SIPASA Elections COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

SIPASA Elections COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The following was contributed by Anesa Diaz-Uda, a second-year MPA student. __________________________ The climatic end of my time as a SIPASA board member came way back on Thursday, November 19th â€" Election Day.   My last charge on SIPASA was to organize and run this election to determine the incoming SIPASA board. Despite the immense amount of work leading up to Election Day (by myself, the rest of the Board, and all the candidates), Election Day came and went without a hitch. The polls opened at 8am, and closed at 4pm.   At 4pm we ceremoniously broke into our ballot box (a duck-taped shut cardboard box), and began counting ballots.   Each of the programs electing boards had different color ballots to make counting easier for us.   We counted right on the 4th floor (across the way from the Admissions Office), and had our results within a few hours. We coordinated with the Deans, and announced our results at the Deans/ SIPASA monthly Happy Hour at the 6th floor lounge.   The lounge was packed with students, faculty and administrators waiting in anticipation for our results â€"nerves not as high with all the wine available. 100% of MPA DP students, 59% of MIA students, and 50% of MPA students voted.   Clear winners were determined (no run offs were necessary â€"thank goodness!), and the drinking/ dancing commenced on the 6th floor with DJ Rob. GLIPA (Gays and Lesbians in International and Public Affairs) continued the festivities with their Thanksgiving Kick-Off Party at Madame X. In all the day and our term ended on a high note. To read more about the election, you can follow this link to one of our school news papers.