Re: “Out of the lab and into the House” Feb. 25,2010

To the editor:

While it is true that nobody with a science background ran in this year’s University Students’ Council presidential election, I have to dispute the implication that science/engineering students don’t seek leadership positions on campus. This year’s USC executive features two people from the faculty of science — including myself — and there are numerous USC commissioners and councillors with science/engineering backgrounds who are tremendous leaders.

But if we insist on only considering the singular “campus leader,” we need only look back three years to remember USC president Tom Stevenson — a former science student whose competitors also included a candidate from engineering. We can also look back two years to remember Christan Mariyanayagam, another candidate from science.

And of course, we don’t need to look back very far to remember a scientist in another campus leader position — our current university president Amit Chakma. I agree whole-heartedly there is a general lack of scientific literacy in public office, but I certainly don’t think our campus is a “microcosm” of the same issue.

—Will Bortolin

USC Vice-President ­­Campus Issues