The title pretty much says all. I would usually lead you into something that would try to keep you interested, but I think this article is quite unique. Over this past Spring Presidential Election at UCF, I have stayed quiet with all the political drama going on, because sometimes it's best that you don't say anything at all because there is a right place and a right time for such things. Now that it is all over (for now), I'm giving you an inside look of what I go through as an SGA Elections Commissioner at UCF.
Let's backtrack for a little bit, if you will. I started going to school at UCF in the summer of 2014. Ever since then, I knew that I had to get involved in multiple organizations, which I did. In my freshman year alone, I joined three different organizations, all of which I have always been passionate about prior to even attending college. First thing I joined was UCF Club Golf, due to golf being a passion of mine for most of my life. I also joined Greek Life because I loved building connections and I wanted to continue that once I got to college. Finally, I joined the Student Body President's Advisory Council (SBPAC), because SGA was a passion of mine in high school, and I wanted to continue that in college.
SBPAC was where my start in SGA was, which is the freshmen council with the UCF SGA Executive Branch. After my freshman year, I knew that SGA would be a part of my college experience throughout college, but I wasn't sure which branch was the best fit. And then I found the Elections Commission, a group of students that facilitates Fall Senate and Spring Presidential Elections, and I became a commissioner almost immediately after I completed my time in SBPAC.
Now let's fast forward to this semester. I know you heard some things about the Elections Commission. The rumors say, "We are an elitist group of students selected by the SGA President to determine who we see as best fit." I kind of laughed at this, but I would like to mention five things people need to realize about myself and the Elections Commission:
1. We are 100 percent neutral when it comes to any candidate running for any SGA positions.
Not only do we run presidential elections, but we also run senate elections, and if we supported any candidate running for these positions, we have broken our own rules and we will be removed from our positions if we did such a thing. This is also known as "being unbiased."
2. We are never out to get any candidate running for any SGA positions.
If a candidate broke a rule in Elections Statues, the witness can file something called a "affidavit" and then we can start the process of deciding whether that candidate is actually in violation or not after declaration of candidacy. Another thing to note is that no one on the Elections Commission can file violations against candidate. We aren't allowed to because it's says so in Title VI, The Election Statues. So how can we be out to get a candidate when we can't even file violations ourselves? Again, it's the Elections Commission staying as unbiased as possible.
3. Being an Elections Commissioner makes you a big target.
People will recognize your name, your face, and immediately start saying a lot of negative comments about you with no background knowledge as to what's going on, and that's perfectly OK. Especially when it came to this election, it was better to stay silent rather than talk to people about it because people will twist your words and assume you're saying something, but really you mean something entirely different. And there will always be people who will hate you just because you're on the Elections Commission, and it's always fun to respond to those people with kindness and respect.
4. Being in the SGA Elections Commission is harder than you think.
It's a struggle being in Elections Commission period. People think you are a joke of an SGA branch. People will try to take advantage of you because they think you're soft. This is why we never have a full 10-man commission, because people never want to deal what we have to deal with, and sometimes, it can get in your head. Sometimes, you wonder why you joined this branch in the first place.
5. In the end, it's still worth it.
No matter how much criticism we take, the couple of "thank yous'" and the rare "we really appreciate what you do" compliments keeps you going. Being in a high level leadership role will be tough no matter how you try to take it, but it's good to know you're never alone in that case.
This last presidential election was quite humbling for me, and I can't wait to see what's in store for next fall.
