“A Democratic Challenge”
We all complain about student politics. Most students don’t see the point to it. I don’t blame them. ‘What does it do, other than run a few food & drinks outlets?’ ‘Does the Students’ Union ever stand up for us?’ ‘How do we benefit from our SU?’
While the SU does do a lot to improve our time at Uni, and the Sabbs are more than just ‘yes men & women’ in the University’s pockets, the current level of engagement is appalling, only acceptable to an institution democratic in name only. And it shows.
The discussions had in student politics have long become stale. We’ve got the problems identified. The bus service is expensive and lacking capacity at peak hours. There is a need for a late night food outlet on campus. Feedback needs to be better and faster. The list goes on, with other examples, each one living testament to how much we need students united and actively represented.
Sure – most of these things depend on others more than ourselves. More often than not, it’s the University we’re trying to persuade. I’m sure they won’t budge on many issues simply by virtue of smooth talk. The eloquence of our representatives is not in question. What is in question is how representative they are perceived to be – not just by the University top brass, but also by ourselves, the very students they are meant to represent.
It’s incredible how much power we can have when we work together for a common purpose. We can see its power in historical campaigns such as the Suffragettes, the 40-hour work week or the civil rights movement in the United States. While none of our campaigns can even aspire to so much importance, the issues we face are not irrelevant and should not be unresponded or simply forgotten. It’s disappointing that last year saw no campaigns, like ‘SaveSeymour’ or ‘Caged by Costs’, run by the SU, as had been done in years past. If only we could take a page from the big Book of History and organise ourselves, a lot more could be achieved.
But then there are other things that do depend exclusively on us, and that we have delegated to anonymous bureaucrats. When were you asked whether you wanted to be ripped off at the Dirty Duck? When were you asked how we can improve the awful queues at the Bread Oven? Why doesn’t the SU compete with the Library Café on providing an affordable and decent quality breakfast at Xananas? Since when have you been consulted on what to do with the nearly £7 million the SU takes into its coffers every year?
Since when have you been consulted on what to do with the nearly £7 million the SU takes into its coffers every year?
There’s a whole lot of things that could be done with £7 million, but we’ve never had a say on what they were. Perhaps we might even like it if the Dirty Duck charged student prices, instead of trying to be the most expensive pub in Greater Coventry. Perhaps not. But these discussions should be the bread and butter of student politics. We should have fiery discussions on what the SU does with its commercial venues. We should have heated debates on where the SU spends the money that is yours.
As the Sabbatical Officers begin their year in office, let’s challenge them to consider the question of how to democratize this Students’ Union. Let’s challenge them to make the Budget, Strategy & Commercial Operations of the SU accountable to Council, and through them to students. Giving councillors a real say would make their service meaningful both to students and themselves. And all things considered, if we listen to each other and improve with one another, I’m convinced many more of us would spend more time and money in the SU, allowing us to do more and better each time.
You may well think me a dreamer. But as Robert Kennedy once said – “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” It would do well of us to stop asking ‘why’ and start thinking real hard about ‘why not’.
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Want your say on the Student Soapbox? Email comment@theboar.org with your pitch.
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Edit 25/08/13: Read SU President Ben Sundell and Democracy & Development Officer Cosmo March’s response to the article here
Comments (4)
FYI, the SU’s President and Democracy & Development Officer have responded to the issues raised in this article here: http://www.warwicksu.com/blogs/blog/cosmomarch/2013/08/30/Democratic-Challenge-A-response/
Yo Miguel. Back when I was a sabb I actually did ask quite a few students these exact questions: “When were you asked whether you wanted to be ripped off at the Dirty Duck? When were you asked how we can improve the awful queues at the Bread Oven? Why doesn’t the SU compete with the Library Café on providing an affordable and decent quality breakfast at Xananas?”
The problem with asking is that, in general, the answers that come back are generally impractical, naive or just foolish.
So at what point do you say that the officers who are in the office full time – who have all the information available to them which you don’t, and which have the time to actually research possible solutions rather than just wax lyrical about them – should be able to just get on with their job instead of having some sort of democratic noose hung around their neck?
Sure, feedback is important. But no student is going to turn around and say ‘Y’know what, xxxxx is actually very reasonably priced’ – that’s just not how students generally think, until they become graduates, and go and live in a city somewhere where they pay £3+ for a bog standard pint or a latte.
So, I daresay that the sabbs have continued to talk to students since I left. I daresay the questions you raise are the ones they come up against. I daresay that they’ve actually looked at possible ways of improving it. But at the end of the day, they are commercial operations, and the most direct feedback you get in those circumstances is what sort of returns you are getting. And in the case of the SU food and beverage outlets they weren’t doing too badly.