The Associated Students at UCSD are currently considering a proposal to reevaluate the structure of the A.S. Council. Now, the council is comprised of a student senate made up of senators representing each of the four classes at their respective colleges. This ignores the reality that students do not primarily identify with their colleges, but rather with the campus organizations they join. The senate system needs to be changed, and hopefully the A.S. Council will recognize this.

A more representative system of student government is in place at UC Berkeley, whose senate is elected through proportional representation. Senators are elected campuswide and voters rank the candidates in order of preference. The result is a senate that more accurately reflects the composition of the student body.

A constituent’s intensity of preference is considered in the proportional representation system, and most major campus groups have at least some representation on the senate. The council is more diverse and eclectic, and able to reflect more points of view. The College Republicans, Defend Affirmative Action and Goat Milk parties at UC Berkeley have all held a senate seat in the past two years.

The multitude of parties ensures that no single party has absolute control over the council. Unlike UCSD, where single-slate sweeps are common, only rarely does Berkeley suffer from the overbearing presence of one-party rule and the subsequent undue prevalence that these parties maintain.

The ASUCSD should seriously consider switching to this format in the best interest of students, enabling them to have more accurate representation in student government.