I voiced some very tough criticisms last week, in part my own opinions, but more generally my perceptions of the sentiments of the student body (I have gotten a lot of positive feedback about that article, further confirming my suspicions). But while I may think the administration is sidelining student interests in favor of their own agenda, I also can’t say that I blame them. The other big gripe of students on this campus is student apathy. What irony! The student body is so apathetic it won’t even make its voice heard! Does criticizing the administration for not reaching out to a student body that doesn’t have the energy to make itself heard make me a hypocrite?
It is as much the responsibility of students to make sure the administration hears their complaints as it is the responsibility of the administration to heed their complaints.
There are some administrators who are very concerned with student opinions, just as there are some students who are very vocal about their opinions. Yet these administrators don’t seem to be prominent in decision making as far as students can see, just as vocal students don’t seem to be heeded by the administration. It’s like trying to fit European plugs into American outlets; somewhere there is a disconnect and a failure of the system to satisfy everyone. Now I’m done criticizing. I have some suggestions to offer.
It seems to me that a renewal of commitment is required on both sides of the fence. Students must reach out to the administration, and the administration must reach out to students. Students must feel involved in the process of running the college, even if it’s just having our representatives sit in on meetings to find out why all our pipe dreams can’t happen (pipe dreams as mundane as having our own grills). Administrators must feel like students are interested not just in voicing complaints but also in working with them to make this school better, not just with short term student interests in mind, but with the best interests of the institution at heart.
This will take a lot of time and effort. Now, I must point the finger of blame at myself. I have been here for four years, and while I have served in Student Government and Residential Life for three of four years, I have never committed to fulfilling more than the minimum obligations required for each position.
What kind of hypocrite does that make me? I think it makes me a fairly typical one for an ambitious college student. I spent my college career filling my CV with as much as I could, from student government to extracurriculars to maintaining the best GPA I could. And I just barely got into medical school.
If this is the Herculean effort required of us, one that leaves no time to commit to things that won’t add to our CV, then where, in the gauntlet of college, am I supposed to find the time to commit to campus activism?
Our responsibility to maintain shared governance has waned in the face of overwhelming competition and increasing expectations. This isn’t just the case here at Conn; it’s a national political crisis. The effort to achieve political and social change is too great for us to commit when we have to perform to higher and higher standards. I don’t know anyone who thinks our government (or our administration) is really “ours” anymore, whether it’s because of resistance to health care reform or infringements of personal liberties. When people talk about challenging the administration, of the college or of the nation, I see people roll their eyes as if it’s impossible. I would agree, in large part, given the way things are. And that’s what the political activism of this day and age should focus on.
For people to take the initiative in politics again, there has to be a way for them to realistically affect change. The jaded political activist is so common these days that it’s becoming a trite character archetype. I am tired of it, here at my college and here in my country.
So what do I want?
I want campaign finance reform, limitations on contributions to political campaigns to modest amounts from individuals only, private funding for campaigns only, term limits of one term, and paper ballots with complete transparency. And right here, at Conn, we have to show the administration that we’re not willing to stand by and watch them do whatever they want. Make sure they know you’re down for a Fanning lock-in. Fight your apathy, make sure the things that matter get done, and then maybe we’ll have a shot at restoring our political system (both national and collegiate) to what it is supposed to be. Ok, that’s a wrap. I’ll get off my soap box and graduate now.
