CCSC Debates Flash Access

Tempers flared and tears flowed Sunday night as the Columbia College Student Council convened its final meeting of the academic year.

Toward the end of the three-hour session, members launched into a heated debate on whether the council should weigh in on a long-standing campaign to allow universal dorm access for all Columbia undergraduates.

After the Engineering Student Council rejected a proposal to grant full flash access in February, CCSC had voted to consider a narrower form of universal access pending a survey of the Columbia College student body.

Led by Kwame Spearman, CC '06 and senior class president, several members said on Sunday that, while the council had failed to conduct such a poll, it should move ahead with a vote to avoid more delays in the process.

"This is a gift-wrapped opportunity to express our opinion, and we're sitting back," Robert Meyerhoff, CC '06 and Columbia College student senator, said. "What kind of message does that send to the administration?"

Others, including Vice President of Policy Izumi Devalier and Vice President of Funding Andrew Russeth, both CC '07, countered that to vote without consulting the student body would be unwise, and that the only written resolution to have come before the council was now defunct.

"You're going to be the only council with an opinion on something that no longer exists," Daniel Okin, CC '07 and ESC president-elect said, attending the meeting as a council liaison. Okin said that Barnard's Student Government Association would draft language for a survey of all four undergraduate bodies on access, subject to approval by the other three councils.

At one point, as debate stalled and voices raised to a fever pitch, Devalier slammed her fist on the table and left the meeting for several minutes. "I regret that it was violent," she said after the meeting, noting her frustration with the procedure of the debate.

The council ultimately agreed to draft language for a resolution at a later date, to be voted on by the Council before Commencement via e-mail.

As debate died down, Michelle Oh, CC '06 and CCSC president, said a number of tearful good-byes to the departing council.