Winter is here, and with it comes the arduous beginnings of the spring Student Government campaigns. SG devotees are bound to spend the winter break preparing for a long-haul campaign season so that come spring, they can bombard campus with tired talking points of change and true leadership for the student body.
The spring election will select the Student Body President, Vice President, all College Council seats and several Senate seats. This election has the potential to completely reshape all levels of student-led governance—for better or for worse.
These campaigns will brim with SG establishment figures feebly attempting to sell their individualism to the student body. In practice, far too few of them have any real appetite for advocating for the most pressing concerns of students at the university—especially if it means not being on favorable terms with university leadership.
These SG positions are nothing more than another line on a resume for many of the people vying for them. It is a step forward in their own personal objectives, not those of the university or its community.
This goes against the very ideal of a public servant. It shouldn’t be the norm, but unfortunately that’s all an SG position is—a showy resume item with little actual work to support it.
Be wary of candidates who offer messaging of change rather than details of it. Challenging the administration requires careful planning and research of the underlying issues facing our university.
Students from every corner of the campus should be ready to pay close attention to these campaigns, because whichever one wins will have the ear of the university administration and the ability—although perhaps not the will—to enact real tangible change here at the university.
Soon enough, Free Speech Plaza will be full of campaign volunteers giving away everything from buttons to food to earn your vote. Look deeper than 30-second speeches and campaign T-shirts. Expect transparency, because come this spring, you and your vote deserve it.
Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.