Timanie S Mills

For the past few years, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) previously referred to as the Hornet Activities Committee (HAC) was a group of students that was also pre-selected based on academics, student involvement, and great leadership skills. However, this year CAB took an unexpected turn and let the student body vote on who they wanted to be a part of this wonderful team. CAB is a board of students who plan big university events for the student body, homecoming, spring fling, welcome week and so much more. The question at hand is having a pre-selected board vs a student board which is better for the university?

Having university administration hand-pick out student leaders is not a good representation of the student body. Most of the time, administrators are picking students that do not have a connection with their peers. They are picking students who tend to be socially awkward and not really connected how they need to be. To be on a committee like that, you must have an intense connection with your peers so that you can bring out events that the students would enjoy.

Administration idea of a perfect student leader is a student with outstanding grades and a lot of community service. However, that may look good, students who have outstanding grades and is very involved in everything else are the perfect match. These students understand the minds of their peers and knows what type of events to bring to them. Imagine the school spending thousands of dollars on events no students would show up too. 

Students actually having a vote in picking the students that plan some of the biggest events for the school year is very important. Especially, homecoming VSU Spectator states “Homecoming allows students to show their school spirit, have a great time, and make memories that will last forever”; during this week you are expecting a week-long filled with events. Amber Daniel a senior majoring in Biological Sciences states that “Since CAB put the board on the ballot, it actually gave students an insight on who is really controlling the events we had; when CAB was pick-only the board never announced themselves so we never knew who we as students can express our concerns of bad events too, now we that we know I feel very safe.”. 

Having a responsibility so big as that can be a blessing or a curse; being on a board like that is a lot of pressure. Your expectation to please every student is very high; not every student has the same interests but it is your job do to your best and accommodate to the majority of the population.