Our view:
Next year’s Student Assocation president should focus on small service-based initiatives rather than grandiose advocacy.

Earlier this week, Student Association President Omar Woodard released his “Executive Accomplishments Summary” in which he describes the work his administration did on behalf of students between last May and February. While the document outlines an impressive set of small initiatives, it does not reflect the expansive commitments Woodard made during his election campaign. This fact is not Woodard’s fault, but rather is indicative of the true limitations of the position of SA president.

During last year’s campaign, this page recognized and lauded the intangible leadership qualities Woodard seemingly brought to the table. It is precisely this that made his term successful, despite a lack of far-reaching initiatives. Early on, Woodard correctly realized it is much more important to be an accessible person focused on providing services to students, rather than an obstinate and aloof advocate for unattainable ideals.

Woodard’s portfolio should serve as a stark reminder for this year’s SA presidential candidates about the role of student government. Both candidates in the runoff election have reiterated the necessity for the SA to be an extensive advocacy body for students. Such a view directly contradicts reality; the SA is most successful when it is providing tangible services to students. Both candidates should build on successful service initiatives started by Woodard – such as creating an online syllabi file and residence hall renewal – as well as initiating their own service-based programs.

This year’s candidates should recognize that by and large their proposals are unattainable. It is one thing to advocate for student representation on the Board of Trustees or to propose to hire an entire staff of caseworkers to assist students in theory. But common sense and experience dictates that such radical changes to the status quo are virtually impossible. The ideas themselves are not bad ones – rather, they are simply conceived with little understanding of the SA’s limited reach. The SA works best when it has a leader that understands this.

It is always tempting for an incoming SA president to have an overblown perception of his or her own influence and importance. Next year’s president should learn from Woodard’s experience; the SA does not need an idealistic advocate for unachievable aims, but rather a regular person capable of reaching out to students and improving the quality of their daily lives.