In the Feb. 9 edition of The GW Hatchet, Tryg Olsen mentions the need for a Student Association presidential candidate who has “realistic goals and doesn’t exaggerate to the students in order to be elected” (Valentine’s Day rules, plus GW’s own multi-faced man,” p.2).
Yeah Tryg, that would be nice. Not only would a “real” candidate be nice, but GW needs an SA president who is going to approach student advocacy without any exaggeration. Unfortunately, the socialization structure of the current SA doesn’t allow students who would advocate realistic goals any entrance into the primary organization of student governance. Though “Q” has tried extensively to open the doors of the SA for students and is very approachable, the SA remains a very closed social group.
The type of candidate who would set realistic goals would need to be a service-oriented student. The SA needs candidates who care for GW and its students, not the position at hand. The SA needs trench-workers – people who will roll up their sleeves and attack problems, rather than glibly discuss issues. The SA needs candidates who have been involved in the grassroots efforts of our University community. The SA needs candidates who have made an effort to find out the issues concerning “Joe Student” – not candidates who have pet issues they will further for personal accomplishment.
A service and community-oriented candidate, not a quasi-politician is the candidate the University needs. A person who has reached Tryg’s stage seven of Valentine’s Day is not the product of some hopeless fantasy. These fantasy people exist at GW. They assume roles of service work and expect nothing for their efforts. GW students are well known as socially conscious individuals involved in community and university work ranging from the Neighbors Project to Circle K.
A close friend in the SA once told me SA elections are cut-throat – “You have to want the position very badly and be willing to basically quit school for the whole campaign month.” The elections become the life of the candidates. It thus manages to maintain its status as a closed social system. Why would a student who wants to get involved go through all that trouble when he can work for the University at different levels?
The real people, the ones who want to see things done, don’t waste their time with SA elections. They don’t come in freshman year with the personal goal of becoming the school’s president. We need to grab someone off the streets; someone who is a student; someone who is involved and knows the issues. No one would better represent our issues as students.
Sincere candidates would raise the SA above the political arena that it has assumed and bring it back to the students. The SA is for students. Advocacy has been “Q’s” role since he took the presidency. Students currently involved have followed his example, but there is still more work to be done. “Joe Student” has an advantage over the SA socialites in that he has experienced GW life from the “outside.”
“Joe’s” involvement in the various aspects of GW life allows him an open field of vision to note the wide diversity on this campus. He can and will approach students not only through the established channels of the mainstream groups. He will approach all groups from the University singers, to the College Democrats, to Hillel, to GW ROTC to the Philippine Cultural Society to Kappa Sigma. He must recognize all these groups as participants of this University and the only channels from which the SA finally can achieve the support system it needs to become more effective as an advocacy group.
We have to look at the candidates this year and see if they are going to continue the precedent “Q” has set as student advocate. Why not “Joe Student”? I’m sure if we asked him to do it he would run. That’s just the way he is. The question is who is going to make every sincere effort to see change happen. Only when we pick that student off the street can GW go beyond stage seven: fantasy and role-playing. -The writer is a sophomore majoring in sociology.
