Author: Leah Glowacki
The bare, off-white walls of Occidental’s first-year residence halls were transformed into vibrant exhibits of student passion last week. The hopes of seven students to attain one of two first-tier positions on the ASOC Senate have inspired the conception of witty campaign slogans, the concoction of chocolate chip cookies and the creation of posters impossible to ignore. But beyond a student’s creative ability, what do these abundant campaign displays really tell us about the candidates’ potential?
The consensus among many first-year students – myself included – who cast votes this week, is that these advertisements predict nothing. While our votes should be decided by the ingenuity, practicality and superiority of a candidate’s platform, they are instead based on whose slogan carries the biggest bang. It’s unfortunate that at a school where students are known for truly caring about their community, the outcome of an election for student body representatives will be determined by trivialities.
In reality, this election is quickly becoming a stereotypical popularity contest. It has developed into a colossal battle between the seven hopefuls to make the most new friends in the least amount of time. Last week, as I was doing homework, a candidate approached my door claiming an interest in conversation. Less than thirty seconds into our discourse, it became clear that all he wanted was my vote. Nevertheless, our quick conversation constituted the creation of a friendship and the acquisition of a vote.
Should handshakes, phony smiles and the ability to schmooze be the basis for one candidate’s victory and another’s failure? Popularity contests may have sufficed in high school, but at Occidental, I had hoped that they would not. I came to Oxy because of its reputation as a school where students’ beliefs, opinions and ideas are valued by professors and peers. I was eager to be at a school where everyone sincerely cared about the educational experience. In many ways, I have not been disappointed. The efforts exerted by candidates on their campaigns confirmed that at Oxy we are passionate and we do want to make a difference.
What has left me unsatisfied is not my peers’ lack of motivation, but the approach that the ASOC has taken in conducting their elections. The current Senate has expressed a hope of increasing its effectiveness through this election. ASOC President Patrick McCredie even visited several first-year residence halls during hall spreads encouraging students to get involved. However, beyond the seven competitors working tirelessly to win a position, few students are even aware of the responsibilities of a senator.
It’s not that students don’t want to be informed—in fact, many first-years are still waiting for speeches. Perhaps, rather than creating a spirit war, ASOC, in the Occidental tradition of embracing individual thought and encouraging scholarship, should allow candidates an opportunity to deliver such speeches. Informing students who currently don’t understand the senators’ roles at Occidental, in addition to encouraging them to fulfill their civic duty would also make the election a better reflection of Occidental’s values.
Many people have complained that first-year candidates are going overboard. Students are tearing down and defiling others’ posters and laughing at their varied attempts to win votes. While I empathize with these students’ disillusionment, I also realize that beneath the posters, the t-shirts and the baskets of cookies are real desires to impact our community. In the two days that candidates are given to campaign, what other options do they have?
Leah Glowacki is an undeclared first-year. She can be reached at glowacki@oxy.edu.
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