Student Union President-elect Matt Seidel built his campaign on the assumption that student apathy is a myth at Boston University, and if last week’s ballot results are an accurate indication, he might be right. Now Seidel faces a far greater challenge than selling the idea that the Union can effectively advocate for students — he must prove it.
True to his pledge to break the status quo at the Student Union, Seidel and his New Deal slate have promised to push BU to improve its student advising process and build a comprehensive environmental sustainability plan. The new executive board also wants to revisit stagnant agendas like the medical amnesty policy, which would explicitly prohibit authorities from disciplining students if they report a crime under the influence.
Unfortunately, the first issue the New Deal wants to tackle could also be its last — reworking the Union constitution even slightly could prove time-consuming and ultimately pointless. Though the current Union charter needs serious changes to prevent the kind of legislative gridlock that has frozen it for years, Seidel and company should not to spend too much time on procedure at the expense of real goals.
The New Deal’s environmental goals, which include more recycling options on campus, would be a welcome change at BU, but next year’s Union must not devote too much energy to projects which BU’s Environmental Student Organization can ultimately run more effectively. As with all its plans, the new Union should at least use its substantial funds to finance projects like on-campus recycling bins and bicycle rental stations. Reforming BU’s troubled academic advising system will ultimately be the issue that wins the most students’ appreciation, however — should Seidel succeed at it.
Seidel was right to assume that students are not apathetic about life at their university. His challenge will be to make them care about the Union itself. Too many students now believe that the Student Union is a deliberative student organization, not an active one, and for the past few years, they have been right. If Seidel wants to prove to students that they can come to the Union with their complaints first — before they visit the Dean of Students or another student club — he will have to deliver results, and fast.
