After a rather long and complicated search process, a special selection committee recommended acting Secretary Cait Douglas and Senate Clerk Seth Cutter as their choices to fill the vacancy left by Alex Manzanares' resignation. SG President Joe Vidulich ultimately chose Douglas as his nominee.
Certainly, Douglas is very qualified for the job. Before Vidulich appointed her as acting secretary, Douglas served as Vidulich's unconfirmed chief of staff. In both roles, she did an excellent job communicating with the university, and we at The Eagle expect her to do just as well if the Senate confirms her.
But we cannot help but express dissatisfaction with the selection process. One of outgoing secretary Manzanares' biggest gripes about the SG was its perceived cronyism and lack of diversity.
Of the six students that applied for the secretary position, two of them - ironically, the two candidates that the panel recommended - currently hold positions in the SG. Not to detract from Douglas' abilities or the panel's legitimacy, but choosing an SG insider amid accusations of nepotism does little more than justify Manzanares' complaints.
Perhaps we would be more understanding of Vidulich's selection if we had more of a say in it. As per the SG constitution, it is the president's sole duty to appoint a replacement secretary, and it is the senate's responsibility to confirm or deny whomever the president recommends. Nowhere in this process can the rest of the AU community voice their concerns.
Short of a call to revise the constitution, it would have been better if SG coupled the campaign to find a replacement with the recent Senate election. Maybe more students would have applied for the job, knowing that their fate was up to their peers and not a panel of longstanding SG execs.
Ultimately, it is the senate's final decision, and we will certainly celebrate the diversity and talent that Douglas' confirmation may bring to the position. But Manzanares' resignation and Douglas' ascension demonstrates the perceived exclusiveness of the SG, a problem that a few clarified rules and regulations could help address.
