We’re all college students — we have a lot to do and naturally that leads to a bit of complaining. But what I’ve noticed more recently is that Wooster students will complain about something and then just sit and wait for it to magically get fixed. Whether it’s the food options on campus, access to counselors or other concerns, students aren’t afraid to speak their minds. However, the lack of interest in running for Student Government Association (SGA) or Campus Council shows how little students actually care about enacting change.
This past year, both Campus Council and SGA struggled to fill their ballots. In fact, every student who ran in the original senator election for SGA received a seat on the new senate due to the lack of competition. The ones who ran will do an excellent job in SGA next term, but it would have felt more well-earned if there had been a bigger turnout of interested candidates. From my experience, the less competition you have, the less pressure you will feel to do well in your position. If we can’t even get enough people to care about being a part of SGA and Campus Council and the changes that come from these groups, why would we feel compelled to work hard for this progress?
In my eyes, there are two big reasons that SGA and Campus Council have not seen a lot of interest from students. First, there does not seem to be a sense of responsibility from the campus body. Individuals do not see themselves as proponents of change and wonder, “why waste my time” on something that’s not going to happen anyway. You can see this in the recycling on campus or the lack of support at women’s sporting events. I am convinced that students are aware of the issues happening on campus, they just are not convinced it’s worth spending their time to fix it.
Another issue I see is the lack of knowledge as to what Campus Council and SGA do on campus. Well, good news, I can tell you that right now! Campus Council is the legislative body made up of students, faculty and staff. Together, Campus Council representatives will work on college policies. You would go to Campus Council to charter an organization or ask about housing policies (if you know any Campus Council members, you should actually ask them about this updated policy). SGA, on the other hand, acts as an advocate for the student body to administration. Additionally, we communicate messages from administration to the students. You would go to SGA to ask about getting more vegan options in Lowry or how to rent out hammocks in the spring (coming soon). Both Campus Council and SGA work to better the lives for all students on campus, just through different avenues.
I’ve been on SGA since I was a first-year — not because I have any more time than anyone else — but because I wanted to change the things I was upset about on campus. Seeing my peers put together events like the Galpin Call-in last year and follow through with those demands this year gives me hope for a future College of Wooster community who truly cares about bringing about change. But until I see a full ballot of passionate students who wish to join these two organizations, I’ll be disappointed.
Next time you start to complain about something on campus, think about what you can do to make it happen. SGA meetings are open to anyone who wishes to come every Wednesday from 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Lowry 119.
Grace O’Leary, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at GOLeary20@wooster.edu.