Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
My name is Gabby Capone ’14, Student Council Appointments Chair. I am the student who was elected to manage and to run the process of appointing students onto all of Swarthmore’s committees, and to do so I chair the Appointments Committee (as my title implies). The Committee is composed of four other Student Council members and myself; we all select which applicants serve on committees.
At this point you might ask: “But Gabby, what are committees?” Well, let me tell you, my little Swattie. There are many different kinds of committees that are all critical to the college’s policies and operations. Some are less well known than others, but all of them give the students on them the chance to make important decisions affecting everyone at Swarthmore.
There are two types of committees: College Committees and Student Committees. A College Committee is chaired by an employee of the college and has both college employees (e.g. professors, administrators, staff) and students serving on it. There are about 25 of them, and their tasks range from evaluating Swat’s curriculum offerings to working with the Dean of Admissions. Student Committees are chaired by students and comprised solely of student committee-members. There are fewer of them- only eight – and they range from handling student budgeting for groups, individuals and events to organizing movie screenings.
Soon you will receive an email from me will inaugurate the season for Fall Special Appointments, beckoning you to submit an application for an open spot on one of Swat’s over 30 committees. Fall Special Appointments is a time for filling emergency vacancies on committees and happens at the beginning of each semester. Not every committee will be open, but many will be. If you don’t see a committee that tickles your fancy, don’t worry, Regular Appointments which fills scheduled vacancies is at the end of each semester. It will leave you with limitless committee possibilities.
The appointments website is currently in-the-works, but that’s okay because you can still see a rough list of all the active committees.
Gabriella Capone is the Chair of the Student Council Appointments Committee. She can be reached at gcapone1@swarthmore.edu.