As Ben Parker once said in “Spider-Man” (2002), “with great power comes great responsibility.” The stark reality is that with the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” plan and its implications ever-present in the minds of students, the newly-elected class representatives must deal with myriad issues, including student mental health and growing scrutiny around inclusivity in the Greek system.
To clarify, there are two bodies that represent the goals of the student body — Class Councils and Student Assembly. While they serve different purposes — Student Assembly acts as a liaison between students and administrators and Class Councils are aimed at organizing events for and creating bonds among their respective classes — both are elected associations of leaders that serve as representatives of the larger student body.
First, student leaders should make an active effort to clarify the effects that the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy initiatives will have. Questions linger about many of these new initiatives, including the timeline of when they will take full effect. If students still do not have a clear grasp of the intricacies of what these new policies entail, Student Assembly and Class Councils have an obligation to address this. Furthermore, “Moving Dartmouth Forward” arguably strips us of many of our privileges and responsibilities as students, including the ability to develop a healthy relationship with alcohol. It is easy to view this situation as a conflict of interest — Student Assembly, in particular, is meant to espouse the opinions and desires of the student body, while still retaining the approval and sanctioning of administrators. Our recently elected leaders must be able to balance these two potentially disputing sides.
Across both bodies, there are flaws in the campaigning process, and this year’s election appeared disorganized and uneven. For Student Assembly, the flaws in the campaign showed in how much more visible Frank Cunningham’s ’16 campaign was compared to Jake Gaba’s ’16 and by how few students attended the presidential debate on April 17. Yet these issues manifested more visibly for the 2018 Class Council. While some candidates campaigned vigorously, others made little to no effort. To balance these inconsistencies, I believe there should be more guidance in the campaigning process. Many of the students who ran for a position on the council seemed to lack campaign experience, putting themselves at an immediate disadvantage. On election day, I remember looking at the list of candidates and noting that I wasn’t familiar with many of the names.
The main issue that I have with the newly-elected 2018 Class Council in particular is the lack of individual responsibility. The Class of 2018 decided to dissolve specific positions, such as president or vice president, and have three representatives of equal power. No one, it seems, is delegated with distinct duties. When there is no division of responsibilities to ensure each member is tasked with such duties, no one has to take personal responsibility for their actions.
Despite their similarities, Student Assembly and Class Councils do serve some very different roles on campus. The role of Student Assembly, in particular, is often debated. Some revolutionaries may question the need to have a governing body such as Student Assembly, perhaps evident by this year’s steep decline in election participation. I, however, firmly believe that eradicating it would be extremely harmful. After all, Student Assembly represents the student body. Without these representatives, it would be much harder for our voices to be heard in a constructive manner. As with the three branches of government — judicial, legislative and executive — there must be a system of checks of balances in order for a just and functional society to run. Without the Student Assembly to balance the wants of students against those of administrators, serious issues could arise with no sanctioned way to address them.
Despite their flaws, both the Student Assembly and our Class Councils are crucial fixtures that must not be abandoned. We must work collectively as a student body to make it better and stronger. In light of “Moving Dartmouth Forward,” these leaders must work to clarify the new policies. Ultimately, these newly elected representatives must take their positions seriously in order to enact meaningful change and realize their full potential.
