in the committee’s decision. “…I knew he deserved the position,” she wrote. “Jake has served on the committee since I started during my freshman year. He has experience and knows how to conduct meetings.”

Michelle Kayser, the previous S.A.secretary of acadmics, resigned last semester in order to study abroad in France. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Kayser)

Dubuque was not the only candidate with experience. Lumsden worked on Kayser’s academics committee last semester and Wood stepped in as the secretary of communications when Steele resigned last year. She is now a senator for the class of 2008 and has devoted much of her time to the S.A. Still, Wood says she has no hard feelings about Dubuque’s appointment. “When I found out he was applying for it I felt there was nobody more qualified than him,” she says. “He is the right person for the job.”

Carrying on the old and starting something new

Many E-Board members say they agree that although they would like to see Dubuque continue some of Kayser’s work, they would also like to see him start his own initiatives. Wood says it is important for Dubuque to distinguish himself and also work on making the position his own. “I really would like to make sure that Jake continues and builds upon the work that Michelle’s done,” Scully says.

Indeed, Dubuque says he has several new plans he would like to set in action. “I really want to take a stronger focus on the technology aspect,” he says. He explains that he would like to work more closely with the Information Technology department on campus to make sure students are able to have wireless Internet in their dorm rooms. “I think technology impacts education to a much greater extent than even a few years ago,” Dubuque says. “Having reliable technology is an important part of academics.”

Lauren Remmes, senior class president, says, “I think that his work and his concentration on technology and interest in that is something that will be really beneficial. For him it will be an accomplishment.”

In addition, Dubuque says his other main goal is to work on certain aspects of the study abroad program. “I’d also like to see financial aid completely resorted to study abroad so that it’s 100 percent not 90 percent,” he says.

Finally, Dubuque says, “I also want to increase the transparency between the executive board and the student body.”

Dubuque was voted into the E-Board with 43 votes and two absentions. (Michelle Bookless, photo)

This at first caused some apprehension among the members of the P&N committee, especially due to Dubuque’s participation in The Echo with his column, “Jake’s Take.” However, Scully says that she thinks Dubuque will be able to write the column while still maintaining some confidentiality.

Former secretary Kayser says she has some important advice for Dubuque. “Buy a planner, get ready to be busy, and most importantly, have some fun, Jake!” she wrote in an e-mail.

Scully says she is happy with the P&N committee and senate’s appointment of Dubuque. “I’ve always said, the best person for the job should get the job every time,” Scully says. “Jake was the best person. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t put him on my E-board.”