The Student Government Association (SGA) is viewed with disdain by what seems to be a majority of the student body. People complain that their representatives don’t do enough for them while others lament that they’re not given any practical capacity to do so. Regardless of why, it seems we’re not satisfied with our SGA. And it’s our own fault.
During the most recent SGA Executive Board elections, only 1,456 students voted in the presidential race. In other words, out of over 4,500 eligible voters, less than a third took the effort to go online and vote, a process that takes less than a minute. A similar situation played out a few weeks later during the Class Council elections where less than 600 students from each class voted. With classes of approximately 1,500 students, these figures are simply unacceptable, and they reflect the disinterest and indifference that we, as a student body, have come to exhibit towards all matters Student Government.
Our apathy has manifested itself in the way that our student representatives handle themselves. For several months this school year the SGA stopped uploading the minutes for their General Body Meetings, a task it is required to do, because they lost the password to update their site and couldn’t be bothered to rectify the issue until they came under fire from proactive students. Even some of the campaign videos uploaded recently reflects our superficial involvement in student government. These videos often relied on humor and sarcasm to attract voters rather than genuine ways in which the candidates would improve our school.
Every year, every election, every candidate promises to be our voice. They say they will make us feel included in the affairs of Student Government and keep us in the loop. But they don’t. They can’t. Because at the core of this issue is the fact that we don’t really want to be. We want a better experience at Hopkins. We want more inter-class activities. We want more free stuff. We want chicken tenders for late night, every night. But we can’t trouble ourselves enough to involve ourselves with our representatives. Most of us can’t even be bothered to invest 30 seconds into voting online and our representatives know this. Overwhelmed by a student body plagued with chronic and deep-seated low efficacy, our representatives have long ago stopped trying to involve us.
Student Government is a mystery to the average student. We don’t know what they do or how they do it. We don’t even know who our senators are or even how many of them there are. We have become the stereotypical, ignorant American we so blithely laugh at on TV.
Granted there is a big difference between the United States Government and our humble SGA, but there is something to be said about our attitude towards our Student Government. If we wish to see a more responsive, accountable and ultimately effective SGA, then it is up to us to accept the responsibility of getting involved with our representatives and taking SGA seriously. In turn, candidates will begin to base their campaigns on specific commitments to improve Hopkins, to which they will be held accountable, rather than vague promises and jokes; representatives will be more inclined to interact with an interested and active student body; and we will begin to appreciate and notice the work our representatives do for us.
So next time you bump into your president, ask them if they’ve made good on their campaign promises. Next time you see one of your senators bring up your concerns and talk to them about what they’re doing to improve your day. Next time a candidate shoves a clipboard and pen in your face and asks for your signature, ask them why they deserve your support.
Or, you know, at least vote.
Ali, a freshman international studies major from Woodstock, Md., is an Opinions Staff Writer.
