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BY ALEX LEADER-SMITH

In print | Published April 22, 2004

A cold December night. Winter’s harsh onset tiptoeing nearer. Semester ending soon. Papers! Exams! Presentations! Looming like there’s no tomorrow! A crowded cafeteria. Walls lined with paper snow. People, too, everywhere, swarming, teeming, congregating en masse around multitudinous trays of desserts and fine cheeses. Hustle and bustle! Abundant unfamiliar food! Some good, bad, middling, but oh, spare me, Fates, oh! Pasta bar gone, no! No! No!

That was how it began. It was that ill-fated Student Council takeover that alerted me to my civic duty here at Swarthmore: I must defend and protect pasta bar, whatever the cost. And how better to do that than by joining Student Council myself? Of course, I wanted to look into this decision carefully. Even after submitting my pro-pasta platform, I wanted some assurance that Student Council was right for me. So, last Tuesday, I attended its weekly public meeting. It was quite the interesting experience.

I arrived at 10 p.m. sharp. The Campus Resource Center was empty, so I strolled around Parrish Second West to kill some time. (Stacks of empty boxes! Piles of envelopes! Locked offices! Wow! While Second West’s business sector looks to be booming, they could do a lot more to promote tourism) I checked back at 10:05. People were just starting to trickle in. At 10:10 p.m., more people were there, but the meeting still wasn’t under way. Council members discussed trivial things; outgoing Campus Relations Representative Kristin Davis ‘06 asked around for change for a five. I had five ones on me. My distinguished competition (also present) didn’t. I gave her change. She seemed pleased. I thought, “Well, that’s one vote for the A-Team if I run! Alex 1, distinguished competition 0, baby!”

At 10:15 or so, we began. The first item on the agenda was movie night on Parrish Beach. This topic of movie selection took more time, inspired more fervent commentary and created more council dissension than nearly everything else combined. A few select quotes from the debate:

“Super Troopers is [expletive] hilarious.”

“No one wants to see [expletive] [butt]-long Pirates.”

“We never show flat-out gore-fest movies on the beach.”

“What about soft-core porn? Does that cause rape?”

Furthermore, someone found a problem with every suggestion. “Office Space” was too “mellow.” “Snatch” was too “mellow.” Non-mellowness, in fact, was a huge motivating factor in movie selection, even surpassing “good pre-party movie” and “appeals to drunk people.” Finally, a vote was taken and a decision made. Of course, at least one council member — a stalwart advocate of Quaker consensus, perhaps? — was less than thrilled. “Oh, guys, it’s going to suck! You guys ruined movie night! I hate democracy, damn it!” were his exact words.

The meeting then progressed to other matters, like instituting a shuttle that would depart from the frats on party nights. On this matter, Student Council dedication really shone brightly. They’d encountered adversity — concerns from Public Safety that drunks and non-drunks might “intermix” (think of the horrors!). But still, they persevered, offering to ride on the shuttles themselves, not only to diffuse conflict, but to clean up wayward vomit! So, Swatties, next time you question the resolve of your elected officials, please, remember this: Would you clean up your constituents’ tossed cookies?

Other business included working to distribute a list of campus drivers for people with doctor’s appointments (because, as one SC member put it, “really sick people don’t usually have friends”) and attempting to introduce a weekly Wawa shuttle. Indeed, Student Council seemed extremely focused on transportation-related issues during this meeting. Perhaps they’re responding to a series of concerns raised by our mostly car-less student body. Or perhaps certain Student Council members have not-so-secret crushes on Public Safety Director Owen Redgrave. This latter possibility was raised at the meeting and debated extensively. Alas, no firm conclusion was reached.

Amidst these much-discussed topics, other tidbits flew back and forth, this way and that. Rumors about Jim Bock! Tales of campus safety phones! Something about the living wage! Before I knew it, it was almost midnight, and the meeting was breaking up. Still, I felt invigorated.

At first, I’d wanted to join Student Council only to save pasta bar. Now, I’d come to realize what an exciting, dynamic, motivated group they really were. I wanted to be a part of everything they did, a participant in their intellectual back-and-forths, not merely a silent spectator. After months of searching, I finally found an activity I wanted to join. Now (strikes presidential pose, straightens necktie, clears throat) all I need is your vote.

Alex Leader-Smith is a sophomore. You can reach him at aleader1@swarthmore.edu.

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