New Campaign Slogan: Now, with 10% Less Drama!

I figured we would lighten up the tone with our "get out the vote" campaign flyer. Ray Johnson outdid himself with this one and I love it. The campaign has been an amazing, wonderful learning experience and chance to get out and have excellent conversations with so many in the student body. I look forward to the debates tomorrow and the voting results Wednesday the 23rd!

Evidence: the Key to Great Advocacy

We are nearly to the election debates! With the vote on Wednesday we will be finished with the entire election itself. As campaign goes by I have gotten some great questions from students about my platform around Financial Aid, Housing and Academics.

My ideas boil down to this: with solid evidence backing any and all of our ideas we will have the basis upon which to advocate for real change. Rock-solid evidence about the General Studies financial aid system, the University housing system and academics will be what gives us a chance to argue for change at the higher levels of the university. As student body president my role will be to ensure that evidence is being collected to make great arguments AND that when those arguments are ready, the political path has been laid to the appropriate university leadership to which we will present the argument.

As president I will identify where the ideas of students in General Studies coincide with those of the administration - or do not. I will work to make the administration aware of student initiatives as they coalesce over time. The administration does not like to be surprised, evidence to this effect is overwhelming. On the contrary the administration prefers a partnership with the council on issues as they come from the student body. Fundamentally the university is a complicated political system.

Often the Dean of Students office benefits when the student body offers assistance to it through student messages to the university administration. I will strive to identify those opportunities. In the end with the goal of forming a partnership, where the student body and council gains a track-record of working productively with the Dean of Students and other areas of the university administration. However, the basis of all this is a never-ending focus on identifying critical questions and answers behind the issues.

To obtain the critical questions about Financial Aid, Housing and Academics (etc) I will work personally with both the council and the student body. This is something that has already been happening, with some success, but not in an organized, systematic, measurable or public way. The student body demands clarity and solutions to a number of issues, my systematic approach to finding evidence for change and then working the Columbia University political machinery is the way to bring about the results General Studies deserves.

Passover

Last night I was invited to join the Passover celebration of a friend of mine in General Studies. As a person who has only been in New York City since 2004, it was very touching to be welcomed into such a special event as this and I felt very at home. It was wonderful to be included in an event that has such power to rejuvenate and focus the mind beyond the day to day challenges toward the larger issues we face as a community.

It was also ideal at this late date in the academic year and in the campaign for student body president. Being in the company of people with which I could share my enthusiasm and ideas for both school and the larger world was exactly what I needed. Some nights it is best to study in Butler, but last night the best possible thing for me was to be among friends celebrating the Passover and the related intellectual questions we could ponder together.

Great Weather for Campaigning

What wonderful weather! It is amazing outside and it is wonderful to see so many students out on the Low steps and elsewhere enjoying themselves. This winter was rather long, so being able to chat with students about the election and my platform ideas out of doors is a very refreshing change. Look for me in my "Brody Berg for GS Student Body President" t-shirt :-)

Also, in the next few days I will be publishing details about my platform relating to the hot topics of Financial Aid, Housing and Academic issues. Stay tuned!

Debate & Election Delayed!

With no explanation the candidate debate and election was delayed today. I was actually on my way home to change when I began getting emails, calls and texts from friends about it. This is totally amazing. Totally amazing that we've gotten this far only to have something come up. I wonder what is happening. There hasn't been official word yet.

I believe the entire Columbia University community wants General Studies to bounce back from this difficult year. This one week delay literally and figuratively pushes back that healing process. Whenever debates finally do happen, I look forward to sharing my message, and demonstrating how my results this year prepares me perfectly for bringing us toward the healing our community needs.

This delay has an important impact on the student body: we draw ever closer to the day when the four undergraduate colleges meet to discuss our council finances for next year. Whoever is elected will need as much time as possible in order to benefit the student body the most. No matter how you slice it, the judicial committee reduced the amount of time elected council members will have. The judicial committee has already delayed the election, they should consider further impact on the student body before potentially making a rule change this late in the game as well.

Endorsed by The Columbia Spectator!

Today I was endorsed by The Columbia Spectator! They agree that my experience and integrity will produce the results the General Studies student body needs next year:

Vote Berg

By Editorial Board

PUBLISHED APRIL 14, 2008

The General Studies Student Council's elections, which will be held on Thursday, April 17, have assumed special significance in the wake of former GSSC President Niko Cunningham's drama-filled impeachment and removal from office. The need for accountability has joined insufficient financial aid and inadequate housing options as a major challenge facing the council. Though each of the four candidates running for student body president brings unique strengths to the table, we believe that Brody Berg is best positioned to deliver what GS needs.

Read more...

CQA Endorsement Text

Here is the section of the Columbia Queer Alliance endorsing me, thanks CQA!

For GSSC PRESIDENT

CQA endorses Brody Berg for GSSC President. In his position as vice resident of communications for GSSC, he has cultivated essential relationships with University-wide administrators, student groups, as well as with his counterparts in other student councils. Brody is always eager and receptive about involving GS students in CQA programming and we are especially impressed by his work in building the GSLounge.com website. We are very confident that in his position as GSSC president, Brody will continue the hard work of strengthening the bonds of Columbia's non-traditional undergraduates--a task that is needed now more than ever, and that he will foreground the unique issues faced by queer students in GS, as well as at Columbia at-large.