I’m Not Voting In The Stuco Election, And You Shouldn’t Either
By: Hassane Fiteni
It’s become a universal running joke told in Grill and dorm rooms around campus, and a sentiment some members of the Executive Board even acknowledged. Student Council (StuCo) accomplishes nothing. Its problems have persisted throughout my time at Exeter and for many years prior, but have never been formally addressed. The fact is, StuCo leaders have generally transitioned from their role as ineffective policy makers to freshman at Ivy League institutions.
I’m all for democracy, but frankly, Exeter doesn’t have a democratic student government. The StuCo president, vice president and co-secretaries should be representing the interests of the people, legislating and advocating for improved student well-being. Yet this seldom occurs.
I cannot name any positive change the prior boards of StuCo have enacted over the past three years, but I do remember flashy proposals that have won candidates their elections—the OneCard system, a proposed “pass-fail fall” for new lowers and a campus greenhouse. Where are these projects now? Why are we entrusting the job to students with no intention of carrying out their promises? Why do we stand by while our elected officials disregard us?
I am calling for significant revision in the Executive Board. The current positions have proven themselves unsatisfactory and ineffective. I attended StuCo meetings for the majority of my lower year and saw how individual committees enacted their own change largely independent from the Executive Board. Executives convince us that they are too busy managing a club to enact any real change, but they are oftentimes unnecessary to the function of a largely self-reliant council. The Executive Board is not here to support us. They’re here to get into Stanford.
Where was the StuCo Executive Board when Evening Prayer was changed multiple times? Or when the visitations policy (pre-COVID) became more restrictive and less conducive to organic friendships? Or when Spring Fling was canceled? Where was the transparency, the communication to the student body, the fighting for our wishes? The reason the StuCo board fails to fight for the people is not only the flaw of the individual candidate, but also a fault of the system. StuCo does not care about promoting change; in fact, it continuously upholds the status quo. Our election process is the enabler of this system.
Candidates often propose flashy events and policy to capture our attention. But once elected, they become complacent. They promise us kayaks and barbecues, but instead we receive excuses and apologies. Exeter is victim to a cycle of candidates running on a framework that they have no intention or power to accomplish.
Instead of asking yourself what these candidates will spend $30,000 on, ask yourself why StuCo still has $30,000, money which could’ve fundamentally shaped some part of campus life over the past years. The OneCard system never came to fruition because of a lack of initiative—not a “lack of funds.”
The cycle repeats itself. A prep runs for lower representative one year, secretary the next and becomes the president last. Each election, they propose flashy ideas that garner your attention and make you think they care about you. But after four years, your problems are still there. Why are we electing people a second and third time when they haven’t fulfilled their promises from the first time they were elected?
I recognize I am heavily criticizing my colleagues, but I call out these issues because I care about our school. I care about having an actual system of government that will ensure there’s more Black and African food representation in the dining hall, that there are more equitable social events even in COVID times, that international students aren’t being discriminated against during move-in, that fire drills don’t cut into our sleep time and that Assembly has enough space for us to all sit comfortably. None of these things will happen until this position becomes more about the school than the individual.
Don’t vote in this upcoming StuCo election. The most powerful tool we have is our ballot, and passively casting it into a broken system actively supports the status quo. A vote for any candidate is a vote in support of a broken government. If we vote into it, we are part of the problem. Our votes enable complacency; our consistent voting is the reason nothing has changed thus far. If we want to enact change, we need to stand out and abstain from the election.
Don’t work for your StuCo officials to get into their dream school. Make them work for you. Convince the faculty to cancel this upcoming election, instead holding an investigation into the dealings and efficacy of the Council. Urge your peers to begin conversations with club advisers, the administration and others to enforce a government that cares for the people. Mandate checks, balances and real accountability to ensure candidates follow through on their proposals. Encourage a complete review of the student government to determine the source of lacking initiative and promise. Call out those who are looking to pad their resume and add to their college education. Encourage a satisfaction survey sent to all voting members of StuCo each term.
If the executive leaders aren’t carrying out their duties and following through with their campus promises, they must be removed promptly. It is our government, after all. Do anything but stay complacent in the face of mediocracy. We deserve better.
