Now that SA elections are done and nearly all the posters taken down, it is easy for candidates to take this opportunity to rest on their laurels. After all, they have just accomplished the goal they were seeking, whether it be election or reelection. Now that the supporters have been congratulated and the SA-vote website quietly filed away until next year, it can be all too easy to put a little less effort into the governing part of things. The intent doesn’t even have to be malicious. Maybe the meetings begin dragging on longer and longer in the Senate, or the other members of Class Council just don’t seem that enthused by your ideas. It’s possible that one might simply begin getting bogged down by other activities, or schoolwork, and it begins to affect the enthusiasm one brings to their office. However, it is imperative that one does not let themselves succumb to this temptation.
By electing a representative into any position, fellow students have entrusted this person to uphold their interests. By being a part of the Senate, Class Council or other positions, one isn’t merely part of an activity or weekly meeting but a system that enables one student to represent hundreds of fellow students. Thus, when an elected student representative fails to put in the adequate time to continue to care about the people they serve, choosing instead to lay back and pop the position on their resume, or simply to fall behind in a non-malicious manner, they are hurting more than themselves.
UR students came together this week and elected a batch of student leaders to lead them with integrity. This group is diverse, but they all have one thing in common: they have been entrusted by their fellows to set an agenda and follow through with it. These student leaders must act on this mandate and not only plan some events or set a few initiatives, but fulfill every one of their office’s responsibilities. It may seem like a daunting task, and in some ways it is, but the purpose of elected office is to accomplish these things, to fulfill these goals, and if someone is unwilling to immerse themselves in the task and lead with integrity, it might be better if they didn’t seek the same position next election.
