I was invited to be the mediator at an Associated Students of Madison debate Tuesday night between three candidates representing three parties on the slate for this week's ASM election. The three parties represented were the new Third Wave party, the Students' Alliance of Madison party and the Badger Party. All three candidates were asked a range of questions, from what they think about the 'opt-out' question hovering over the controversial segregated fees process to whether they think that ASM should be voting on such \higher-up"" issues as the war in Iraq.
The most interesting question to me, however, was the first one I asked on behalf of the two campus newspapers. ""Why do you (the candidate) feel that students have the perception that ASM is ineffective?"" Tragically, because I was the mediator (and much less tragically because I am not a candidate) I was not allowed to answer this question for the candidates, which some of them needed help with. The Associated Students of Madison is a smaller, more irritating example of the problems with political representatives across the country. The biggest problem is that the types of people, in general, who aspire to hold power, are the worst people to be put in a position of power. The types of personalities attracted to governance, generally, have hyped-up egos and personal career goals that far outweigh any desire to represent the people.
If you look at some of the greatest leaders in history you see many who did not choose to lead but were chosen to lead. Although I do not know the personal likes and dislikes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, I would argue that he would have much preferred reading his children to sleep and going to bed with his wife than writing letters from a Birmingham jail. No matter what personal sacrifices he had to make, he could not ignore his higher duty to God and country, which so many leaders seem to forget in their quests for power.
I am not saying that there are no just-minded and respectable career politicians; it just seems that these qualities, which appeal to the voters in election campaigns, are the exact opposite of what makes an admirable leader. Fancy language and token phrases do little good when it comes to policymaking.
Those in ASM who made this year's student government so utterly useless, and who continually alienate the students they supposedly represent, took more pleasure in playing politicians, with their platforms and their partisanship, than they did in doing anything productive for the student body. Parties can be beneficial in the election process to help students make quicker and easier decisions on their candidates; however, when it comes down to making decisions, ASM needs to sit down as individual students representing their fellow students to improve their own educational experience on this campus.
I'm tired of seeing politicians in the student body, and I'm tired of student governance being a resume-builder for some political science major who wants to be president. When I vote for a candidate, the No. 1 thing I ask myself is if I can relate to them. Has this person forgotten they are just a college student, on their trip to personal greatness? Every student has their own interests and each candidate will likely pursue their own interests."" However, as students, the diversification of thoughts and ideas that are available to the student body is in everybody's interest.
The rally two weeks ago against increased tuition, which was organized by ASM, was one of very few efforts that I have seen in my three years here where ASM has tried to do its job of rallying the student body behind an important student issue. The low turn-out showed that students on this campus do not consider ASM to rally behind them, and therefore they see no value in rallying behind ASM. Every student on this campus is against increased tuition, but unless the stagnant waters of ASM begin to flow with some activity, ASM will continue to be a popularity contest over who can get the most friends to give them all of their votes. They will continue to be ineffective, and the chancellor will have to fix the problems they cause for themselves and the student body.
