Learned accepts his plate award with childlike enthusiasm.

The old CCSC board convened one last time before finals. Brian Wagner reports, sheds one shiny tear.

• Norita Mengu was elected President of next year’s Elections Board. After she delivered a speech and answered a few questions from the board, the Council decided she had the experience and passion to bring about the reforms they hope to see next year.
• Returning to last week’s unresolved issue, the council voted to allow CCSC to play a large role in selecting leadership for Columbia’s Ivy Council. The final version of the resolution contained a few minor alterations, most significantly the Council explicitly stated that they will continue to fund only on-campus events.
• The Council did not make the Joint Co-Sponsorship Committee official. A member of the Committee spoke about the group’s trial run, and Council members debated back and forth over whether to amend the bylaws in order to make the Committee official next year. The resolution did not get the 2/3 majority needed to pass bylaw revisions; however next year’s Council will have the opportunity to revive this resolution.
• Next, the Council re-voted on two of the recommendations to the Elections Board that they did not pass last week. The recommendation to reduce the amount of flyers allotted to candidates by 50% was again rejected despite Learned’s pleadings (“My heart is breaking… and trees are breaking too!”). The council passed the  recommendation that alleged rule violations should be published on the EB’s website, but added the amendment that EB would only post after ruling on the violation (as opposed to all violations filed). Again, CCSC cannot force the Elections Board to do anything; these are simply recommendations.

Paper Plate Awards after the jump. 

• As this was the final meeting of the year, it was time for the annual Paper Plate Awards! (Think the Dundies without speeches.) Karishma Habbu, the evening’s emcee, handed out hand-decorated paper plates to Council members with titles ranging from stock superlatives “best smile” (oddly separate from “smiliest”), “best hair,” “nicest eyes,” and “funniest” (Ryan Mandelbaum) to more creative honors, such as “Best Boyish Good Looks” (Kenny Durell), “Most Swagger” (Brandon Christophe), “Biggest Hippie in Denial” (Andrea Folds), “Best Grammar” (Alex Frouman), and “Most Likely to Go on a Hot Date” (Karishma Habbu).
• In a rather endearing moment, Learned won a Plate for “Most Inspiring,” which itself inspired a round of applause from all present. Karishma presented Learned with a gift from the Council: a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Learned gave a moving speech to express his appreciation for his fellow council members. He then opened the Jack and took a large swig as fellow CCSC-ers cheered. Sean Udell (living up to his “Most Honest” Plate) observed, “that was better than Sue crying last year…”
• The Council took a group photo outside of the Satow Room, and gracefully retired from their seats so that the new Council could assemble. All on incoming Executive Board made speeches, and the meeting came to a cathartic close.

Youthful plate-holder via Wikimedia.