Different tickets

Kate Power
Amanda Gallagher
Executive editors
magazine@smcvt.edu

It must have been hard to make the call to Michelle Kayser.

The St. Michael’s College junior, who was ambitious enough to run for Student Association president while studying abroad in France, lost the position to fellow student Alex Monahan. To complicate matters, Kayser’s vice-presidential partner, Mallory Wood, was elected. Monahan’s running mate, Colin McSherry, faced the same dilemma as Kayser—he ran his campaign for V.P. from Spain.

And come to think of it, the call to McSherry must have been unpleasant as well.

So it is Alex Monahan and Mallory Wood, presidential team for the St. Michael’s 2007-2008 S.A. Both rising seniors, the two have extensive S.A. knowledge and practical leadership experience. They’ve served on the E-board (Monahan is currently the co-secretary of programming) and Wood is senator. The team is highly qualified and has the potential to lead the S.A. in a positive direction.

However, their union is not the combination either future official had been hoping for. The two groups put substantial effort into promoting themselves together. Monahan and McSherry created lawn signs similar to ones used by professional representatives. Kayser and Wood convinced three floors of Lyons and Joyce Halls to place neon letters in their windows so that as students exited Alliot they would be hit in the face with, “Vote Kayser and Wood!” Each candidate clearly thought they selected running mates that they would work best with; and subsequently, would be the best combination to lead the S.A.

And now it’s a year long blind date.

Perhaps that’s a little harsh. After all, Monahan and Wood have been in the S.A. together for three years; they know each other’s style and are capable of adjustment. But still, is this truly the best way to elect the two most prominent student politicians on campus?

Can you imagine what the United States Government would be like if we had elected John Kerry and Dick Cheney? Or George Bush and John Edwards? There’s a reason the U.S. government doesn’t allow the public to pick and choose candidates from different tickets. You select your team; you put faith in their decision to run together, you hope that their combined abilities will allow political society to flourish.

It’s a pleasant idea, in theory, to personally create the teams that lead the school. Perhaps Monahan would have more of a public presence then Wood, but Wood would have more ambition. Maybe McSherry was enigmatic while Kayser reserved but determined. In an ideal situation you would choose the characteristics believed to be the most vital in student leader and, with them, make the dream team. Best of both worlds, right?

However, when this theory is actually put into practice there are some undeniable risks. Personality conflicts are unavoidable, even with chosen partners. However, the conflicts would probably be easier to resolve if you were already on familiar terms with the other person. And what about goals? The ambitions of one official might be completely off track from the other’s, and although it is possible to pursue more than one path of achievement, it’s more effective if both people share the same viewpoint.

It’s not that there is an overwhelming doubt that Monahan and Wood will be effective and professional leaders of the S.A. However, are they going to be at their best without their other halves? We’ll just have to wait and see.