By Paul A. Anthony, Editor in Chief
The 60-year-old tradition of executive officer candidates delivering campaign speeches in Chapel will come to an end this April.
Candidates instead will be allowed to speak after Chapel is dismissed, according to a decision by the Chapel Programming Team this past December. Dr. Bob Strader said the decision was made after considering proposals from the Students’ Association.
“No one is against SA speeches,” said Strader, director of student life and a member of the programming team. “There are some who questioned the appropriateness of having required attendance for campaign speeches.”
Strader said the main reason for the decision was to maintain Chapel’s worship-based direction.
Ever since World War II, according to estimates by Chancellor-emeritus John Stevens, SA executive officer candidates have given final campaign speeches in Chapel the day of elections.
Questions had arisen over the speeches’ future last semester after several Chapel traditions were ended in September and October
SA vice president Jeremy Gordon presented a request for the team to allow the speeches this semester and also presented several alternatives with which SA would be happy.
The committee ended up choosing one of the alternatives-candidates could speak to the students who stay after Chapel is dismissed April 2.
SA’s executive officers declined to comment, saying talks were ongoing with Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life, about possibly changing the decision. Strader said such a change was possible, but not probable.
“I don’t want to say it couldn’t happen,” Strader said. “I’m not expecting another request because, quite frankly, they seemed OK with this.”
Barnard said in an email that the officers were “quite agreeable” to the decision.
Those who are likely to run for office this spring expressed dismay and anger at the decision.
“I’m personally a little upset by it,” said junior senator Shep Strong, adding that he thought the student body has a right to hear the candidates who will be spending their $15-per-student fee next year.
Junior senator Erin Baldwin noted that students who care could still hear the speeches.
“I think it’ll help minimally,” Baldwin said. “But you’re going to have the mass exodus from Moody.”
The third of the four probable executive candidates, junior vice president Taylor Hemness, said the decision “didn’t make any sense,” predicting a drop in voter turnout when elections are held April 2-3.
Strader said he disagreed.
“I don’t think that participation is high or low based on this decision,” Strader said. “We talked about that.”
Meanwhile, Congress briefly touched on the Chapel issue during its Wednesday meeting when senior senator Elliott Pittman urged the body to be unified and to “work together” with the Chapel team.
Chambers Hall representative Aubrey Eyer then moved to discuss an official SA stance on recent revelations from the Campus Life office’s five-year plan for Chapel. President Jeremy Smith responded, “We don’t really have one,” echoing the officers’ desire to withhold comment until the SA speeches decision is either changed or affirmed.
