Civic engagement and Student Council

Student Council has a leadership problem. While reorganizing and expanding the organization may provide more structure and manpower, it does not address the underlying issue. Few people really know or care about what Student Council does, and Student Council doesn’t assert itself as a leader or representative of the student body.

Student Council, soon to be renamed Student Government Organization (SGO), is not the leader it should be. New initiatives are rarely organized through StuCo. Students who want to collaborate with the college’s administration do not think of Student Council as the body to approach for support or guidance. Only 29 percent of the student population voted in the last election for Student Council President.

In addition to low voter turnout, few people are interested in running for StuCo positions. Student Council has the power to play a significant role in most aspects of campus life and yet it remains largely absent.

It is true that Student Council has managed some minor accomplishments. The extended dining hours at Sharples and discounted SEPTA tickets are both highly popular StuCo initiatives that have proven successful. But StuCo should be about more than just logistics. It should measure its success in more than small victories.

One could claim that the disconnect between the student body and their elected officials stems largely from this lack of interest. This is partially true. When leaders lack the support or engagement of their constituency, it is doubtlessly disempowering.

But ultimately, the responsibility to make students care lies with StuCo. To get the student body engaged requires more outreach, more involvement and more leadership. If Student Council wants to be more relevant in students’ lives, it should tackle relevant issues that more directly impact Swatties’ lives.

StuCo should be a body that students look to lead student life at Swarthmore. We hope that with a reorganized and reinvigorated student government, leaders will be able to take steps to become an organization that students care about, participate in and look to as a source for positive, popular change. And if the student body remains uninterested, that should be taken not as an indictment of the student body, but as a sign that the changes have not gone far enough.

The Phoenix

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