The previous USG left the current USG a nice parting gift: low expectations. As long as the new administration didn’t lose constitutions, appoint frat brothers to office and fling mud at each other in comments on Daily Princetonian articles online, it would clear those expectations with room to spare. It should have been easy. But now, less than two months after Connor Diemand-Yauman ’10 took the helm as USG president, grumblings of discontent have emerged.
In these pages, the reaction to many recent USG initiatives has been a mixture of apathy — “Who cares?” — and annoyance — “Why is the USG so useless?” These critics have a point. It’s not like the USG has achieved success in areas the student body cares about, like alcohol policy, grade deflation and bigger Lawnparties bands. Yes, the USG is kind of powerless, but this isn’t exactly its fault. Instead, its powerlessness is largely a reflection of what it’s up against: a strong administration.
Each new USG convenes in February with ideas and ambition. As a sophomore joining the USG for the first time in spring 2007, I sensed the eagerness in everyone’s voice as we went around the room at the first Senate meeting, discussing our plans for the year. As projects are launched and then some of them fail, however, it becomes clear that despite the hard work of any individual USG member, success hinges on administrative cooperation.
Many of the USG’s recent “successes,” for instance, were administration-initiated projects. The survey on background and opportunity was a joint effort between the USG and the Office of Undergraduate Student Life. The recent alcohol safety discussions were also collaborative. Successful USG projects not directly initiated by an administrative office have been in areas of universal agreement. In these projects, the USG simply took the initiative to suggest an idea. One of the biggest successes of 2008, for example, was the renovation of Dillon Gymnasium. While the U-Councilors and administrators involved should be credited with working together so effectively, that policy area was pretty non-controversial. Similarly, the USG successfully petitioned the University for row labels in Lot 23.
On issues where there could even be a slight difference of opinion, the results are noticeably worse. What upperclassman can forget the infamous e-mail exchanges on grade deflation between former USG president Alex Lenahan ’07 and Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel? Instead of making changes to the grade deflation policy, these e-mails only exposed the frustrations on both sides of the issue. Recently, the USG tried to extend library hours. But it was told that the project would be too costly. Because there’s no administrative interest in extending Firestone Library’s hours, the USG will have difficulty trying to accomplish this task.
This isn’t to completely make excuses for the USG. Of course, each person can work harder; it can be better organized. It certainly can make less outrageously dumb mistakes. But it’s easier to do all these things when you know that you can make a difference.
But so what if the USG can’t make a huge difference? Isn’t cooperation with the administration a good thing? Maybe, but it’s important for student voices to be reflected in broader campus policies as well. That’s how it works at other schools. At a meeting of Ivy League student governments (I’m not kidding), a Columbia student body president said that the administration at Columbia clears many issues with the student government before enacting them. Even if he was exaggerating, the model of a campus where student input is sought on all policies — not just on previously determined student-friendly ones — is something to aspire to.
There is hope yet. Most USG members agree that the USG is the voice of the student body. For that voice to be heard, however, it needs an active and constructively critical student body. If you think the USG is doing a terrible job representing your interests, go to a Senate meeting. If you think it’s wasting your money on useless study breaks, send an e-mail. The USG works best when it brings together many student interests. Last year, when rumors of Whitman College acquiring Spelman buildings floated around, the USG assembled a group of students who expressed concerns. As a result, the administration surveyed students on their housing preferences. Indeed, the relevance of the USG is in the hands of the student body.
Cindy Hong is a Wilson School major from Princeton. She can be reached at cindyh@princeton.edu.
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