COGS election deserves redo

Manish, I have three words for you.

Let … it … go.

Not only did you lose, but if even ONE of those statements on the report was true you did not DESERVE the be the president. I am not an active voting member of COGS, but I do follow closely what goes on. In fact, I also attended the very last meeting. You should be appalled and embarrassed for what you did at the last meeting of the year. Not to mention the representative from the journalism department, at least I was informed she was from journalism. Between her antics who remind me exactly of Monica Conyers, and your juvenile behavior of wanting to still act as a standing president, you should be ashamed. You act like a child and were the sorest of losers.

I do not know Rachel, the new president, very well at all. What I can say is that she does not cause any of the chaos and drama you did. From the start of the meeting you acted like a child who was picked last for a dodge ball team but trying to act as team captain.

Let it go Manish … a few months have passed and you are looking like more of an idiot and even more of a sore loser with each passing day. Maybe if you didn’t pay your own campus parking tickets with COGS funds, or commit half of the other items on the report you would still be president.

One other thing as well. Who cares? We are all graduate students and we’re going to be finished, at most, in five years if we’re on a PhD route. For you I assume you have less than that? None of this stuff with COGS is going to matter once you graduate. You can still put on a resume/CV you were president of the organization for a year. Why don’t you put all this effort you have been putting into this choas into your graduate work. Maybe you’ll get done quicker and you’ll be able to get on with your life. Ask yourself if in five years this election is even going to matter, because it’s not. You are going to have a full time career doing something else somewhere else in either the U.S. or the world. Who cares about COGS it is just a larger version of your high school student council. You are a respectable man and from when I’ve met you, a friendly guy. Just let it go so you can graduate and move on with your life. You’re better than this anyway.

How about we just do away with COGS all together and see if anyone notices?

Manish,

I noticed that you do not refute the allegations mentioned in the report. You can grandstand about democracry and fairness all you wish, but the fact remains that although the timing may have been poor, there was indeed concern about your capacity to lead. This happens in the political world all the time (see John Edwards and his affair during the primaries). The fact remains that until you can disprove the allegations against you, you 1) have not right to be COGS president or 2) claim that you were denied fairness.

Hear Hear! As with all forms of student “government”, they exist only as a powerless organization filled with people who like to hear themselves talk and discuss how important each other feel for being part of the government.

I agree, if COGS disappeared tomorrow, no one would notice. For that matter, I have a feeling a large number of graduate students don’t even care what COGS is or does. According to their own website , there are 32 positions on the council that are unfilled due to lack of interest! That is 40% of all available seats. COGS can barely form a quorum at meetings.

Get rid of COGS and all the petty bickering and infighting that comes with it.

Also, if you are going to talk about a report, maybe you should include some of the highlights and refute the items on the report if you feel they were wrong?

Graduate Student, I think you understood little more than the headline of the oped. The article talks about the need for a free and fair election, which this one for sure wasn’t. I am a proud student at MSU and such petty politics concerns me. MSU is not a jungle where everything that happens, however unfair, should be accepted. Manish in any case is not talking about himself here. Please control your prejudiced feelings.

Come to think of it, the current administrators of COGS seem to have lost their bearings. If they write a letter stating that the timing and manner of the report was against the ideals and over that pass a resolution that the elections violated free spirit, how in the world do they justify their own positions. BLATANT!!!! OR is it that they have basic problems in language comprehension. In either case they don’t seem fit to take care of any administration.

As far as refuting allegations is concerned, they have already been refuted and condemned at a special meeting which you might have no idea of. Care to browse a little more on State news and you should find the links.

Manish,

I understand how you feel about this election. What happened to you was a low blow and crappy. I can say that because it’s happened to me before as well.

That being true notwithstanding, you need to accept that you lost the election. Nothing that was done was against any rules or procedures of COGS or any other governing body. There are numerous ways, using parliamentary procedure, that you could have addressed these issues at the time, however, that didnt happen.

