StuCo must look toward the future - Closer to home
By aphael Schweber-Koren · The Johns Hopkins News-Letter · December 4, 2003
Hopkins has become quite the place for political metaphors: last week's was "shock and awe." That was the look on every StuCo member's face as they digested the victory of Jared Ede's constitution.
Rob Freundlich, the sophomore secretary/treasurer and cochair of the Academic Affairs Committee, definitely wasn't taking it lying down. Characterizing the result of the vote as a "farce," he told me that everyone he'd talked to was against the new constitution.
"People who voted for [the new constitution] didn't get it," he said.
His comments echoed others who lashed out at Jered Ede and at those who supported the new constitution. Someone at the Council meeting took Ede's victory personally enough to suggest that he should be barred from running for student office. At one point Matthew Bouloubasis, one of the BoE cochairs, threw up his hands as if to ward off an attack, defending himself as the "friendly, neighborhood BoE."
Others simply couldn't understand why anyone would vote for the referendum. They didn't believe the other side could have legitimate arguments. Charles Reyner, president of Student Council, said that he didn't believe that anyone who knew what was in the constitution would vote for it. Of Ede, he said that it was "hard to understand why anyone would completely overthrow a system."
But Ede thinks there is. He feels that StuCo "needs to be more responsive to the people."
But our former and current leaders don't recognize a legitimate complaint. The question for them isn't, "Why did we lose?" or "Did we somehow fail?" It's "When will I wake up?"
Frankly, the answer is never, or at least not for a long, long time.
All the effort that many will waste plotting to bring back the old constitution would be better spent making the new one work. There's a lot to do, such as using the clean slate to write new, streamlined bylaws that address systemic problems in StuCo procedure. Reyner recognizes this to some degree. He says that while the current situation was not what he bargained for when he ran for StuCo, he sees a golden opportunity.
Those who think as he does should remember that this opportunity was provided by Ede's victory.
But instead, partisans who opposed the referendum continue to live in denial of their loss. Their new tactic: use their power to write procedural rules to undercut the aims of the new constitution.
Reyner, for example, says that he will work to gut Ede's oversight structures such as the Committee on Finance; others at StuCo have said they'd like to go further. These acts just makes them look like sore losers who aren't mature enough to accept political defeat.
Even a successful effort to return to the past using the bylaws will create an unstable amalgamation of the past and the future. That course of action is shortsighted and foolish. Foes of the referendum should instead bury the hatchet.
Rather than launching another attack, do the opposite: Invite Ede to participate. Include his ideas in the discussion, he's told me he's interested. Even if his StuCo candidacy fails, StuCo should still include him.
Many harbor bitter feelings towards Ede, but his involvement will show a welcome realization that mature leaders move past ideological differences to make compromises. The example from leaders will reduce tension, ensuring that the transition period can pass smoothly and giving the new, student-approved constitution a chance to meet its aims.
Besides, many StuCo members, including Freundlich, agree that the transition itself fuels much of their opposition. They're mostly angry that an outsider has brought chaos to their once calm and largely stable fiefdom.
So StuCo, be professional and bring Ede to the table. Get him on board, discuss his ideas and move forward. Maybe you'll convert him to your side. There are enough issues to deal with and silly personal attacks only further degrade StuCo in the eyes of the student body.
Enough politics with student government: let's figure out how to make this work.
Raphael Schweber-Koren is a senior political science and computer science major from Takoma Park, Md.