Opinion

Reflections on UMaine SG elections

Student Government doesn't care about the students

By Chris J. Allen

Posted on Dec. 12, 2005, at 12:00 a.m.

Another election has come and gone, and with it the hopes and dreams of some have vanished or been brought to new heights of over-achieving. You may have noticed the FirstClass folder that appears on your desktop about this timeof year suggesting that you pick several candidates that you probably don’t know, and have no idea what they stand for. Or you may have done what I did, and immediately deleted it out of spite.

Most to former student government participants will tell you that members care way more about their future careers and grad schools than about the student body. They will also say that the reasons people join are ironically the most dishonest in the whole system.

The fact is student government is one of those things that people do for themselves, even more so than real-world politicics. Any candidate who says he or she “cares about the student body” is lying. Student government is sought after for the sole purpose of the advancement of the individual. Whether it be a source of power or the ultimate resume padding, student government is all about the generic over-achiever seeking the ultimate distinguishment.

Because I haven’t met every student government official, I can only assume a small percentage are not bad people. The few I have had the displeasure of having class with are usually abrasive and obnoxious, force-feeding their opinions down the throats of others like they were making love to an intern.

While the average senator or ROC member may not be horrible, the presidential candidates were arguably the worst. Usually, they are all too involved with the faculty and often talk to deans at some personal level that is almost incomprehensible. If, by some small chance, you manage to find someone who voted on FirstClass, they will tell you that they picked their candidates by one of two methods: whose name they see the most or whose name they like the best. And the student government presidents are always too proud of their position, as if they earned it through hard work rather then papering resident halls and FirstClass with their names and pictures, claiming in big bold letters, “We Care About You!”

Student government isn’t just dishonest, it’s wasteful. Thousands of dollars are pumped through a system that’s based upon scarce voter and an apathetic majority. Student government specializes in spending money rather than saving it, and goes about doing it based on personal agendas that largely never reach the public eye. Individuals involved in ROC have even begun blocking the press from viewing hearings concerning publicly elected officials.

Unfortunately, there really aren’t many solutions to this problem as those seeking to recruit undergraduates for whatever purpose look at student government participation as some higher form of drive and ambition. The reality of the situation usually escapes our society: Governments at college are not comprised of mostly outstanding and motivated individuals, but those vying for the most superficial means of proving they are better than everyone else.

Chris J. Allen is soon to be under investigation for treason against Student Government.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 12th, 2005, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.