“These actions were devised to rig the elections.”

Language is important here. No one rigged anything. Their actions, while potentially dishonorable, were not in any way against the rules. What happened was simply negative campaigning. It happens in every election in the world. If they had people vote twice and lost your vote, that would be different. Thats not what happened.

It sucks to lose anything, an election especially, moreso as the incumbent. Unfortunately, thats life and how you’re able to cope with setbacks will have a major impact on your life. You need to accept that you were beaten, unethically perhaps, but within the rules of the game. You can still get involved as a rep if you wish or pursue other activities. Demanding a “Redo” is extremely childish. This is not 4th grade. You are a graduate student. You should realize by now this is not the way the world works. Should McCain get one because of some untrue negative campaign ad (especially true in the 2000 primaries)? No.

Attempting to get the university administration to intercede is highly inappropriate and attacks the foundation of independence critical for any student government. As a former member myself I respectfully ask you to please stop this, it is harmful to all student governments.

It’s time to let this one go Manish. You’ve got a lot of talent to offer. Find something positive to invest your efforts. You’ll be much better off and very glad you did.

Good Luck

Jordi, which comment were you responding too? I’m the one who wrote comment one and two. I don’t know who wrote the third one later on.

Maybe graduate students don’t participate in academic governance because they are wise enough to realize by now that government is tyranny. Graduate student academic governance is not the only place petty, childish bickering takes place. Just take a took at the partisan gridlock in the New York State Senate. They are gridlocked at 31-31 because there is no lieutenant governor to cast a tie-breaking vote. Thus, New York State won’t even get a budget passed, because session cannot be held without a quorum of 32 senators, so either side of the contest has power to stall any and all senate action.

So, how much of your extended family pays taxes in Michigan, Manish? My entire family up through the early 19th century has been paying Michigan taxes only to have this diversity propaganda shoved down residents’ throats forcing them to subsidize the education of overseas competitors.

DJJ, ever heard of the concept of Immigration Surplus? Its the positive impact on this country’s GDP because of each additional, legal immigrant. If you don’t understand economics, I hope you concentrated enough in your history classes to know how many signatories to the declaration of independence were foreign born. Diversity is not only practical reality but is also part of the foundation of this country.

Diversity is something that leads to the likes of your family to have jobs to pay taxes since the 19th century. One of your dear ancestors would have been a bad burden on this economy when it wasn’t as strong then. So, the diversity propaganda is what stems your own voice. Now give your brain a break and concentrate on something you are good at.

By the way your thought process stinks.

DJJ…just a quick question…the early 19th Century? Before Michigan was even a state?

MSUAlum2001, Michigan became a state around 1837

Well said James. I completely agree. I am interning at an International developmental office during summers and working with a variety of people I can only appreciate the talent overseas people bring to U.S. You’d be surprised to know that recent figures suggest an estimated contribution of $15.54 billion in the year 07-08 by the international students to the US economy!

Sorry to hear this is how the elections were held in COGS and the members continue to hold office after accepting violating free elections. We as Spartans hold ourselves to a higher standards of life but it does not reflect in this case. sorry for some MSU students who would go to such petty extents to gain a public office at University level – who knows what will they do out of school … Jesus!

Alum made some good points. However, I differ on that nothing that was done was against any rules or procedures of COGS should make it acceptable to the students. Because that can also mean one student can hurt another one just because it is not written in the rules or procedures of COGS. One can find hundred ways to defend but malpractice is a malpractice is a malpractice, an unethical election is an unethical election.

People here seem to be far-fetched busy making prompt judgments. I feel more informed after reading the article. As a graduate student, I share the responsibility to call for a leadership backed by an ethical and honest election process. Manish, thank you for voicing out our concerns!

Manish, you should be proud of your contributions to the Council and you are an honorable man. Whenever I’ve met you, I have seen you as a very sincere and a friendly guy. Do not let these nasty things bother much. I was at the last meeting … the new board is useless anyways and under investigations.