Hey there!
I am just bursting with stuff to write about. I forgot how much I love to write, and how much there is going on around campus! University life is kind of crazy, now that I pay attention to it.
I have a big list of topics and ideas I want to share, but I want to start with a post about USC Elections, since the results just came out.
USC stands for the “University Students’ Council” (check out their website here). I remember being on campus in first year and seeing people campaign for University Students’ Council President. It was like a BIG THING. Like federal elections or something. People had signs, and banners, and websites, and they came up to me and shook my hand and wanted to talk about what they were going to do for students.
I was a little confused, especially because Students’ Council isn’t that big of a deal, right? Well, maybe not at high school, but at Western the USC is made up of over 50 student councillors, and a Board of Directors (President, 4VP’s, and a communications officer) who all take the year off school and get paid full salaries! The USC manages over $10 million dollars in student fees. That’s right, TEN MILLION. With this money, the USC provides important student services to all students, such as the Bus Pass, the Health Plan, Registered Dietary Services, the Women’s Issues Network, and more. They also run major operations such as The Spoke and The Wave (the two major bars/eateries on campus), the Used Book Store (where you can buy and sell your textbooks), and Western Film (a discount theatre!). As well, they are responsible for campus media such as the Gazette (our daily student newspaper), CHRW (our student-run radio station) and tvWestern (our TV channel).
So it turns out the the USC is kind of a big deal, and the position of President is pretty important. This year, 6 candidates ran: all male, poli-sci/business students.
I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed by the campaigns they ran. I know that students are busy people, and they are often drawn to the candidates that offer perks that will make university life a little more fun (even I think having a really awesome campus bar scene would great- then I wouldn’t have to trek all the way over to Richmond Row and spend all my money). However, being President is about SO much more than the little things like offering “free hot water” to students in the University Community Centre. While these are nice things to add to a platform, I really want to see some substance from a President. Here are the two major questions I ask when considering candidates’ platforms:
1.What do you plan to do that’s really going to make a difference for students in the long term (e.g. events that will only last one year or gimmicky ideas that will quickly lose their appeal or visibility aren’t too impressive)
2. How do you plan to actually accomplish this? Have you done your research and found out if these things are really possible? Are you committed and energetic enough to actually get the job done? (e.g. if you haven’t really bothered to find out what your resources or limitations are or you are overambitious, I’m not likely to believe you are going to accomplish your goals.)
Besides those two major questions about their platforms, I also like to look at the candidate herself or himself. Are they going to represent students professionally, but still be able to be personable? Can they speak in public? Are they going to be able to handle stressful situations well? Etc.
Unfortunately, a lot of students don’t want to put the time or energy into researching their Presidential candidates and figuring out who to vote for. Also, a lot of students are underinformed about what the USC does, or what the President’s role is. Finally, the candidates often “play to the masses” as opposed to trying to come up with a campaign that’s really meaningful.
However, I don’t think these are excuses to “opt out” of the political process. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time at Brescia, it’s the importance of choosing to engage in my society (or, in this case, my University). This often means going above and beyond to really look critically at the issues and get informed about what’s going on. And it means recognizing that the decisions I make, large and small, can and DO have an impact– the whole point of democracy is that WE control the political system!
Also, on a more personal note, I feel that getting involved gives me a lot more backing to expect that people keep their promises and to voice my concerns when people are not living up to their obligations. If I participate in the process, I feel like I am effectively saying “I care about what happens, and I’ve done my duty- now you do yours.”
Well, the results are in, and we’ll see if our new President Mike Tithecott does his duty. He seems very excited about the position, and I hope he does Western students proud.
Until next time,
Kate