Five of the eight Class of 2006 marshals who were also members of the Senior Executive Committee, which selected the marshals, stepped down Wednesday following criticism that too many of the marshals came from the SEC itself.
Replacement marshals, who will lead students at graduation along with the original three, will be selected by write-in voting through the Student Assembly website in the next few days.
SEC President Anthony Bramante '06 said that the decision was reached by the SEC as a whole and mentioned a critical editorial in The Dartmouth and discussion with fellow seniors about the selections as reasons for the decision.
"Though we do feel that [the five SEC former marshals] represent the class, we felt that we should take the responsibility to unify our class because we'll be the representatives for the next five years," Bramante said.
Bramante said that the entire SEC supported the decision but that he did not know how it would affect future class marshal selections.
He added that the response to the decision was unforeseen.
"Had the reaction been expected by the SEC in general, I don't think we would've made the decision about the process and the decisions that we did," Bramante said.
Four of the five marshals who stepped down either could not be reached or refused to comment, referring The Dartmouth to Bramante's statement ("SEC Class Marshals will be replaced," May 4) and a statement written by SEC member and former Marshal Edy Wilson '06.
Wilson said in her statement that she recognized the need for more "transparency" in the selection process, and pointed to the write-in elections as a solution.
Libby Sherman '06, a marshal candidate who was not selected, said that selecting SEC members for other class leadership positions was redundant because the campus already recognized them as leaders.
"I don't think honoring the same people over and over again does anything," Sherman said.
Regardless of whether or not write-in elections were the best solution, the original decision and the following resignations have "cheapened" the positions this year, Sherman said.
Matthew Schwartz '06, also a marshal candidate who was not selected, agreed that though the five SEC marshals were qualified, more effort should have been made to include other students. However, the decision to remove the five marshals in the face of criticism reflected well upon the SEC, Schwartz said.
"What they're doing is certainly very respectable," Schwartz said.
Russell Gordon '06, one of the three non-SEC marshals, said that he had no problem with the five original SEC marshals, but that the decision to remove them and to have write-in elections was the right move in light of the atmosphere on campus.
"I feel it's the best way because of the issue that the class raised," Gordon said. "Essentially, I don't know of anybody who put forward another way of doing this. If that's the general sentiment of the class, then that's the idea of the class."
