Although the two schools are only a few miles and a couple of ‘T’ stops apart, student life at Tufts University differs from that of Boston University. The locations are different it is the Medford suburbs, Red Line and Mystic River verses the ‘big city’ of Boston, the torturous Green Line, and the picturesque Charles. All of Tufts undergraduates might be able to fill BU’s College of Arts and Sciences. Tufts hovers a couple tiers above BU according to The Princeton Review. And even the fashion is different while BU students single-handedly support the European fashion industry, Tufts students are more apt to model clothes made of recycled coke bottles.
While the two schools definitely differ in size, location and granola consumption, they are akin when it comes to student leadership or better yet lack thereof.
Last week, Tufts University responded to allegations that its administration had revoked a student leadership award from one of its seniors. The award, given by the Alumni Association, goes to students nominated for their superlative student leadership skills. Over the university’s spring break, the administration rescinded the award from Elizabeth Monnin based upon her recent behavior during a speech given by former President George Bush.
Joining a group of fellow students, Monnin protested throughout the former President’s speech. Some students touted a banner proclaiming ‘Gyms are for soccer, not for warmongers.’ Others waved an American flag with obscenities brandished across it. And when Bush commented on the protesters’ presence, comparing the scene to pro-life protests, the crowd of demonstrators erupted and one student, allegedly Monnin, flashed her middle finger at President Bush.
Tufts University students and administrators are split on the issue of what constitutes a good leader: does a good leader always exercise her God-given, constitutionally granted, First Amendment right of free speech? Or does a good leader maintain a certain degree of ‘civility’ as mandated by the university alumni association?
Flipping off the former president has certainly enraged the Medford suburbs. But here at BU, we are also experiencing a massive leadership crisis that extends far beyond simply telling the former president just where to shove it: Student Union Executive Board elections.
Once again, it is time for a miniscule percentage of apathetic Boston University students to elect the least incompetent of Student Union slates (and vote for all their friends). The number of students who vote is somewhat comparable to the number of Greek majors at BU (the language, not the fraternity brothers). Not that it matters anyway because all the Student Union seems to do is resign, impeach other senators, hang some flyers and resign.
This year, I found endorsing the least incompetent slate exceptionally challenging having based my final opinion on the open letters from each slate published in Tuesday’s Daily Free Press.
The first slate, ‘URANUS,’ definitely wins the award for witty writing on a fourth grade level (as well as an award for their exceptionally unique name). While their letter was speckled with a few halfway decent proposals, such as adding homosexuality to the university’s anti-discrimination clause and creating a rape crisis center, it was difficult to get past the redundant fourth-grade potty humor. Additionally, the ninjas of ‘URANUS’ seem more likely to blow our undergraduate student fee on late-night munchies runs to CampCo than to actually accomplish their half-baked goals.
The second slate, ‘Truants,’ is the second runner up for witty writing again on a fourth-grade level, and wins the award for blatant ignorance. Like ‘URANUS,’ ‘Truants’ wants to create a rape crisis center and encourage more interaction between the student government and the administration as well as create an ‘open forum’ website for students. And again, like ‘URANUS,’ ‘Truants’ has absolutely no idea how to accomplish its goals. Additionally, ‘Truants’ doesn’t seem to like French people.
The third slate, ‘True 2’ is the winner for most unoriginal name. Unlike the other two slates, the members of ‘True 2’ have been involved with the Union in the past, apparently having survived the onslaught of resignations. ‘True 2’ seems the reincarnation of the present Student Union; they have finalized guest policy reforms, nearly completed proposals for minority retention, and, of course, in standard Union style, bickered among themselves like fourth-graders. Additionally, they find flat screen televisions ‘sexy.’
The intelligent comments, devotion and sincerity of the three slates has made it difficult to choose the one most suited for BU. I didn’t know whether to choose between the overly facetious, elementary-level humorists of ‘Truant’ and ‘URANUS’ or to choose the ‘Mini Me’ version of the current Union.
Thankfully, even if ‘URANUS’ is happily welcoming all members and cultivating a safe and comfortable environment for its students next year or ‘True 2’ is too busy resigning amongst themselves to address student issues, I, along with the entire senior class, won’t have to legitimize a Student Union that doesn’t take its students seriously. For if these are the future leaders of BU, graduation can’t come soon enough.